Eagle (heraldry)

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Examples of heraldic eagles of the 13th to 16th centuries, from Hugo Gerard Ströhl's Heraldischer Atlas

The eagle is used in

Saint John the Evangelist
on the other.

History

Further information: History of heraldry

A golden eagle was often used on the banner of the Achaemenid Empire of Persia. Eagle (or the related royal bird vareghna) symbolized khvarenah (the God-given glory), and the Achaemenid family was associated with eagle (according to legend, Achaemenes was raised by an eagle). The local rulers of Persis in the Seleucid and Parthian eras (3rd-2nd centuries BC) sometimes used an eagle as the finial of their banner. Parthians and Armenians used eagle banners, too.[1]

European heraldry

Further information:
Eagle (symbolism)
Carolingian ivory plaque with the Eagle of Saint John with halo, Victoria & Albert Museum.
An early heraldic eagle in the seal of Vienna (1239)
Or two eagles sable armed gules for Homberg (Zürich armorial, c. 1340). At this time, the black-on-gold eagle could still be used for a family of the lower nobility without association to the imperial eagle.[a]
Royal coat of arms for Frederick IV of Germany (1446)[3]
Imperial banner for Charles V (Jakob Kallenberg 1545)

In Europe the iconography of the heraldic eagle, as with other

Saint John the Evangelist, ultimately based on the tradition of the four living creatures in Ezekiel
.

In early heraldry or proto-heraldry of the 12th century, however, the eagle as a heraldic charge was not necessarily tied to either imperial or biblical symbolism. The Anglo-Norman

Leopold IV of Austria, dated 1136.[4] Adalbert I, Duke of Teck used an eagle in his seal
in c. 1190.

By the late medieval period, in

Imperial immediacy. From such usage, use of the heraldic eagle by the end of the medieval period became so strongly associated with the Holy Roman Empire that the eagle was rarely used as an independent heraldic charge. Examples of continued use of an eagle in coats of arms based on traditions of the 13th century include the Polish, Moravian, and Silesian
coats of arms.

By far the oldest and most common manner of depicting the eagle in heraldry is what would come to be known as displayed (éployée), in direct imitation of Roman iconography. The eagle's body is depicted with lateral symmetry, but its head is facing the dexter side. In late medieval blasons, the term "eagle" (Middle French egle) without specification refers to an "eagle displayed". In early modern English terminology, it became common to use "eagle displayed". Also specific to English heraldry is the distinction between "eagle displayed with its wings elevated" and "eagle displayed with wings inverted". This is due to a regional English convention of depicting the tips of the wings pointing upward, while in continental heraldry, the tips of the wings were depicted downward ("inverted"). Later, English heraldry partially adopted the continental convention, leading to a situation where it was unclear whether the two forms should be considered equivalent. In German heraldry, no attitude other than "eagle displayed with wings inverted" ever became current, so that the simple blason of "eagle" (Adler) still refers to this configuration.[b]

There is a gradual evolution of the standard depiction of the heraldic eagle over the course of the 12th to 16th centuries. In the 12th to 13th century, the head is raised and the beak is closed. The leading edge of the wings (in German heraldry termed Sachsen or Saxen, representing the main bones in the bird's wing, humerus and ulna) are rolled up at the ends into a spiral shape, with the remiges shown vertical. The tail is represented as a number of stiff feathers. By the later 14th century, the head is straightened, and the beak opens, with the tongue becoming visible. The rolling-up of the leading edge of the wings disappears. The claws now form an acute angle relative to the body, occasionally receiving a "hose" covering the upper leg. The tail feathers now spread out in curved lines. In the 15th century, the leading edge of the wings become half-circles, with the remiges no longer vertical but radiating outward. The legs form a right angles. In the 16th century, eventually, the depiction of the eagle becomes more extravagant and ferocious, the animal being depicted "it in as ornamental and ornate a manner as possible". Fox-Davies (1909) presents a schematic depiction of this evolution, as follows:[7]

  • 13th century: curled wing edges, straight tail feathers, vertical legs
    13th century: curled wing edges, straight tail feathers, vertical legs
  • late 14th century: curved wing edges (vertical remiges), curved tail feathers, legs at an acute angle
    late 14th century: curved wing edges (vertical remiges), curved tail feathers, legs at an acute angle
  • 15th century: wing edges pointing upward (radiating remiges), more ornate tail feathers, legs at a right angle
    15th century: wing edges pointing upward (radiating remiges), more ornate tail feathers, legs at a right angle

Depiction

Eagle displayed
Eagle abaissé

The depiction of the heraldic eagle is subject to a great range of variation in style. The eagle was far more common in continental European—particularly German—than English heraldry, and it most frequently appears Sable (colored black) with its beak and claws Or (colored gold or yellow). It is often depicted membered (having limbs of a different color than the body) / armed (an animal depicted with its natural weapons of a different color than the body) and langued (depicted having a tongue of a different color than the body) gules (colored red), that is, with red claws / talons and tongue. In its relatively few instances in Gallo-British heraldry (e.g. the arms of the Earls of Dalhousie) the outermost feathers are typically longer and point upward.

Parts

Head

An eagle can appear either single- or double-headed (bicapitate), in rare cases triple-headed (tricapitate) eagle is seen.[c]

An eagle can be displayed with his head turned to the

sinister
(left side of the field). In full aspect describes an eagle with his head facing the onlooker. In trian aspect (a rare, later 16th and 17th century heraldry term) describes when the eagle's head is facing at a three-quarter view to give the appearance of depth – with the head cocked at an angle somewhere between profile and straight-on.

Wings

1. Eagle close. 2. Eagle rising, wings elevated and addorsed. 3. Eagle rising, wings elevated and displayed. 4. Eagle rising, wings addorsed and inverted. 5. Eagle rising, wings displayed and inverted.

Overture or close is when the wings are shown at the sides and close to the body, always depicted statant (standing in profile and facing the right side of the field). (Trussed - the term when depicting domestic or game birds with their wings closed - is not used because the eagle is a proud animal and the word implies it is tied up or bound by a net.)

Addorsed ("back to back") is when the eagle is shown statant (standing in profile and facing the right side of the field) and ready to fly, with the wings shown open behind the eagle so that they almost touch.

Espanie or épandre ("expanded") is when the eagle is shown affronté (facing the viewer with the head turned to the dexter) and the wings are shown with the tips upward.

Abaisé or abaissé ("lowered") is when the eagle is shown affronté (facing the viewer) and the wings are shown with the tips downward. A good example is the eagle on the reverse side of the US quarter-dollar coin.

Kleestängel, also Kleestengel or Klee-Stengeln ("clover-stems"), are the pair of long-stemmed trefoil-type charges originating in 13th-century German depictions of the heraldic eagle. They represent the upper edge of the wings and are normally Or (gold / yellow), like the beak and claws, as in the arms of Brandenburg or several versions of the arms of Prussia.[8] Reinmar von Zweter fashioned the Klee-Stengeln of his eagle into a second and third head.[9] In Polish the term is przepaska, which means "cloth" or "band" (in Latin, "perizonium" or "perisonium"), which may refer either to the Kleestängel, as in the Polish arms (white on a white eagle, formerly also gold on a white eagle[10]) and others derived from it,[11] or to the Brustspange as below.

Brustspange, also Brustmond or Brustsichel, is an elongated crescent across the breast and wings (in effect, a pair of Kleestängel extended to join each other). As with Kleestängel, there is no specific English term for this charge as it does not occur in English heraldry: it is usually blazoned simply as a crescent, and when the ends terminate in trefoils as a "crescent trefly" or "treflée". Sometimes there is a

cross paty in the centre, notably in the arms of Silesia (silver on a black eagle) introduced in the early 13th century by either Duke Henry the Bearded or Duke Henry II the Pious,[12] which occurs in numerous related arms.[13]

Current coat of arms of Poland, with white przepaska
Coat of arms of Brandenburg, with gold Kleestängel
Coat of arms of Silesia and of the present Lower Silesian Voivodeship, with Brustspange (crescent-shaped przepaska)

Attitudes (positions)

Further information: Attitude (heraldry)

Eagle displayed

The informal term "spread eagle" is derived from a heraldic depiction of an

Romania, Poland and the United States
.

Displayed is the most common attitude, with examples going back to the early Middle Ages.

Eagle rousant

Eagle essorant (rousant)

An eagle rising or rousant (essorant) is preparing to fly, but its feet are still on the ground. It is the eagle's version of statant (standing in profile and facing the right side of the field).

  • with wings addorsed and elevated means in profile with the wings swept to the back and their tips extended upwards.
  • with wings addorsed and inverted means in profile with wings swept to the back and their tips extended downwards.
  • with wings displayed and elevated means facing to the front with the wings spread and their tips extended upwards.
  • with wings displayed and inverted means facing to the front with the wings spread and their tips extended downwards.

There is sometimes confusion between a rousant eagle with displayed wings and a displayed eagle.[citation needed] The difference is that rousant eagles face to the right and have their feet on the ground and displayed eagles face the viewer, have their legs splayed out, and the tail is completely visible. There is a debate over whether rousant or displayed is the eagle's default depiction.[citation needed]

Eagle volant

Volant describes an eagle in profile shown in flight with wings shown addorsed and elevated and its legs together and tucked under. It is considered in bend ("diagonal") as it is flying from the lower sinister (heraldic left, from the shield-holder's point of view) to the upper dexter (heraldic right, from the shield-holder's point of view) of the field. However, the term "in bend" is not used unless a bend is actually on the field.

Eagle recursant

An eagle shown recursant has its back towards the viewer, e.g., "An eagle volant recursant descendant in pale" is an eagle flying downward in the vertical center of the shield with its back towards the viewer.

Eagles combatant

Like the heraldic lion, the heraldic eagle is seen as dominating the field and normally cannot brook a rival. When two eagles are depicted on a field, they are usually shown combatant, that is, facing each other with wings spread and one claw extended, as though they were fighting. Respectant, the term used for depicting domestic or game animals shown facing each other, is not used because eagles are aggressive predators.

Eagles addorsed

When two eagles are shown back-to-back and facing the edges of the field the term used is addorsed / endorsed or adossés ("back-to-back").

Variants

Eagle decapitate (without head), coat of arms of German nobility von der Hoven, alias: "Pampus".

Eaglet

This term is used when three or more Eagles are shown on a field. They represent immature eagles.

Alerion

Main article: Alerion

Originally the term erne or alerion in early heraldry referred to a regular eagle. Later heralds used the term alerion to depict baby eagles. To differentiate them from mature eagles, alerions were shown as an eagle displayed inverted without a beak or claws (disarmed). To difference it from a decapitate (headless) eagle, the alerion has a bulb-shaped head with an eye staring towards the dexter (right-hand side) of the field. This was later simplified in modern heraldry as an abstract winged oval.

An example is the arms of the

Geoffrey de Bouillon, who supposedly killed three white eaglets with a bow and arrow when out hunting.[15] It is far more likely to be canting arms that are a pun based on the similarities of "Lorraine" and "erne".[citation needed
]

Imperial Eagle

"Imperial Eagle" redirects here. For other uses, see Imperial Eagle (disambiguation).

The

Ottonians in the late 10th century, and the double-headed eagle gradually appearing association with the Komnenos
dynasty in the 11th and 12th centuries.

Holy Roman Empire

Main article: Reichsadler
See also: Quaternion Eagle
Reconstruction of the 14th-century royal flag (Königsfahne), with a single-headed eagle, the predecessor of the 15th-century imperial flag with the double-headed imperial eagle

The eagle is used as an emblem by the Holy Roman Emperors from at least the time of Otto III (late 10th century), in the form of the "eagle-sceptre".

Habsburg emperors (with Frederick III, 1440). After 1558 (Ferdinand I), the title of King of the Romans is used for the emperor's heir apparent; the double-headed eagle now represents the emperor, and the single-headed eagle the emperor's heir apparent (thus, Ferdinand IV, King of the Romans
, who pre-deceased his father in 1654 and never became emperor, is given a single-headed eagle only).

Byzantine imperial eagle

Further information: Byzantine flags and insignia § Double-headed eagle
Double-headed eagle emblem of the Byzantine Empire. The head on the left (West) symbolizes Rome, the head on the right (East) symbolizes Constantinople.

Use of the

Sophia, daughter of Thomas Palaiologos.[19][20]

The

portolans (Angelino Dulcert
1339).

Eagle of Saint John

Main article: Eagle of Saint John
Eagle of Saint John from the Book of Dimma (8th century)

fourth gospel account, is symbolized by an eagle, often with a halo, an animal may have originally been seen as the king of the birds. The eagle is a figure of the sky, and believed by Christian scholars to be able to look straight into the sun.[21]

The better known heraldic use of the Eagle of St. John has been the single supporter chosen by

Alcazar of Segovia.[23]

The Eagle of St. John was placed on side of the shields used as English consort by Catherine of Aragon, daughter of the Catholic Monarchs, Mary I and King Philip as English monarchs. In Spain, Philip bore the Eagle of St John (single or two figures depending versions) in his ornamented armorial achievements until 1668.[24]

The Eagle of the Evangelist was recovered as single supporter holding the 1939, 1945 and 1977 official models of the

armorial achievement of Spain[25] and it has been removed in 1981 when the current was adopted.[26] The use of the eagle of St. John was exploited by the Spanish dictator Francisco Franco, who used it as a symbol of his regime. The Eagle of St. John's is also frequently used in modern civic heraldry
.

Piast and Přemyslid dynasties

Further information: Coat of arms of the Czech Republic, Coat of arms of Poland, Coat of arms of Silesia, and Coat of arms of Moravia

The eagles in the Polish, Moravian and Silesian coats of arms are based on 13th-century dynastic arms. The Silesian Piasts was the first branch of Piast dynasty to use an eagle for their coat of arms. The first documented use of the Upper Silesian Eagle was on the Casimir I of Opole's seal in 1222 and was later followed by the first use of the Lower Silesian Eagle by the Henry II the Pious in 1224. Przemysł II was the first Polish ruler to use the Polish Eagle as a coat of arms to represent the whole of Poland in 1295.[27]

The

Bohemian lion for the Kingdom of Bohemia
.

Modern usage

Heraldic eagles

Moravian eagle
Silesian eagle

Heraldic eagles are enduring symbols used in the national coats of arms of a number of countries:

Naturalistic eagles

United States

See also:
Bellamy Eagle
Great Seal of the United States

Since 20 June 1782, the United States has used its national bird, the bald eagle, on its Great Seal; the choice was intended to at once recall the Roman Republic and be uniquely American (the bald eagle being indigenous to North America). The representation of the American Eagle is thus a unique combination between a naturalistic depiction of the bird, and the traditional heraldic attitude of the "eagle displayed".

The American bald eagle has been a popular emblem throughout the life of the republic, with an eagle appearing in its current form

Postal Service, and other organizations, on various coins (such as the quarter-dollar), and in various American corporate logos past and present, such as those of Case and American Eagle Outfitters
.

Benjamin Franklin is quoted in a letter to his daughter regretting the eagle's use as a national symbol, calling it a "bird of bad moral character" that steals from other birds and is easily frightened, and joking that it is good that the eagle in the Cincinnati's proposed seal looked more like a turkey.[29] This has led to a misconception that Franklin actively supported a turkey or opposed an eagle for the grand seal.[30]

French Empire

Coat of arms of the First French Empire
Main article: French Imperial Eagle

The French Imperial Eagle or Aigle de drapeau (lit. "flag eagle") was a figure of an eagle on a staff carried into battle as a standard by the

Napoleon I during the Napoleonic Wars
.

Although they were presented with

Napoleon I tended to carry at their head the Imperial Eagle. This was the bronze sculpture of an eagle weighing 1.85 kg (4 lb), mounted on top of the blue regimental flagpole. They were made from six separately cast pieces and, when assembled, measured 310 mm (12 in) in height and 255 mm (10 in) in width. On the base would be the regiment's number or, in the case of the Guard, Garde Impériale. The eagle bore the same significance to French Imperial regiments as the colours did to British
regiments - to lose the eagle would bring shame to the regiment, who had pledged to defend it to the death.

Upon Napoleon's fall, the restored monarchy of

Louis XVIII of France ordered all eagles to be destroyed and only a very small number escaped. When the former emperor returned to power in 1815 (known as the Hundred Days
) he immediately had more eagles produced, although the quality did not match the originals. The workmanship was of a lesser quality and the main distinguishing changes had the new models with closed beaks and they were set in a more crouched posture.

Napoleon also used the French Imperial Eagle in the

Prince of Pontecorvo
.

Other national emblems


Military badges

Emblem of the Sri Lanka Air Force

Naturalistic eagles are often used in military emblems, such as the emblem of the Royal Air Force (United Kingdom), NATO School, the European Personnel Recovery Centre, etc.

Eagle of Saladin

Main article: Eagle of Saladin

In

Libya, the partially recognised State of Palestine, and Yemen
).

The eagle is commonly identified as Saladin's emblem due to his yellow flag was adorned with an eagle,[31] as well as the depiction of an Egyptian vulture on the west wall of the Cairo Citadel which was built during the rule of Saladin.[32]: 24  The current design of the eagle itself, however, is of more recent date specifically after the Egyptian revolution of 1952.

As a

coat of arms of Libya
, but later replaced by the
coat of arms of South Yemen prior to that country's unification with North Yemen
.

Zimbabwe Bird

Main article: Zimbabwe Bird

The stone-carved Zimbabwe Bird is the national emblem of Zimbabwe, appearing on the national flags and coats of arms of both Zimbabwe and Rhodesia (since 1924), as well as on banknotes and coins (first on Rhodesian pound and then Rhodesian dollar). It probably represents the bateleur eagle or the African fish eagle.[33][34] The bird's design is derived from a number of soapstone sculptures found in the ruins of the ancient city of Great Zimbabwe.

See also

References

Notes

  1. Codex Balduini
     due to the similarity with the imperial coat of arms had long been misinterpreted as representing Henry himself. [2]
  2. ^ "it will be to English eyes, accustomed to our conventional spread-eagle, doubtless rather startling to observe that the German type of the eagle, which follows the Roman disposition of the wings (which so many of our heraldic artists at the present day appear inclined to adopt either in the accepted German or in a slightly modified form as an eagle displayed) is certainly not a true displayed eagle according to our English ideas and requirements, inasmuch as the wings are inverted. It should be observed that in German heraldry it is simply termed an eagle, and not an eagle displayed. Considering, however, its very close resemblance to our eagle displayed, and also its very artistic appearance, there is every excuse for its employment in this country, and I for one should be sorry to observe its slowly increasing favour checked in this country. It is quite possible, however, to transfer the salient and striking points of beauty to the more orthodox position of the wings. The eagle (compared with the lion and the ordinaries) had no such predominance in early British heraldry that it enjoyed in Continental armory, and therefore it may be better to trace the artistic development of the German eagle. [...] no one form can be said to be more correct than any other, either from the point of view of nature or from the point of view of ancient precedent. This state of affairs is eminently unsatisfactory, because in these days of necessary differentiation no heraldic artist of any appreciable knowledge or ability has claimed the liberty (which certainly has not been officially conceded) to depict an eagle rising with wings elevated and displayed, when it has been granted with the wings in the position addorsed and inverted. Such a liberty when the wings happen to be charged, as they so frequently are in modern English crests, must clearly be an impossibility."[6]
  3. ^ arms granted in 1957 to Waiblingen (kreis) The three heads symbolise the three former territories that were transformed into the district.
  4. ^ "Ο φωτισμένος αυτός Αυτοκράτορας καταγόταν από Οίκο της Παφλαγονίας, όπου στην πόλη Γάγγρα υπήρχε ο θρύλος της ύπαρξης φτερωτού αετόμορφου και δικέφαλου θηρίου (γνωστού ως Χάγκα), το οποίο και κοσμούσε το θυρεό του κτήματος της οικογένειάς του στην Καστάμονη." O fotisménos aftós Aftokrátoras katagótan apó Oíko tis Paflagonías, ópou stin póli Gángra ypírche o thrýlos tis ýparxis fterotoú aetómorfou kai dikéfalou thiríou (gnostoú os Chánka), to opoío kai kosmoúse to thyreó tou ktímatos tis oikogéneiás tou stin Kastámoni. Rough translation: "This enlightened Emperor came from the House of Paphlagonia, where in the city of Gagra there was the legend of a creature with raptor's wings and beast's chest (known as The Haga), which adorned the shield of his family estate in Kastamon."[17] It is unclear where Zapheiriou's term Haga (Χάγκα) is taken from; it does not appear to find further reflection in scholarly literature, but it was adopted by historical fiction author Gordon Doherty in his book Strategos: Island in the Storm[18]

Citations

  1. Encyclopaedia Iranica
    , Vol. VII, Fasc. 3, pp. 312-315.
  2. ^ Georg Irmer, Die Romfahrt Kaiser Heinrich's VII im Bildercyclus des Codex Balduini Trevirensis (1881), p. 45.
  3. ^ Die Wappen der Deutschen Landesfürsten (= J. Siebmachers großes Wappenbuch) vol. 1 part 2-5 (reprint), Nuremberg (1909-1929).
  4. ^ Carl-Alexander von Volborth[page needed]
  5. ISBN 1843096986
    ), page 201.
  6. ^ Fox-Davies (1909), pp. 233, 235
  7. ^ Fox-Davies (1909), p. 234
  8. ISBN 9783428129591
  9. ^ Reinmar von Zweter's peculiar eagle is famously depicted in the Codex Manesse.
  10. ^ Stanisław Russocki: Godło, barwy i hymn Rzeczypospolitej. Zarys dziejów. Warsaw: Wiedza Powszechna, 1978
  11. Warmia-Masuria: see "Herby województw polskich"
    . herbyzbliska.com (in Polish). 8 November 2021.
  12. ISBN 837311601X
  13. ^ including those of the Czech Republic and Liechtenstein, as well as of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship of Poland, and the Central Bohemian, Moravian-Silesian, and Olomouc regions of the Czech Republic.
  14. ^ Clark (1892)[pages needed]
  15. ^ Rothery, Guy Cadogan. Concise Encyclopedia of Heraldry. pp.50
  16. ^ Meyers Konversations-Lexikon (1897), s.v. "Banner".
  17. ^ Zapheiriou, N. (1947). Η ελληνική σημαία από την αρχαιότητα ως σήμερα [The Greek Flag from Antiquity to present] (in Greek). Athens, Greece. pp. 21–22.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  18. ISBN 9781500101725
    . One theory is that the symbol was adopted from the many ancient Hittite rock carvings of the mythical Haga found throughout Anatolia.
  19. ISBN 960-7795-01-6
    .
  20. ^ Soloviev, A. V. (1935). "Les emblèmes héraldiques de Byzance et les Slaves". Seminarium Kondakovianum (in French). 7: 119–164.
  21. ISBN 978-0064300322
    .
  22. ISBN 978-84-95983-54-1. Cfr. para la heráldica de Isabel y Fernando las pp. 72 & ff.
  23. ^ Delgado, Carlos (10 December 2012). "Español: Sala del trono, Alcázar de Segovia, España.English: Throne room, Alcázar of Segovia, Spain". Retrieved 30 May 2020 – via Wikimedia Commons.
  24. ^ Francisco Olmos, José María de. Las primeras acuñaciones del príncipe Felipe de España (1554-1556): Soberano de Milán Nápoles e Inglaterra, pp. 158-162.
  25. ISBN 84-259-1074-9
    .
  26. ^ Act 33/1981, 5 October (BOE No 250, 19 October 1981). Coat of arms of Spain (in Spanish).
  27. OCLC 56584943.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link
    )
  28. ISSN 1213-6581
    .
  29. ^ Franklin, Benjamin. Benjamin Franklin Papers: Series II, 1726-1818; 1784, Jan. 12-1785, May 23 (vol. 22) (Library of Congress ed.). pp. 1265–1266.
  30. ^ "Unsullied by Falsehood: Ben Franklin and the Turkey". declaration.fas.harvard.edu. 21 November 2016. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
  31. ISBN 9780791458839
    .
  32. ISBN 9789004101241
    .
  33. JSTOR 3336358
    .
  34. JSTOR 3889033
    .

Bibliography

External links

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