ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Stain (heraldry)

Okay, imagine you have a very special coat that you wear to show off your family and who you are. This coat is not like a regular coat, it is a magical coat that can talk and tell a story. But instead of words, it uses pictures and symbols to tell the story.

Now, on this magical coat, there are different colors that can be used to make the pictures and symbols. These colors are called stains. They are like special markers that come in different colors.

Each color stain represents something different. For example, a red stain can represent bravery and strength, while a blue stain can represent loyalty and honesty. So when the magical coat has pictures and symbols made with different stain colors, it is telling the story of your family and what you stand for.

People who study and know a lot about these magical coats are called heralds. They can look at a coat and tell you what each symbol and stain color means. It's kind of like reading a book, but instead of words, they read the pictures and colors on the coat.

So when you see someone wearing a coat with different stain colors, you can know a little bit about them and their family history. It's like a secret code that only people who understand heraldry can read!

Isn't that cool? Just remember, stain colors on a coat help tell a story about a person and their family. And heralds are the special people who can understand and read that story.