Eagle (heraldry)
The eagle is used in heraldry as a charge, as a supporter, and as a crest. Heraldic eagles can be found throughout world history like in the Achaemenid Empire or in the present Republic of Indonesia. The European post-classical symbolism of the heraldic eagle is connected with the Roman Empire on one hand, and with Saint John the Evangelist on the other.
History
A golden eagle was often used on the banner of the Achaemenid Empire of Persia. Eagle symbolized khvarenah, and the Achaemenid family was associated with eagle. The local rulers of Persis in the Seleucid and Parthian eras sometimes used an eagle as the finial of their banner. Parthians and Armenians used eagle banners, too.European heraldry
In Europe the iconography of the heraldic eagle, as with other heraldic beasts, is inherited from early medieval tradition. It rests on a dual symbolism: On one hand it was seen as a symbol of the Roman Empire ; on the other hand, the eagle in early medieval iconography represented 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 L'Aigle family, who held Pevensey castle and the Borough of Pevensey, used the eagle as an emblem in an instance of canting arms. The earliest known use of the eagle as a heraldic charge is found in the Great Seal of Leopold IV of Austria, dated 1136. Adalbert I, Duke of Teck used an eagle in his seal in.
By the late medieval period, in German heraldry the eagle developed into a symbol of the Holy Roman Empire, and thus became comparatively rare outside of coats of arms derived from the Imperial Eagle. The Imperial Eagle was and is denominated the Reichsadler. The first evidence of the use of the double-headed Imperial Eagle dates to the mid-13th century. The German kings continued use of the single-headed eagle during the 14th century. In Italy, the Ghibelline faction began to display or an eagle sable in chief of their coats of arms, known as capo dell'impero or "chief of the empire". Similarly, German cities began to incorporate the Imperial Eagle into their seals and coats of arms to imply 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, 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" 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. 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" still refers to this configuration.
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 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 presents a schematic depiction of this evolution, as follows:
Depiction
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 with its beak and claws Or. It is often depicted membered / armed and langued ''gules'', that is, with red claws / talons and tongue. In its relatively few instances in Gallo-British heraldry the outermost feathers are typically longer and point upward.Parts
Head
An eagle can appear either single- or double-headed, in rare cases triple-headed eagle is seen.An eagle can be displayed with his head turned to the sinister. In full aspect describes an eagle with his head facing the onlooker. In trian aspect 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
Overture or close is when the wings are shown at the sides and close to the body, always depicted statant.Addorsed is when the eagle is shown statant and ready to fly, with the wings shown open behind the eagle so that they almost touch.
Espanie or épandre is when the eagle is shown affronté and the wings are shown with the tips upward.
Abaisé or abaissé is when the eagle is shown affronté 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, 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, like the beak and claws, as in the arms of Brandenburg or several versions of the arms of Prussia. Reinmar von Zweter fashioned the Klee-Stengeln of his eagle into a second and third head. In Polish the term is przepaska, which means "cloth" or "band", which may refer either to the Kleestängel, as in the Polish arms and others derived from it, or to the Brustspange as below.
Brustspange, also Brustmond or Brustsichel, is an elongated crescent across the breast and wings. 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 introduced in the early 13th century by either Duke Henry the Bearded or Duke Henry II the Pious, which occurs in numerous related arms.
Attitudes (positions)
Eagle ''displayed''
The informal term "spread eagle" is derived from a heraldic depiction of an eagle displayed. The wings are usually depicted "expanded" or "elevated" ; displayed inverted is when the wings are depicted points downward. According to Hugh Clark, An Introduction to Heraldry, the term spread eagle refers to "an eagle with two heads, displayed", but this distinction has apparently been lost in modern usage. Most of the eagles used as emblems of various monarchs and states are displayed, including those on the coats of arms of Germany, Romania, Poland and the United States.Displayed is the most common attitude, with examples going back to the early Middle Ages.
Eagle ''rousant''
An eagle rising or rousant is preparing to fly, but its feet are still on the ground. It is the eagle's version of statant.- 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.