The Canadian version evolved over 150 years and its evolution was as complicated as the country’s. The idea of a coat of arms originated in medieval Europe. The name was literal: a fabric that went over armour bearing the insignia of the realm. Its original purpose was to discern friend from foe in battle and to identify the dead. Over the centuries, they came to identify other things: families, professions and property ownership among them.  They also became incredibly intricate. Often, a shield remained the central feature, divided into chief and base (top and bottom) as well as sinister and dexter (left and right). The Royal Arms of the United Kingdom features a shield that shows England (three leopards), Scotland (a lion) and Ireland (a harp). It is encircled by the Order of th...