ABSTRACT
A system of hereditary symbols used chiefly on shields and banners, heraldry developed in the Middle Ages and retained its fascination and importance for Elizabethans partly as the result of a revived interest in chivalry, of which The Faerie Queene is itself a product. Its visual symbolism identified and distinguished those of noble or gentle rank, and in doing so referred to many of the factors crucial for success in an unstable and competitive society: family, dynastic, and marital alliances; nobility and antiquity of race (whether real or fictional); royal favor and connections; and the wealth implied by all of these. Heraldic images were central to the art of display which was essential to princely magnificence, and they figured prominently in the splendid pageantry surrounding Queen Elizabeth and her court, on which Spenser drew so heavily. During the late sixteenth century, heraldic designs could decorate almost any object or available surface, including books, paintings, and buildings, from the seals validating Acts of Parliament to the wool weights used in country markets. From the 1550s onwards, many explanatory treatises were published. Heraldry was so ubiquitous that Elizabethan authors could employ its images and conventions in the sure knowledge of their audience’s comprehension; and such writers as Shakespeare, Sidney, Marlowe, and Nashe, as well as Spenser, found in it a versatile and expressive language.
