▁Her ald s ▁and ▁her ald ic ▁authorities ▁The ▁spread ▁of ▁arm orial ▁bear ings ▁across ▁Europe ▁soon ▁gave ▁rise ▁to ▁a ▁new ▁occupation : ▁the ▁her ald , ▁originally ▁a ▁type ▁of ▁mess enger ▁employed ▁by ▁no blem en , ▁assumed ▁the ▁responsibility ▁of ▁learning ▁and ▁knowing ▁the ▁rank , ▁pedig ree , ▁and ▁her ald ic ▁devices ▁of ▁various ▁kn ights ▁and ▁l ords , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁rules ▁and ▁protocol s ▁gover ning ▁the ▁design ▁and ▁description , ▁or ▁bla zon ing ▁of ▁arms , ▁and ▁the ▁preced ence ▁of ▁their ▁bear ers . ▁ ▁As ▁early ▁as ▁the ▁late ▁th ir teenth ▁century , ▁certain ▁her ald s ▁in ▁the ▁employ ▁of ▁monarch s ▁were ▁given ▁the ▁title ▁" K ing ▁of ▁Her ald s ", ▁which ▁eventually ▁became ▁" K ing ▁of ▁Ar ms ." ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁earliest ▁period , ▁arms ▁were ▁assumed ▁by ▁their ▁bear ers ▁without ▁any ▁need ▁for ▁her ald ic ▁authority . ▁ ▁However , ▁by ▁the ▁middle ▁of ▁the ▁four teenth ▁century , ▁the ▁principle ▁that ▁only ▁a ▁single ▁individual ▁was ▁entitled ▁to ▁bear ▁a ▁particular ▁coat ▁of ▁arms ▁was ▁generally ▁accepted , ▁and ▁disput es ▁over ▁the ▁ownership ▁of ▁arms ▁seems ▁to ▁have ▁led ▁to ▁grad ual ▁establishment ▁of ▁her ald ic ▁authorities ▁to ▁reg ulate ▁their ▁use . ▁ ▁The ▁earliest ▁known ▁work ▁of ▁her ald ic ▁juris pr ud ence , ▁De ▁In sign i is ▁et ▁Arm is , ▁was ▁written ▁about ▁ 1 3 5 0