The correct term for what many people call a ‘coat of arms’ is an ‘achievement’. The coat of arms is actually the decoration on the shield, and the family crest is the decoration on top of the helmet. The swirly decoration surrounding much of the achievement is called the mantling. This represents the cloth worn by noblemen and attached to the back of the helmet. It protected against the heat of the sun and often prevented the attacker getting a clean swipe at the nobleman. These days many achievements have family mottoes, but these did not appear until the year 1660.