feature of heraldry, did not develop until the High Middle Ages. It is often claimed that the use of helmets with face guards during this period made it difficult to recognise one's commanders in the field when large armies gathered together for extended periods, necessitating the development of heraldry as a symbolic language, but there is little support for this view.

The perceived beauty and pageantry of heraldic designs allowed them to survive the gradual abandonment of armour on the battlefield