▁of ▁these ▁rules ▁is ▁essential ▁to ▁the ▁art ▁of ▁her ald ry . ▁Though ▁her ald ic ▁forms ▁initially ▁were ▁broad ly ▁similar ▁across ▁Europe , ▁several ▁national ▁styles ▁had ▁developed ▁by ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁Middle ▁A ges , ▁and ▁art istic ▁and ▁bla zon ing ▁styles ▁today ▁range ▁from ▁the ▁very ▁simple ▁to ▁extra ordin arily ▁complex . ▁ ▁National ▁styles ▁The ▁emer gence ▁of ▁her ald ry ▁occurred ▁across ▁western ▁Europe ▁almost ▁simultaneously ▁in ▁the ▁various ▁countries . ▁Origin ally , ▁her ald ic ▁style ▁was ▁very ▁similar ▁from ▁country ▁to ▁country . ▁Over ▁time , ▁her ald ic ▁tradition ▁diver ged ▁into ▁four ▁broad ▁styles : ▁German - N ord ic , ▁Gal lo - B rit ish , ▁Latin , ▁and ▁Eastern . ▁In ▁addition ▁it ▁can ▁be ▁argued ▁that ▁newer ▁national ▁her ald ic ▁trad itions , ▁such ▁as ▁South ▁African ▁and ▁Canadian , ▁have ▁emer ged ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century . ▁ ▁Central ▁and ▁Northern ▁European ▁her ald ry ▁ ▁Co ats ▁of ▁arms ▁in ▁Germany , ▁the ▁Nord ic ▁countries , ▁Est onia , ▁Lat via , ▁Czech ▁lands ▁and ▁northern ▁Switzerland ▁generally ▁change ▁very ▁little ▁over ▁time . ▁Mark s ▁of ▁difference ▁are ▁very ▁rare ▁in ▁this ▁tradition ▁as ▁are ▁her ald ic ▁f urs . ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁striking ▁characteristics ▁of ▁German - N ord ic ▁her ald ry ▁is ▁the ▁treatment ▁of ▁the ▁cr est . ▁O ften , ▁the ▁same ▁design ▁is ▁repeated ▁in ▁the ▁shield ▁and