Serbian eagle

Serbian eagle

Serbian eagle on the shield of the Serbian coat of arms
Heraldic tradition	Byzantine
Jurisdiction	Serbia; Republika Srpska
Governing body	Serbian Heraldry Society

The Serbian eagle (

The double-headed eagle was adopted in medieval Serbia from its use as an imperial symbol in the Byzantine Empire.

The oldest preserved

Beginning in the 14th century, the double-headed eagle can be seen more often on inscriptions, medieval frescoes and embroidery on the clothes of Serbian royalty.[3] The Serbian Church adopted it, with the entrance of Žiča Monastery (the seat of the Serbian Archbishopric in the 1219–53 period, and by tradition the coronation church of the Serbian kings) was engraved with the double-headed eagle.^[4] The survived golden ring of Queen Teodora (1321–22) has the symbol engraved.^[4] During the reign of Emperor Stefan Dušan (r. 1331–55), the double-headed eagle can be seen on everyday objects and state related documents, such as wax stamps and decrees.^[4] In 1339, map maker, Angelino Dulcert, marked the Serbian Empire with a flag with a red double-headed eagle.^[4]

Other Serbian dynasties also adopted the symbol as a symbolic continuation, like the

After the Ottoman invasion and subsequent occupation that lasted until the early 19th century, the double-headed eagle ceased to be used as it was a symbol of Serbian sovereignty and statehood. The

The Serbian Revolution resurrected the Nemanjić tradition, and the white double-headed eagle became the symbol of Serbia as the coat of arms following independence from the Ottoman Empire. The Serbian cross has been used as the shield with the Serbian eagle in the contemporary design of the coat of arms of Serbia, following the tradition established by the Kingdom of Serbia of 1882.

The coat of arms of 1882 depicts a white double-headed eagle, but not the Nemanjić type, but a German one, despite the fact that it symbolizes heritage of the Nemanjić; the mistake was made by the illustrator of the coat of arms, German Von Schtrel, who "cheated" Stojan Novaković (reputable Serbian historian and minister) and used the German-style eagle instead of the Nemanjić eagle.^[8]

It was part of the family coat of arms of both Serbian royal dynasties, the

The Order of the White Eagle was a royal order awarded Serbian and Yugoslav citizens for achievements in peace or war, or for special merits to the Crown, the state and nation, between 1883 and 1945.

Contemporary period

Current coat of arms of Serbia is a Serbian eagle on a red shield with a crown above the shield. It is widely used as a base for emblems of other state bodies and services, such as Serbian Armed Forces and Serbian Police, which both use double-headed white eagle i.e. Serbian eagle in their respective emblems. The Order of the White Eagle with swords is the fifth highest order of the Republic of Serbia and is awarded for special merits in the national defense system or special merits in commanding and managing military units, i.e. military institutions and their training for the defense of the Republic of Serbia.

The Serbian national teams in team sports are nicknamed "the Eagles" (Orlovi) in reference to the Serbian eagle, while the Serbian national football team in addition uses a stylized Serbian eagle (charged with Serbian cross) as its emblem.^[9][10] There are a dozen football clubs of Serbian diaspora which bear name White Eagles such as Serbian White Eagles FC and Hamilton White Eagles in Canada; and Canberra White Eagles FC, Dianella White Eagles SC, Bonnyrigg White Eagles FC, Albion Park White Eagles FC, Springvale White Eagles FC in Australia.

Gallery

Historical

Flags

• 
  State flag of the Kingdom of Serbia (1882–1918)
• 
  Flag of Republic of Serbian Krajina
  (1992–1995)
• 
  Flag of Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Syrmia
  (1995–1998)
• 
  State flag of the

  Republic of Serbia

  (2004–2010)

Coat of arms and seals

• 
  Seal of Miroslav of Hum (1198)^[11]
• 
  Mileševa (1230s)^{[citation needed}

  ]
• 
  Fresco detail from Our Lady of Ljeviš
  (1306–1307)
• 
  Map detail showing the Serbian flag of arms,
  by A. Dulcert (1339)
• 
  Flag of arms and coat of arms of the Serbian Empire,
  by G. de Vallseca (1439)
• 
  Fresco detail of

  Manasija

  (1406–1418)
• 
  Coat of arms of Stefan Lazarević,
  Prussian ed. Chronicle of the Council of Constance (before 1437)
• 
  Coat of arms of Stefan Lazarević,
  later ed. Chronicle of the Council of Constance (1483)
• 
  Coat of arms of Stefan Lazarević,
  Wernigeroder Schaffhausensches Wappenbuch
  (1486–1492)
• 
  Serbian Despotate,
  by V. Solis (1555)
• 
  Serbian Despotate,
  by C. Silberysen (1576)
• 
  Coat of arms of Stefan Lazarević,
  by M. Schrott (1580)
• 
  Coat of arms of House of Nemanjić,
  

  Korenić-Neorić Armorial

  (1595)
• 
  Serbian Despotate,
  German armorial
  (c. 1600)
• 
  Coat of arms of House of Nemanjić ,
  Belgrade Armorial II (early 17th century)
• 
  Coat of arms of House of Nemanjić,
  Fojnica Armorial
  (1675–1688)
• 
  Coat of arms of House of Nemanjić,
  by S. Rubcich (c. 1700)
• 
  Coat of arms of House of Nemanjić
  by P.R. Vitezović
  (before 1701)
• 
  Coat of arms of House of Nemanjić, Stemmatographia (1741)
• 
  Rassia (Serbia),

  Stemmatographia

  (1741)
• 
  Seal of the Revolutionary Serbia
  (1804–1812)
• 
  Coat of arms of House of Obrenović (1882–1903)
• 
  Coat of arms of House of Karađorđević
  (1903–1918)
• 
  Coat of arms of the Kingdom of Serbia
  (1882–1918)
• 
  Coat of arms of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia
  (1918–1941)
• 
  Seal of the Government of National Salvation (1941–1944)
• 
  Coat of arms of Republic of Serbian Krajina
  (1992–1995)
• 
  Coat of arms of Republika Srpska (1992–2006)
• 
  Coat of arms of Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Syrmia
  (1995–1998)
• 
  Coat of arms of the
  

  FR Yugoslavia
  (1992–2003) and
  Serbia and Montenegro

  (2003–2006)
• 
  Greater coat of arms of the Republic of Serbia (2004–2010)
• 
  Lesser coat of arms of the Republic of Serbia (2004–2010)

Current

National

• 
  State flag of the Republic of Serbia
• 
  Greater coat of arms of the Republic of Serbia
• 
  Lesser coat of arms of the Republic of Serbia

Local

• 
  Coat of arms of Belgrade
• 
  Coat of arms of Niš
• 
  Coat of arms of Leskovac
• 
  Coat of arms of Valjevo
• 
  Coat of arms of Užice
• 
  Coat of arms of Prijepolje
• 
  Coat of arms of Mionica
• 
  Coat of arms of Kuršumlija
• 
  Coat of arms of Savski Venac (Belgrade)
• 
  Coat of arms of Stari Grad (Belgrade)
• 
  Coat of arms of Velika Plana
• 
  Coat of arms of Čajetina
• 
  Coat of arms of Surdulica
• 
  Flag of Despotovac
• 
  Coat of arms of Derventa (Republika Srpska)

Other usage

Military

• 
  Emblem of the
  Serbian Armed Forces
• 
  Emblem of the
  Serbian Army
• 
  Emblem of the
  

  Serbian Air Force
• 
  Emblem of the
  Serbian General Staff

• 
  Emblem of the Armed Forces of Serbia and Montenegro (1992-2006)
• 
  Emblem of the Ground Forces of Serbia and Montenegro (1992-2006)
• 
  Emblem of the Navy of Serbia and Montenegro (1992–2006)
• 
  Emblem of the Air Force of Serbia and Montenegro (1992-2006)

• 
  Emblem of the Army of Republika Srpska
  (1992–2006)
• 
  Emblem of the Serbian Army of Krajina
  (1992–1995)
• 
  Emblem of the White Eagles paramilitary unit
  (1991–1995)

Police

• 
  Emblem of the Police of Serbia
• 
  Emblem of the General Police
• 
  Emblem of the Criminal Police
• 
  Emblem of the Border Police

• 
  Emblem of the Gendarmery units
• 
  Emblem of the Special Anti-Terrorist Unit
• 
  Emblem of the Police Intervention Unit
• 
  Emblem of the Unit for the Protection of the Important Persons and Residences

Orders and decorations

• 
  Order of the White Eagle with swords
• 
  Order of the White Eagle (1883–1945)

Miscellaneous

• 
  Serbian passport

See also

• National symbols of Serbia
• Serbian cross

References

Sources

• Атлагић, Марко П. (2009). Одређивање националних хералдичких симбола на примјеру Срба и Х (PDF). Зборник радова Филозофског факултета. 39: 179–188.
• Ivić, Aleksa (1910). Stari srpski pečati i grbovi: prilog srpskoj sfragistici i heraldici. Natošević.
• Ivić, Aleksa; Mrđenović, Dušan; Spasić, Dušan; Palavestra, Aleksandar (1987). Rodoslovne tablice i grbovi srpskih dinastija i vlastele. Belgrade: Nova knjiga.
  ISBN 978-86-7335-050-9
  .
• Novaković, Stojan (1884). "Хералдички обичаји у Срба: у примени и књижевности". Београд: Краљевско-српска државна штампарија. Archived from the original on 2015-04-22.
• Solovjev, Aleksandar Vasiljevič (1958). Istorija srpskog grba. Srpska misao.