Pedigree, compiled genealogies for Philip II of Spain, for example, had 118 generations, linking it with the first human ancestors Adam. The mechanism of creating such a pedigree generations of legend and painting her well illustrated by the story of the Hungarian King Matthias genealogy Hunyadi, nicknamed Corwin (Raven). He was the son of a nobleman  mediocre. After his ascension to the throne of the court historian of the Italian Antonio Bonfini amounted to a genealogy, which explains the nickname Matthias kinship with the famous Roman name Valeria Corvino (according to legend, their ancestors raven brought victory in the battle). After Valeria Corvino clan Hunyadi was elevated to the Sabines and the Trojans, and from them - to Hercules.
In their claims to antiquity of origin is not inferior to the royal dynasties, and other noble houses. In mockery of his contemporaries, who attributed the polls themselves kinship with biblical characters in the XVII century, Lord Chesterfield directly depicted them in his family tree, providing his family name - Adam and Eve Stanhope Stanhope. But most of the nobility made it quite seriously.
However, despite its inaccuracy, and often it is due to her bloodlines legend - a valuable historical source, because they are primarily a product of the ideological atmosphere of his era, and they reflect the ideals and claims of the nobility, prevailed in the society's ideas of honor and prestige origins.