In the rigorous tradition of English armory, a charge denotes any object, animate or inanimate, superimposed upon the escutcheon. These devices are classified into 'ordinaries'—the primary geometric figures such as the fess, chevron, and bend—and 'common charges,' which encompass a vast lexicon of natural, artificial, and chimerical figures including lions, eagles, and celestial bodies. The placement and coloration of these charges are governed by the prescriptive Law of Arms, most notably the Rule of Tincture, which prohibits placing metal upon metal or color upon color to ensure maximum legibility on the field of battle.
Beyond their decorative utility, charges served as vital legal and social instruments within the feudal hierarchy of England. Initially adopted during the high medieval period for identification amidst the clamor of the tournament and the melee, they evolved into hereditary markers of lineage, property rights, and political allegiance. The Office of Arms, overseen by the Earl Marshal, maintains the prerogative to grant unique charges, ensuring that no two armigerous families bear identical configurations, thereby preserving the distinctiveness of the English nobility's visual archives.