Vert (heraldry) medieval figurative art. The Anglo-Norman "prose Brut" (c. 1200) has Brutus of Troy bear a green shield, "Brutus Vert-Escu, Brutus Viride Scutum". Green is occasionally found in historical coats of arms (as opposed to the fictional "green knights" of Arthurian romance) from as early as the 13th century, but it remained rare, and indeed actively avoided, well into the 15th century, but becomes more common in the classical heraldry of the 16th and 17th centuries. An early example of a green escutcheon was that of the coat of arms of Styria, based on the banner of Ottokar II of Bohemia
Wolves in heraldry Wolves in heraldry The wolf has been widely used in many forms in heraldry during the Middle Ages. Though commonly reviled as a livestock predator and man-eater, the wolf was also considered a noble and courageous animal, and frequently appeared on the Arms and crests of numerous noble families. It typically symbolised the rewards of perseverance in long sieges or hard industry. Wolves appeared frequently in English heraldry. A shield bearing two wolf heads was attributed to the Earl of Chester, circa 1070. "Two wolf's heads erased azure" were later used on the arms of subsequent Earls. Edward IV (1442–83)