page_title: Eagle (heraldry)
section_title: European heraldry
hierarchical_section_title: Eagle (heraldry) / History / European heraldry
caption_attribution_description: Jacob Koebel (Vorrede): Wapen. Des Heyligen Römischen Reichs Teutscher nation. Gedruckt bei Cyriacus Jacob (evtl. auch Herausgeber/Autor), Frankfurt am Main 1545, Holzschnitte von Jacob Kallenberg. Zu Angaben zur Tingierung (Farbgebung) der Wappen siehe das Register ab Bild Nr. 165. Des Reichs Fahn.
context_page_description: 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 contemporary 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.
context_section_description: 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 (the Roman Eagle had been introduced as the standardised emblem of the Roman legions under consul Gaius Marius in 102 BC); 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 c. 1190.
  By the late medieval period, in German heraldry, the eagle developed into a symbol of the empire, and thus became comparatively rare outside of coats of arms derived from the imperial emblem. The first evidence of the use of the double-headed Reichsadler (imperial eagle) dates to the mid-13th century (Chronica Majora, c. 1250; Segar's Roll, c. 1280). The German kings still use the single-headed eagle throughout the 14th century. In Italy, the Ghibelline faction (the faction loyal to the emperor in the drawn-out conflict between emperors and popes) 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 empire that the eagle was rarely used as an independent heraldic charge. Examples of continued use of eagle 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.
  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 1
caption: Imperial banner for Charles V (Jakob Kallenberg 1545)
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