House Marks and Monogrammes
Bumerke (plural: bumerker), rarely spelled bomerke, are house marks with some relations to coats of arms, as they were frequently used instead of arms and often displayed within an escutcheon or a shield. Like coats of arms, they were often used on private seals and signet rings. Coats of arms consist of coloured fields whilst house marks consist of simple lines only, suitable for carving on e.g. wooden utensils. They are renditions of very simple runic-like letters and other graphic symbols which signify a specific person or family. They may be passed down through generations with some changes from person to person. This custom has mostly died out. Before literacy became widespread, a bumerke would often be used instead of a signature.
Some bumerkes consist of monogrammes which are owner's name initials. Most bumerkes are not monogrammes, and a monogramme is not automatically a bumerke. However, monogrammes were often used for the same purposes as bumerkes, e.g. when signing documents or marking personal belongings.
Read more about this topic: Norwegian Heraldry
Famous quotes containing the words house and/or marks:
“Whatever house you enter, first say, Peace to this house!’ And if anyone is there who shares in peace, your peace will rest on that person; but if not, it will return to you.”
—Bible: New Testament, Luke 10:5,6.
“... my aim is now, as it has been for the past ten years, to make myself a true woman, one worthy of the name, and one who will unshrinkingly follow the path which God marks out, one whose aim is to do all of the good she can in the world and not be one of the delicate little dolls or the silly fools who make up the bulk of American women, slaves to society and fashion.”
—Ellen Henrietta Swallow Richards (1842–1911)