# House mark > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/House_mark > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/House_mark.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_mark > Source revision: 1354137511 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|Property marker}} {{about|marks indicating the ownership of buildings|the mark applied by a seller to goods to indicate authenticity|Brand name}} {{more footnotes|date=September 2014}} [[File:Glockengießer26Hausmarke.jpg|upright=1.2|thumb|German house mark on a house front from 1572, with variation of the shape double [hook](/source/Fish_hook).]] A '''house mark''' was originally a mark of property, later also used as a family or clan emblem, incised on the facade of a building, on animals, in [signet](/source/Seal_(emblem)) and similar in the farmer and [burgher](/source/Burgher_(social_class)) culture of [Germany](/source/Germany), [the Netherlands](/source/the_Netherlands) and the [Nordic countries](/source/Nordic_countries). These marks have the appearance of [glyph](/source/glyph)s or [runes](/source/runes) consisting of a pattern of simple lines, without the application of colour. == Description == The form of house marks is based on function. They should be easy to cut, scratch or engrave with a knife or similar tool. At the same time, they should be distinctive and easy to remember. House marks differ from the more complicated patterns of a [coat of arms](/source/coat_of_arms) or flags, which include surfaces and solid colors. House marks can be made from one or two lines and up to quite a complex pattern of line figures. Based on appearance, house marks resemble line figures in [rock carving](/source/Petroglyph)s and in early [writing system](/source/writing_system)s. It is unclear how extensively such ancient line figures were used as marks for people or property ownership. The basic forms of a house mark is often [runes](/source/runic_alphabet), characters and numbers, stylized figures, international symbols like crosses, stars, and [astrological](/source/astrology) or [astronomical](/source/astronomy) characters. One characteristic of house marks is that they may consist of a basic form with addition or deduction of lines. In this way, related people can have marks that resemble each other, but differ by details. This is equivalent to [cadency](/source/cadency) and adding [brisure](/source/Cadency)s as a method to change a coat of arms. Many house marks are placed in [shield](/source/Escutcheon_(heraldry))-shaped frames. We see this in seals, on buildings and on [tombstone](/source/Headstone)s, for both farmers and city dwellers in [Scandinavia](/source/Scandinavia) and [German](/source/Germany) areas, during the 1700s and 1800s. Some of these house mark shields also had color and approached the heraldic coat of arms. {{Gallery|align=center |File:Saaremaa peremärgid.png|House marks from the island of [Saaremaa](/source/Saaremaa), [Estonia](/source/Estonia). |File:Hauszeichen Brienz.jpg|House marks from [Brienz](/source/Brienz), Switzerland. |File:Wappen Hiddensee.svg|Some municipal coats of arms of Germany involve house marks, in this example the arms of [Hiddensee](/source/Hiddensee), which show a house mark ''per pale'' alongside a sea-horse. }} == History == The use of house marks dates back to long before literacy was common. The purpose of a house mark is to have a recognisable mark that a person, a nuclear family, multiple generations of an extended family or an owner of a property can use to mark objects, [cattle](/source/cattle), or buildings for recognition of ownership. Besides farmers, house marks have also been used by [merchant](/source/merchant)s, [tradesman](/source/tradesman), [artisan](/source/artisan)s, and other town burghers on for example [Bryggen](/source/Bryggen) in [Bergen](/source/Bergen_(city)), on building blocks in the [Nidaros Cathedral](/source/Nidaros_Cathedral), and on personal [seals](/source/Seal_(emblem)) in other Norwegian cities. There are also house marks written by hand on documents, for instance house marks of [mining](/source/mining) workers at [Røros](/source/R%C3%B8ros_(town)). The Norwegian word {{lang|no|b'''o'''merke}} or {{lang|no|b'''oe'''merke}} probably came from [Denmark](/source/Denmark). There is no Norwegian reference before the 17th century. Today {{lang|no|b'''o'''merke}} is mainly written as {{lang|no|b'''u'''merke}} in [Norwegian](/source/Norwegian_language). Both in Denmark and [Sweden](/source/Sweden), the word {{lang|da|bomerke}} (with multiple spellings) is used since the 14th century and in the 16th century. In the [Iceland](/source/Iceland)ic codes of law from the [Middle Ages](/source/Middle_Ages), one finds the word {{lang|is|einkunn}} used to denote owner marks used to tag animals. It is likely that this word has also been used in Norway.{{Citation |url=http://www.cappelen-krefting.no/hans/bumerkerinorge.htm |first=Hans |last=Cappelen |title=Bumerker i Norge |location=Oslo |year=2005 |access-date=2010-04-02 |archive-date=2013-10-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029203812/http://www.cappelen-krefting.no/hans/bumerkerinorge.htm |url-status=dead }} In Finnish, the word {{lang|fi|puumerkki}} ("insignia") means a distinguishing mark or sign used by illiterate persons as a replacement of a written signature in official documents. {{Gallery|align=center |File:Norsk-bumerke.jpg|Norwegian house mark with a variation of the shape [hourglass](/source/hourglass). |File:Bomärke.png|Two [Iceland](/source/Iceland)ic and two [Swedish](/source/Sweden) house marks. The fourth is a [mason's mark](/source/mason's_mark) with [pentagram](/source/pentagram) from [Uppsala Cathedral](/source/Uppsala_Cathedral). |File:Merki Łeba.svg|Examples of [Kashubian](/source/Kashubians) house marks with variations of the basic forms of [cross](/source/cross), [arrow](/source/arrow), and a double hook. }} == See also == {{Portal|art}} {{Columnslist|colwidth=22em| * [Bind rune](/source/Bind_rune)s and [cipher runes](/source/cipher_runes) * [Brand](/source/Brand)s * [Heraldry](/source/Heraldry) * [Mason's mark](/source/Mason's_mark)s * [Merchant's mark](/source/Merchant's_mark)s * [Monogram](/source/Monogram) * [Pseudo-runes](/source/Pseudo-runes) * [Siglas poveiras](/source/Siglas_poveiras) * [Tamga](/source/Tamga) * [Titulus pictus](/source/Titulus_pictus) }} == References == {{reflist}} === Sources === {{Refbegin}} ; Norwegian: * [Sivert Aarflot](/source/Sivert_Aarflot): Om nogle af Hovedkaraktererne iblandt de saakaldte gamlævis Bumærkji, som ellers heder Runebogstaver, Norsk Landboeblad 1811 * H. J. Huitfeldt-Kaas, Oluf Kolsrud et al.: ''Norske [Sigiller](/source/Seal_(emblem)) fra Middelalderen'', [Kristiania](/source/Oslo) - Oslo 1899-1950 * Fredrik B. Wallem: En indledning til studiet af de nordiske bomærker, ''Årbok 1902 for [Foreningen til Norske Fortidsminners Bevaring](/source/Society_for_the_Preservation_of_Ancient_Norwegian_Monuments)'', Kristiania 1903 * Johan Koren Wiberg: Bomerker og Innflyttere vedkommende Kontoret i Bergen, ''Det Hanseatiske Museums Skrifter Nr 10'', Bergen 1935 * Rikard Berge: «Bumerke», ''Vinje og Rauland'', Stavanger 1940, pages 348-354 * L. Strømme: ''Bumerke frå Sunnmøre'', Oslo 1943 * K. and Jon Haukanes: ''Segl og bumerke frå Hardanger'', Oslo 1944 * Hans Krag: ''Norsk heraldisk mønstring fra Fredrik IV’s regjeringstid 1699-1730'', bind II, Ålo 1955 * Hans Krag: Tømmermerker og bomerker, ''Heraldisk Tidsskrift'' 1/53, København 1960 * Hans Krag: Nogen norske seglmerker, ''Heraldisk Tidsskrift'' 1/157, København 1961 * Lars Kindem: ''Vossaboki 2'', [Voss](/source/Voss_Municipality) 1933-38 (nytt opplag 1981) * Jakob H. Vik: Bumerke frå [Kvam](/source/Kvam_Municipality) i Hordaland, ''Hardanger Historielags tilleggskrift nr 13'', [Øystese](/source/%C3%98ystese) 1962 * Kristian A. Bentsen: Merker og bumerker, ''[Agder](/source/Agder) historielags årsskrift nr 46'', [Kristiansand](/source/Kristiansand_(town)) S 1968 * Albert Joleik: ''Soga om [Flora](/source/Flora_Municipality)'', Flora 1980, med bumerker tilrettelagt av Anders J. Moen * Åsta Østmoe Kostveit: ''Kors i kake, skurd i tre. Tegn og symboler i folkekulturen'', Oslo 1997 * [http://www.cappelen-krefting.no/hans/bumerkerinorge.htm Hans Cappelen: ''Bumerker i Norge'' (Oslo 2005)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029203812/http://www.cappelen-krefting.no/hans/bumerkerinorge.htm |date=2013-10-29 }} * Hans Cappelen: «Bumerker i Norge - en oversikt», in Anders Bjønnes et al.: ''Segltegninger fra hyllingene i Norge 1591 og 1610'', Oslo 2010 ; Danish: * Allan Tønnesen: ''[Helsingør](/source/Helsing%C3%B8r)s bomærker'', [København](/source/Copenhagen) 1968 * Allan Tønnesen: Bomerker og runer, ''Heraldisk Tidsskrift'' 51/23, København 1985 * Allan Tønnesen (editor): ''Magtens besegling. Enevoldsarveregeringsakterne af 1661 og 1662 underskrevet og beseglet af stænderne i Danmark, Norge, Island og Færøerne'', Syddansk Universitetsforlag, Odense 2013, 583 p., {{ISBN|9788776746612}}. ; Swedish: *[https://www.labarum.se/media/gudstecken.pdf Tuve Skånberg: ''Glömda gudstecken. Från fornkyrklig dopliturgi till allmogens bomärken''] (2003) under [Creative Commons](/source/Creative_Commons) BY-NC-ND 2.5 license ; German: * C. G. Homeyer: ''Die Haus- und Hofmarken'', [Berlin](/source/Berlin) 1870 * H. Spruth: ''Die Hausmarke, Wesen und Bibliographie'', Neustadt a.d.A. 1960 {{refend}} == External links == {{Commons}} ; Norwegian: * [https://web.archive.org/web/20101120031634/http://www-bib.hive.no/tekster/sem_slagen/gaardshistorie2/bumerker.htm Bumerker] (with multiple examples) * [http://www.cappelen-krefting.no/hans/bumerkerinorge.htm Bumerker i Norge] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029203812/http://www.cappelen-krefting.no/hans/bumerkerinorge.htm |date=2013-10-29 }} {{DEFAULTSORT:House Mark}} Category:Symbols Category:Heraldic charges Category:Visual motifs --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [House mark](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_mark) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_mark?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.