Meanings in Heraldry

The question "What does X mean in heraldry?" often arises, with the expectation that there is a particular symbology and meaning to the things in heraldry.

Sadly, in my view, this isn't really the case for anything in a purely heraldic context. So for example, a paricular culture might consider that an image of a Fox represents cunning, or that lions are courageous but these meanings belong to the objects themselves, in any context, and may well have had those meanings long before heraldry developed.

That is not to suggest that colours and objects were chosen without consideration, just that the reasons for each choice were personal and not based on an established canon of heraldic meanings.

Early Heraldry

In the very early days of heraldry I would imagine that arms were chosen to be different, i.e. clearly and separately identifiable from anything that had been used previously. If your neighbour is using azure a bend or you might go for something completely different with sable a fess argent.

In this situation I don't see that there is any need to ascribe "meanings" to any of the shapes or colours, other than the cross, but that of course has a huge symbology that predates heraldry. A cross used in heraldry has no different meaning to a cross used anywhere else; and arguably it was originally the combination of a pale and fess and the original resemblance to a cross was coincidental.

Later Heraldry

In later periods heraldry became more ceremonial and decorative and the use of charges became more common, if for no other reason than most of the combinations of basic colours and major ordinaries had already been used!