A herald was an officer in medieval Europe charged with carrying messages to and from commanders of opposing armies — and sometimes, as in the case of Shakespeare's play, between royal courts. Originally, a herald was charged with announcing and conducting tournaments, including the proclamation of each joust and the names of combatants, and this required a comprehensive knowledge of family origins, coats of arms, etc. Later, in war, heralds would observe battles from a safe distance and were tasked with determining the victor on the field, compiling lists of the dead and, with the victor, naming the battle itself. A battle was commonly named for a nearby town or village, or for a prominent geographical feature.