House mark

House marks differ from the more complicated patterns of a coat of arms or flags, which include surfaces and solid colors.

Based on appearance, house marks resemble line figures in rock carvings and in early writing systems.

Besides farmers, house marks have also been used by merchants, tradesman, artisans, and other town burghers on for example Bryggen in Bergen, on building blocks in the Nidaros Cathedral, and on personal seals in other Norwegian cities.

In the Icelandic codes of law from the Middle Ages, one finds the word einkunn used to denote owner marks used to tag animals.

[1] In Finnish, the word puumerkki ("insignia") means a distinguishing mark or sign used by illiterate persons as a replacement of a written signature in official documents.