▁distingu ishing ▁feature ▁of ▁her ald ry , ▁did ▁not ▁develop ▁until ▁the ▁High ▁Middle ▁A ges . ▁It ▁is ▁very ▁often ▁claimed ▁that ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁hel m ets ▁with ▁face ▁gu ards ▁during ▁this ▁period ▁made ▁it ▁difficult ▁to ▁recognize ▁one ' s ▁command ers ▁in ▁the ▁field ▁when ▁large ▁arm ies ▁gathered ▁together ▁for ▁extended ▁periods , ▁necess it ating ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁her ald ry ▁as ▁a ▁symbol ic ▁language , ▁but ▁there ▁is ▁very ▁little ▁actual ▁support ▁for ▁this ▁view . ▁ ▁The ▁beauty ▁and ▁page antry ▁of ▁her ald ic ▁designs ▁allowed ▁them ▁to ▁surv ive ▁the ▁grad ual ▁abandon ment ▁of ▁arm our ▁on ▁the ▁battle field ▁during ▁the ▁sevent e enth ▁century . ▁ ▁Her ald ry ▁has ▁been ▁described ▁poet ically ▁as ▁" the ▁hand ma id ▁of ▁history ", ▁" the ▁sh orth and ▁of ▁history ", ▁and ▁" the ▁fl oral ▁border ▁in ▁the ▁garden ▁of ▁history ". ▁ ▁In ▁modern ▁times , ▁individuals , ▁public ▁and ▁private ▁organizations , ▁corpor ations , ▁cities , ▁towns , ▁and ▁regions ▁use ▁her ald ry ▁and ▁its ▁convent ions ▁to ▁symbol ize ▁their ▁her itage , ▁achiev ements , ▁and ▁asp ir ations . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁P rec urs ors ▁Vari ous ▁symbols ▁have ▁been ▁used ▁to ▁represent ▁individuals ▁or ▁groups ▁for ▁thousands ▁of ▁years . ▁ ▁The ▁earliest ▁representations ▁of ▁distinct ▁persons ▁and ▁regions ▁in ▁Egypt ian ▁art ▁show ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁standards ▁to pped ▁with ▁the ▁images ▁or ▁symbols ▁of ▁various