Like the goussé symbol, the other symbols on the Gossett shield are historical of the early Gossett family in Normandy. An attempt to interpret the heraldic meaning of these emblems should be preceded by a brief discussion of the events which brought about the existence of Heraldry.
Authorities consider heraldry did not exist much before 1100, except in the simple form of a single device to designate a knight in combat. The first symbolic shields of arms in their present form originated in the time of the earliest crusades. The necessity of recognizing the numerous leaders in the crusades "compelled the knights to adopt a methodical arrangement of various distinguishing devices, borne on sur-coat and banner".1 These armorial bearings became hereditary about 1250.
The crusades, the military expeditions which were undertaken by Christian Europe in the 11th, 12th, and 13th centuries with the particular object of retaking Jerusalem from the Mohammedans, collected together "the best and noblest amongst the human race at that time. And the spirit of emulation caused nation to vie with nation, and individual with individual in the performance of illustrious feats of honor. War was elevated to the dignity of a sacred duty, and the implements of war rose in estimation".2 The glory, therefore, that was attached to arms is obvious, and it is evident why the symbols and rules of heraldry are principally identical in all European countries.
Except under certain conditions it was impossible to be created a knight. There were few gentlemen who possessed estates large enough to enable them to procure the equipment and to maintain the style of existence of a knight. The specifications were elaborate and the expenses were exorbitant. The lord levied a tax, called "aid tax", on his vassals when his son was knighted. The greatest feudal barons, the princes, counts, dukes, even the kings, were the knights.
To become a knight one had to be the son of a knight and a great fighter. A knight inherited his privilege and title, his leisure and land, but fighting was his one and only obligation. He did not work for his own support but was supported by the labor of others.
A knight obeyed rules of conduct and gallantry and feudal chivalry. He took vows to fight for the Christian faith, to fight bravely, to be courageous, loyal, and truthful. A knight had to be a Christian and he was admitted to knighthood with a religious ceremony. All members of the order were of equal standing and they were included among the ranks of the nobility. All of the knights belonged to the hereditary and superior class, into which their children alone had the privilege to enter. Their children were permitted to marry only among their class.
A knight, equipped with a sword and a long lance, rode to battle on horseback. He was followed by foot-soldiers, the tenants and peasants of his estates, who were armed with swords. In individual combat the knight was completely encased in heavy, expensive, metal armour. The knight required an attendant to carry his armour and shields and to assist him in putting on his armour.
Sir Walter Scott's works and other literature dealing with heroic tales of chivalry portray the poetical and moral beauty of knighthood, which existed in the midst of anarchy and barbarism in the Middle Ages.
Religious fervor created the original and primary motive of the crusades. However, these military excursions to remote and unknown regions offered excitement, adventure, and novelty beyond the castle walls, and presented to the knight an opportunity to engage in warfare. Eventually the crusades depleted in many ways the resources of the barons of France.
The spread of Christianity throughout Europe had inspired many people from France, England, and Italy to take journeys to the Holy Land, to visit various shrines, and to go to Rome, the home of the Popes. From the seventh to the eleventh century the early Christians had been humiliated and persecuted at Jerusalem by the infidels. The Christians called their Mohammedan enemies, "Saracens".
Directed by the Pope, zealous monks traveled throughout Europe relating the stories of insults and suffering inflicted on the Christians. The monks exhorted the people and the kings to rise up against the oppressors. Their zeal was contagious. It kindled the flame and brought about the crusades for the honor of Christendom.
At the beginning of the crusades, France was the foremost nation of the world. In France, organized under the French feudal lords who took the leading part independently of the king, the first crusade was begun in 1096. This first religious expedition was a stupendous undertaking and the journey was hazardous, but at the end of the first crusade Jerusalem was captured. Some of the seven crusades were successful; some unsuccessful.
It is established by the Gossett coat-of-arms that three (trois) Goussés, who were very powerful and valiant knights in Normandy, took a leading part in the earliest crusades. The interpretation will be discussed in the next chapter. Undoubtedly, the Goussés helped to organize and promote the first crusade (1096-1099). Also, the Goussé knights engaged in the second crusade (1147-1149), when all the French villages and castles, historians tell us, were deserted; and, in the third crusade (1189-1192), when the entire population of Christian Europe participated."3
1. W. Cecil Wade, The Symbolism of Heraldry, 1898, p. 21. RETURN TO TEXT
2. Arthur Charles Fox-Davies, A Complete Guide to Heraldry (1925), p. 17. RETURN TO TEXT
3. Richard and William Gosset were living in Normandy, 1180-1195. Index of Surnames in The Norman People, pub. by Hugh S. King & Co., London, 1874. RETURN TO TEXT
Note: The Saracens fought over 30 years to capture Enna, Sicily, then the Normans fought 25 year to retake it. In modern warfare, in the crisis of 1943, the Allies took Enna after an assault of only three days against the Axis.
