Royal Supporters of Englandとは 意味・読み方・使い方

In heraldry, the Royal Supporters of England are figures of living creatures appearing on each side of the Royal Arms of England. Originally, in England, supporters were regarded as little more than mere decorative and artistic appendages. In France, writers made a distinctive difference on the subject of supporters, giving the name of Supports to animals, real or imaginary, thus employed; while human figures or angels similarly used are called Tenants. Trees and other inanimate objects which are sometimes used are called Soutiens. Older writers trace origins of supporters to their usages in tournaments, where the shields of the combatants were exposed for inspection, and guarded by their servants or pages disguised in fanciful attire. However, medieval Scottish seals afford numerous examples in which the 13th and 14th century shields were placed between two creatures resembling lizards or dragons. Also, the seal of John, Duke of Normandy, eldest son of the King of France, before 1316 bears his arms as; France ancient, a bordure gules, between two lions rampant away from the shield, and an eagle with expanded wings standing above it. The Royal Supporters of the monarchs of England, displayed a variety, or even a menagerie, of real and imaginary beasts, either side of their Royal Arms of Sovereignty, including the lion, leopard, panther and tiger, the antelope and the hart, the greyhound, the boar and the bull, the falcon, cock, eagle and swan, the red and gold dragons, and of course, the current unicorn.