Heraldry

"There will be no more Sorting at Hogwarts School. There will be no more Houses. The emblem, shield, and colours of my noble ancestor, Salazar Slytherin, will suffice for everyone."

- Lord Voldemort proclaiming his victory at the Battle of Hogwarts

Heraldry refers to the design, display and study of armorial bearings, more commonly known as coats of arms, which are traditionally unique to an individual person, family, state, or organisation. An heraldic achievement is normally comprised of a shield (or escutcheon), helmet, and crest, together with any accompanying devices, such as supporters, badges, heraldic banners, and mottoes.

The development of heraldy as a as a symbolic language dates back to the High Middle Ages and, given that, at the time, wizard and Muggle societies were not segregated, heraldic motifs are also common in the wizarding world.

Blazons
In heraldry, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct the appropriate image. This language has its own vocabulary, word-order and punctuation (all of Anglo-Norman origin), designed to eliminate ambiguity of interpretation.