German heraldry
Heraldic tradition | German-Nordic |
---|---|
Governing body | None |
German heraldry is the tradition and style of heraldic achievements in Germany and the Holy Roman Empire, including national and civic arms, noble and burgher arms, ecclesiastical heraldry, heraldic displays and heraldic descriptions. German heraldic style is one of the four major broad traditions within European heraldry and stands in contrast to Gallo-British, Latin and Eastern heraldry, and strongly influenced the styles and customs of heraldry in the Nordic countries, which developed comparatively late. Together, German and Nordic heraldry are often referred to as German-Nordic heraldry.[1]
The
As in other European heraldic traditions, the most prominent among the birds and beasts are the
Terminology
The heraldic tinctures are the same in Imperial heraldry as in other European countries. Black charges occur on red fields and vice versa more often than in other countries, as in the arms of Stadler, Roder and Homberg.[5] Tinctures are described using the German words for each (i.e. schwarz for sable, rot for gules, gold for Or, etc.), and argent is usually called silber (silver) though weiß (white) also occurs.
The furs are referred to as follows: Ermine is Hermelin, Ermines (or counter-ermine) is Gegenhermelin, Erminois is Goldhermelin, Pean is Gegengoldhermelin, Vair is Feh or Grauwerk, Countervair is Gegenfeh, and Vairy of (tincture) and (tincture) is Buntfeh ob (tinktur) und (tinktur).[6] In addition to these, and Krückenfeh (potent), German heraldry includes Kürsch (natural fur, which is unknown in English heraldry).[7] Kürsch is typically shown as dags of fur overlapping like roof tiles, and even ermine and vair are sometimes shown in this fashion, called Schuppenfeh.[7] While each of these variations and some others exist in German heraldry, it is worth noting that even ermine is uncommon, vair is seldom found, and the others are rarer still.[note 1]
Tinctures | Colours / Farben | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Escutcheons | ||||||
English | Azure | Gules | Vert | Purpure | Sable | |
Deutsch | Blau | Rot | Grün | Purpur | Schwarz | |
Metals / Metalle | Furs / Pelzwerk | |||||
Escutcheons | ||||||
English | Or | Argent | Ermine | Vair | Vairy (Or and gules) | Fur (natural) |
Deutsch | Gold/Gelb | Silber/Weiß | Hermelin | Grauwerk/Feh | Buntfeh (gold und rot) | Kürsch |
As in English heraldry, the names for the lines of division and variation are closely related with those of the corresponding ordinaries. The apparent exceptions to this rule, however, are that a shield divided per fess is simply termed geteilt (divided) and a shield divided per pale is termed gespalten (split). German heraldry (and with it, Nordic heraldry) does take a distinct approach to divisions of the field, however, in dividing by the scheme of "im (Gemeine Figur)-schnitt (X:Y) (Richtung des Schnitts)," or, "by (common charge)-section (X:Y) (direction of the cut)," where X signifies the number of charges issuant above the cut, and Y signifies the number issuant below.[8] Thus, Im Lindenblattschnitt (1:1) schrägrechtsgeteilt, or, "by linden leaf section (1:1) party per bend," yields a line that starts at the dexter chief corner, slanting down per bend, then makes the form of two conjoined linden leaves (the first inverted) in pale, and then continues to the sinister base.[8] This also works with many other charges, and may divide the shield per pale, per fess, or other ways.[8]
Divisions | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
English | Party per fess | Party per pale | Party per bend sinister | Quarterly | Quarterly with an inescutcheon |
Deutsch | geteilt | gespalten | schräglinks geteilt | geviert | geviert mit Herzschild |
Ordinaries /
Heroldsbilder |
||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
English | Chief | Pale | Fess | Bend | Bend sinister | Chevron |
Deutsch | Schildhaupt | Pfahl | Balken | Schrägbalken | Schräglinksbalken | Sparren |
Ordinaries /
Heroldsbilder |
||||||
English | Cross | Saltire | Pall | Pall reversed | Pile | Bordure |
Deutsch | Kreuz | Andreaskreuz | Deichsel | Göpel | Keil | Bord |
Variations | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
English | Barry (of eight) | Paly (of eight) | Bendy (of eight) | Chevronny | Chequy | Lozengy | Gyronny |
Deutsch | (siebenmal) geteilt | (siebenmal) gespalten | (siebenmal) schräggeteilt | gesparrt | geschacht | gerautet | geständert |
History
One of the earliest examples of heraldry originated with the emperor
Heraldic elements
Charges
In heraldry, a
Due to the early practice of
Eagles and lions
The two most commonly occurring animals in heraldry, the lion and the eagle, bore special political significance in medieval Germany and the Holy Roman Empire. Neubecker asserts that this "heraldic antagonism... makes the eagle the symbol of imperial power and the lion the symbol of royal sovereignty."[14] According to Neubecker:
In the heroic poem by
seal and erected a monumental and lifelike bronze lion outside his castle of Dankwarderode in Brunswick. It was left to his descendants to adopt a formal coat of arms, with two lions passant, which was derived from the arms of England, which had three such lions. Henry referred to himself in Latin as Henricus Leo... in German, Heinrich der Löwe and Heinrich Welf (Guelph).[4]
According to Neubecker, the German imperial eagle goes back to the ancient Romans, and the newly crowned emperor Charlemagne erected an imperial eagle – a symbol that would carry over all the way to modern Germany – at his palace at Aachen. From the 13th century, Neubecker continues, the view was generally held that the eagle of the emperor should have two heads, while that of the future emperor should have one, a policy that was codified by the emperor Sigismund in 1401.[9] The imperial double eagle was again resurrected by the emperor Francis II and became the symbol of the Austrian Empire.[15]
In medieval Germany, the eagle also represented the house of Hohenzollern.[16] Even while the double eagle became the symbol of the Holy Roman Empire and the emperor, the single-headed eagle became the symbol of the German king.[17] The emperor even granted certain princes and free cities in the empire the right to use the imperial eagle as supporter.[17] Notably, the minnesinger Reinmar von Zweter formed the Klee-Stengeln ("Clover-Stems", the heraldic Eagle's stylized wing-bones) of his heraldic eagle into a second and third head.
Helmets, crests and mantling
German coats of arms are frequently depicted in period sources with a helmet and crest over the shield, often surrounded by mantling.
In German heraldry, where multiple crests appear frequently after the 16th century, each crest is always treated as inseparable from its own helmet and turned in agreement with the helmet.[20] Multiple helmets were usually turned inward, with the center helm (if an odd number) turned affrontê, while in Scandinavian heraldry the helmets were usually turned outward.[21] The arms of the last margraves of Brandenburg-Ansbach consist of a shield with twenty-one quarterings topped with a record thirteen helmets and crests.[22]
Supporters
As in other heraldic traditions, a coat of arms may be depicted with or without
Mottoes
Mottoes were seldom used in medieval German heraldry, although they became popular in the late 19th century.[24] Some notable German mottoes include, Gott mit uns ("God with us"), In deinem Licht sehen wir das Licht ("In Thy light, we see the light"), Meine Zeit in Unruhe, meine Hoffnung in Gott ("My time in trouble, my hope in God"), In Gott ist meine Zuversicht ("In God is my confidence"), and Gott allein die Ehr ("To God alone the glory"), while other notable German mottoes have been rendered in Latin rather than German, however, such as "Pro gloria et patria". [25]
National heraldry
The German eagle is one of the oldest state symbols in Europe, tracing its roots to the reign of Charlemagne. The black eagle, with red beak and claws, displayed on a gold shield, is also displayed on the German government flag. The imperial eagle of the Holy Roman Empire, similarly, was a black eagle displayed on a gold shield, but it usually had two heads, whereas modern German state heraldic displays feature a single-headed eagle.
Municipal heraldry
All the German states have coats of arms, as do the city-states (Berlin, Hamburg and Bremen). Most were composed when the states joined the Federation, but draw on previous influences. These cities typically bear a large open crown over the shield, a privilege granted under
The
Modern arms either represent the history of the state, or their parts, or both. For example, the arms of Baden-Württemberg specify that they represent Baden, Württemberg, Hohenzollern, Palatinate, Franconia and Further Austria.[26]
The Red Eagle of Brandenburg is said to have been adopted as early as the 10th century and endures today.
A 14th-century seal of Bremen featured a key, symbolizing Saint Peter, and this symbol endures to the present coat of arms of Bremen.
The
Trier, the oldest city in Germany, is represented by a haloed Saint Peter, the patron saint of the city, holding the key to the city in his right hand and the Bible in his left. Older city seals show Saint Peter holding up his key and surrounded by the city wall, often with the inscription Sancta Treveris ("Sacred Trier"). From the 13th century, the Archbishop of Trier was one of the three ecclesiastical Prince-electors of the Holy Roman Empire.
The arms of Weimar, since the 14th century, has depicted a black lion rampant upon a semy of red hearts on a gold shield.
Ecclesiastical heraldry
There was no structured Church heraldry until the 17th century, when a formalized system for ecclesiastical hats attributed to Pierre Palliot came into use.[27] The full system of emblems around the shield was regulated in the Catholic Church by the letter of Pope Pius X Inter multiplices curas of February 21, 1905. The composition of the shield itself was regulated and registered with the Heraldry Commission of the Roman Curia, but since this office was abolished by Pope John XXIII in 1960, shield design has had no official guidance.[28] The Collegio Araldico (College of Heraldry) in Rome is recognized by the Holy See but has no enforcement powers, and the Annuario Pontificio ceased publishing the arms of Cardinals and previous Popes after 1969.[29] International custom and national law govern limited aspects of heraldry, but since 1960, shield composition has depended on expert advice.
Marshalling
If a bishop is a diocesan bishop, it is customary for him to combine his arms with the arms of the diocese following normal heraldic rules.[30] This combining is termed marshalling, and is normally accomplished by impalement, placing the arms of the diocese to the viewer's left (dexter in heraldry) and the personal arms to the viewer's right. In Germany and Switzerland though, quartering is the norm rather than impalement.
Personal heraldry
Noble arms
The Armorial Wijnbergen contains 168 arms of German nobles (vassals of
Burgher arms
Although assumption of arms always remained free, the emperors of the
The tilting helmet was prescribed for arms of non-nobles, while the barred helmet was restricted by the imperial chancellery to the nobility as upholders of the tradition of tourneying. this privilege was also shared by certain people who enjoyed the same standing as the nobility, e.g. those who had a doctor's title in law or theology.[32] Custom of the use of the barred helmet was also followed by city
After the fall of the
See also
- Armorial of Germany
- Armorial of the Holy Roman Empire
Notes
- ^ According to Bernhard Peter, a statistical study shows that while the lion appears 11,223 times and the star appears 10,677 times, ermine appears only 193 times and vair only 26 times, in the Siebmacher and Deutschen Wappenrolle (Band 1–63). Even the squirrel appears more often than its fur (42 instances, compared to 26).
References
- ISBN 0-7137-0940-5.ISBN 0-7137-0940-5p.129.
- ^ Kristina Pereya (2006-07-05). "A Collection of Period German Heraldry (1400–1600) for SCA Heralds". Academy of St. Gabriel. Retrieved 2009-01-18.
- ISBN 0-07-046312-3.ISBN 0-07-046312-3p.90.
- ^ a b Neubecker (1979), pp.90–91.
- ^ Plates 32, 145 and 167 respectively of Johann Siebmacher's Wappenbuch von 1605, Orbis Edition (1999), Munich, or see Neuenberg and Roth on plate 144.
- ^ Ströhl, H.G. (1898). Heraldischer Atlas. Stuttgart.
- ^ a b Bernhard Peter (2009-01-04). "Pelzwerk". Kunst und Kultur der Wappen (in German). Archived from the original on 2011-07-19. Retrieved 2009-04-05.
- ^ a b c Bernhard Peter (2008-09-23). "Schnittige Teilungen". Kunst und Kultur der Wappen (in German). Archived from the original on 2011-07-19. Retrieved 2009-04-05.
- ^ a b Neubecker (1979), p.110.
- ^ a b c d e Volborth (1981), p.96.
- ^ "Charges of the Field". Heraldic Dictionary. University of Notre Dame. 2005-01-14. Retrieved 2009-01-31.
- ^ Manesse Codex 10r
- ^ Manesse Codex 262v
- ^ Neubecker (1979), p.90.
- ^ Neubecker (1979), p.111.
- ^ Neubecker (1979), p.114.
- ^ a b c Volborth (1981), p.71.
- ISBN 0-19-211658-4. Plate 6.
- ^ Woodcock, 1988. p. 15. Examples of multiple helmets and crests can be found online here, here, and here.
- ISBN 1-4179-0630-8. pp. 322–323.
- ^ Fox-Davies, 1909. p. 323.
- ^ Neubecker, 1979. p. 165.
- ^ Barack, Max (1888). Die deutschen Kaiser. Stuttgart: K. Thienemanns Verlag. [1]
- ^ Volborth (1981), p. 147.
- ^ Muehler, Heinrich von (1884). Wahlsprüche der Hohenzollern. Breslau: Ferdinand Hirt. pp. 16, 25, 27, 29, 35.
- ^ Der Landtag des Landes Baden Württemberg (1967). "Gesetz über das Wappen des Landes Baden-Württemberg vom 3. Mai 1954". Gesetzblatt für Baden-Württemberg. p. 69.
- ^ Selvester, Aspects of Heraldry.
- ^ Noonan, The Church Visible, p.188.
- ^ Catholic Heraldry at heraldica.org.
- ^ Rogers, Col. Hugh Cuthbert Basset, O.B.E (1956). The Pageant of Heraldry. Pitman. p. 134.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Timms, Brian. "The Armorial Wijnbergen". Rolls of Arms. Archived from the original on 2013-08-20. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
- ISBN 0-304-30751-3
- ^ Handbuch der Heraldik: Wappenfibel. (19th expanded edition). Edited by Ludwig Biewer. (Degener & Co, Neustadt an der Aisch 1998), p. 173
External links
- Scheibler Armorial on Wikimedia Commons
- www.wappenbuch.de (in German) – Includes many full-color plates
- Introduction to Heraldry (in German) – Includes many photos and graphic renderings of German heraldry, along with heraldic terminology and descriptions in German
- Heraldik-Wiki (in German) – Encompasses all of the duties of German heraldry, including the science and art of designing, displaying, describing and recording coats of arms, etc.
- Germany on www.heraldica.org
- German Confederation of the 19th century on www.heraldica.org
- German national heraldry on Heraldry of the World
- German civic heraldry
- Holy Roman Empire on www.heraldica.org
- Academy of Saint Gabriel Medieval German Heraldry Archive
- Hofkleiderbuch (Abbildung und Beschreibung der Hof-Livreen) des Herzogs Wilhelm IV. und Albrecht V. 1508–1551. (in German)