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81-508: The coat of arms of Poland is a white, crowned eagle with a golden beak and talons, on a red background. In Poland, the coat of arms as a whole is referred to as godło both in official documents and colloquial speech, despite the fact that other coats of arms are usually called a herb (e.g. the Nałęcz herb or the coat of arms of Finland ). This stems from the fact that in Polish heraldry ,

162-533: A Roman legion , carried by a special grade legionary known as an Aquilifer , from the second consulship of Gaius Marius (104 BC) used as the only legionary standard. It was made of silver , or bronze , with outstretched wings. The eagle was not immediately retained as a symbol of the Roman Empire in general in the early medieval period. Neither the early Byzantine emperors nor the Carolingians used

243-452: A displayed eagle. 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. Volant describes an eagle in profile shown in flight with wings shown addorsed and elevated and its legs together and tucked under. It

324-636: 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 , which occurs in numerous related arms. The informal term "spread eagle" is derived from a heraldic depiction of an eagle displayed (i.e. upright with both wings, both legs, and tailfeathers all outstretched). The wings are usually depicted "expanded" or "elevated" (i.e., with

405-641: A 1421 source depicts the Trapezuntine flag as yellow with a red single-headed eagle. Apparently, just as in the metropolitan Byzantine state, the use of both motifs, single and double-headed, continued side by side. Other Balkan states followed the Byzantine model as well: chiefly the Serbians , but also the Bulgarians and Albania under George Kastrioti (better known as Skanderbeg ), while after 1472

486-476: A Mount Vert a Crown Or issuant therefrom a double-Cross Argent (for Hungary ); 4th, azure three Lions' Heads affronté Crowned Or (for Dalmatia ) Quarterly 1st and 4th Gules, an eagle argent, crowned or; 2nd and 3rd, Gules, Pogonia . The inescutcheon here, Azure, three fleurs-de-lis or, belonged to Henry III of France Used since 1944 and legalized in 1952, the emblem of the Polish People's Republic

567-463: A coat of arms with a black double-headed eagle in a yellow field for Otto IV. Segar's Roll ( c.  1280 ) displays the same coat of arms, or, an eagle sable beaked and armed gules for the " king of Germany " ( rey de almayne ). Outside of these exceptional depictions (in sources from outside of Germany), the double-headed eagle remains unattested as emblem of the German kings or emperors until

648-461: A cross added atop the crown. After the fall of communism in 1989, the coat of arms was swiftly redesigned by Andrzej Heidrich using the Kamiński's design as a basis. The modifications include the removal of the yellow border around the shield and changing the cinquefoils that adorned the upper edges of the eagle's wings from resembling stars to be in the shape of a trefoil. The crown was also returned to

729-580: 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. An eagle can appear either single- or double-headed ( bicapitate ), in rare cases triple-headed ( tricapitate ) eagle

810-661: A rectangular shape. The arms of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth was quartered, with Polish eagle and Lithuanian Pogonia on opposite sides. Kings used to place their own emblems in escutcheon point (i.e., House Vasa). Despite the fact that new emblems were given to provinces established by the invaders after the partitions of Poland , the White Eagle remained there with or without crown and occasionally with face turned towards left and in some exceptions with Pogonia. But in most cases they were combined with

891-457: 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

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972-575: A turkey. This has led to a misconception that Franklin actively supported a turkey or opposed an eagle for the grand seal. 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 Grande Armée of Napoleon I during the Napoleonic Wars . Although they were presented with Regimental Colours , the regiments of Napoleon I tended to carry at their head

1053-496: Is adorned with three roughly rectangular gemstones. The fleurons – of which the two outer ones are only partly visible – have the shape of a fleur-de-lis . The entire crown, including the gems, as well as spaces between the fleurons, is rendered in gold. The charge is placed in an escutcheon (shield) of the Modern French type. It is a nearly rectangular upright isosceles trapezoid , rounded at

1134-402: Is an eagle flying downward in the vertical center of the shield with its back towards the viewer. 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 ,

1215-428: 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. An eagle shown recursant has its back towards the viewer, e.g., "An eagle volant recursant descendant in pale"

1296-427: 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

1377-462: 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

1458-577: Is no evidence to support this derivation. The modern French spelling of the tincture is gueules . Both gules and rojo are used for red in Spanish heraldry. In Portugal, red is known as vermelho , and in Germany the colour is called rot . In Dutch heraldry, the tincture is called keel . Centuries ago, arms were often described poetically and the tinctures were associated with different gemstones, flowers and heavenly bodies. Gules usually represented

1539-444: Is seen. 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. Overture or close

1620-468: Is the arms of the Duchy of Lorraine ( Or , on a Bend Gules , 3 Alerions Abaisé Argent ). It supposedly had been inspired by the assumed arms of crusader Geoffrey de Bouillon , who supposedly killed three white eaglets with a bow and arrow when out hunting. It is far more likely to be canting arms that are a pun based on the similarities of "Lorraine" and "erne". The Aquila was the eagle standard of

1701-486: Is turned to its right. In English heraldic terminology, the arms are blazoned as Gules an eagle crowned, beaked and armed Or . In contrast to classic heraldry, where the same blazon may be rendered into varying designs, the Coat of Arms Act allows only one official rendering of the national coat of arms. The official design may be found in attachment no. 1 to the Coat of Arms Act. The nearly circular charge , i.e. ,

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1782-595: 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 (especially in the case of the double-headed eagle ), and with Saint John the Evangelist on

1863-441: 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

1944-515: 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

2025-484: The CIE 1976 color space (see Flag of Poland – National colors for details). According to legend, the White Eagle emblem originated when Poland's legendary founder Lech saw a white eagle's nest. When he looked at the bird, a ray of sunshine from the red setting sun fell on its wings, so they appeared tipped with gold, the rest of the eagle was pure white. He was delighted and decided to settle there and placed

2106-581: The Egyptian Revolution of 1952 , the eagle became the symbol of revolutionary Egypt , and was subsequently adopted by several other Arab states (the United Arab Emirates , Iraq , Libya , the partially recognised State of Palestine , and Yemen ). Gules Gules is portrayed in heraldic hatching by vertical lines, or indicated by the abbreviation g. or gu. when a coat of arms is tricked . The term gules derives from

2187-524: 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

2268-701: The Poland national football team 's shirts; a new shirt without the eagle was introduced in November 2011, prompting complaints from fans and president Bronisław Komorowski . Due to this overwhelming public pressure, the football shirts were redesigned with the eagle reinstated in the centre of the shirt in December 2011. Party per cross, quarterly 1st, barry of eight Gules and argent (for Árpáds ) and azure semé-de-lis or with label gules (for Capetian Anjou ); 2nd, Gules, an eagle argent, crowned or; 3rd, impaling Gules on

2349-605: The Russian Empire as the Vistula Land in 1867) was approved by Austria-Hungary and Wilhelm II 's Germany in 1916. A year later, the first Polish banknotes (Polish Marka) with Crowned Eagle on an indivisible shield were introduced. After regaining total independence and the creation of the Second Polish Republic (1918–1939) the White Eagle was implemented by the act of 1919. The official image of

2430-467: The United States . Displayed is the most common attitude, with examples going back to the early Middle Ages. 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). There is sometimes confusion between a rousant eagle with displayed wings and

2511-668: 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" (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 ) and others derived from it, or to

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2592-637: The current royal house of Sweden retains the French Imperial Eagle on its dynastic inescutcheon , as his founder, Jean Bernadotte , was a Marshal of France and Prince of Pontecorvo . 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. In Arab nationalism , with

2673-541: The finial of their banner. Parthians and Armenians used eagle banners, too. 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

2754-689: The heraldry of the Catholic Monarchs . This election alludes to the queen's great devotion to the evangelist that predated her accession to the throne. The Eagle of St. John supported the shields used by Catherine of Aragon , daughter of the Catholic Monarchs, as queen consort of England, and by Mary I and King Philip as joint monarchs of England. In Spain, Philip bore the Eagle of St John (variously one or two) in his ornamented armorial achievements until 1668. The Eagle of

2835-553: 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

2916-564: The 1270s used a chequered eagle. The Moravian Eagle (without chequering) was first documented on the seal of Ottokar's uncle, Margrave Přemysl (d. 1239) and is thus likely derived from the coat of arms of the Přemyslid dynasty , who in the early 13th century used a "flaming eagle" coat of arms alongside the Bohemian lion for the Kingdom of Bohemia . Heraldic eagles are enduring symbols used in

2997-494: The 1430s. In the 14th century, the German kings use the royal banner ( Königsfahne ) with the single-headed eagle. The earliest pictorial representations of this date to the first half of the 14th century ( Codex Balduini ). This banner develops into the Reichssturmfahne (imperial war flag) with the double-headed Reichsadler (imperial eagle) by the mid-15th century. Sigismund (r. 1433–37) still uses either

3078-438: 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: The depiction of

3159-584: The Act contains errors, omissions and inconsistencies which make the law confusing, open to various interpretations and often not followed in practice. According to Chapter I, Article 28, paragraph 1 of the Constitution, the coat of arms of Poland is an image of a crowned white eagle in a red field . The Coat of Arms Act, Article 4, further specifies that the crown, as well as the eagle's beak and talons, are golden. The eagle's wings are outstretched and its head

3240-711: 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 Holy Roman Empire , and thus became comparatively rare outside of coats of arms derived from

3321-486: The Coat of Arms, Colors and Anthem of the Republic of Poland, and State Seals Act ( Ustawa o godle, barwach i hymnie Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej oraz o pieczęciach państwowych ) of 1980 with subsequent amendments (henceforth referred to as "the Coat of Arms Act"). The Crown was restored on December 31, 1989 by the Act of December 29, 1989 amending the Constitution of the Polish People's Republic (Article 1, point 19).However,

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3402-554: 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

3483-434: The Evangelist , the author of the fourth gospel account, is symbolized by an eagle , king of the birds, often with a halo . The eagle is a figure of the sky, and believed by Christian scholars to be able to look straight into the sun. The best-known heraldic use of the Eagle of St. John has been the single supporter chosen by Queen Isabella of Castile in her armorial achievement used as heiress and later integrated into

3564-475: The Evangelist was restored as single supporter holding the 1939, 1945 and 1977 official models of the armorial achievement of Spain , but been removed in 1981 when the current design was adopted. The eagle was used by the Spanish dictator Francisco Franco as a symbol of his regime. It is also frequently used in modern civic heraldry . The eagles in the Polish , Moravian and Silesian coats of arms are based on 13th-century dynastic arms. The Silesian Piasts

3645-513: 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

3726-525: 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 ( Chronica Majora , c.  1250 ; Segar's Roll , c.  1280 ). The German kings continued use of the single-headed eagle during the 14th century. In Italy , the Ghibelline faction (the faction loyal to

3807-632: The Middle English goules , which itself is an Old French word meaning "neckpiece made of red fur". Goules is derived from the Old French gole or guele , both of which mean "throat", which are ultimately derived from the Latin gula , also meaning "throat". Gules is similar to the English word gullet . A. C. Fox-Davies states that the term originates from the Persian word گل gol , meaning "rose", but according to Brault there

3888-451: The Polish coat of arms during Przemysł II reign as a reminder of the Piast tradition before the fragmentation of Poland. The eagle's graphic form has changed throughout centuries. Its recent shape, accepted in 1927, was designed by professor Zygmunt Kamiński and was based on the eagle's form from the times of Stefan Batory 's reign. It was adapted to stamps or round shields rather than to

3969-516: The Romans , who pre-deceased his father in 1654 and never became emperor, is given a single-headed eagle only). Use of the double-headed eagle is first attested in Byzantine art of the 10th century. Its use as an imperial emblem, however, is considerably younger, attested with certainty only in the 15th century, i.e. at about the same time the double-headed eagle was also adopted in the Holy Roman Empire. There are speculative theories according to which

4050-469: 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 since 1885 , in the flags and seals of the President , Navy , Marine Corps , Air Force , Justice Department , Defense Department , Postal Service , and other organizations, on various coins (such as

4131-422: The bottom, whose upper base is slightly longer than the lower one, from the middle of which extends downwards a pointed tip. Although the shield is an integral part of the coat of arms, Polish law stipulates, in certain cases, to only use the charge without the escutcheon. The shades of the principal tinctures, white ( Argent ) and red ( Gules ), which are the national colors of Poland, are specified as coordinates in

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4212-469: The coat of arms (which resembled the emblem of Stanislaus Augustus ) was redesigned in 1927 by Zygmunt Kamiński. This design was introduced by law on 13 December of that year before coming into effect on 29 March 1928. According to the research of Polish heraldist Jerzy Michta published in 2017, the version designed by Kamiński was actually plagiarized from a 1924 medal by Elisa Beetz-Charpentier made in honor of Ignacy Paderewski . After World War II ,

4293-528: The communist authorities of the Polish People's Republic removed the crown from the eagle's head. Still, Poland was one of the few countries in the Eastern Bloc with no communist symbols (red stars, ears of wheat, hammers, etc.) on either its flag or its coat of arms. The crownless design was approved by resolution in 1955. To counter that, the Polish government in exile introduced a new emblem with

4374-463: The double-headed eagle was first introduced as a dynastic emblem of the Komnenoi , from as early as the 11th century. The Palaiologoi emperors appear to have used the double-headed eagle often as ornamental emblem on their robes etc. during the 13th and 14th century, but only in the 15th century as an emblem on coins or seals. In the 15th century, the double-heade eagle was first used as an emblem by

4455-595: The eagle in their coins or seals. It appears that the eagle is only revived as a symbol of Roman imperial power in the high medieval period , being featured on the sceptres of 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. The eagle is used as an emblem by the Holy Roman Emperors from at least

4536-472: The eagle on his emblem. He also named the place Gniezdno (currently Gniezno ) from the Polish word gniazdo ("nest"). The symbol of an eagle appeared for the first time on the coins made during the reign of Bolesław I (992–1025), initially as the coat of arms of the Piast dynasty . Beginning in the 12th century, the eagle has appeared on the shields, ensigns, coins, and seals of the Piast dukes. It appeared on

4617-566: The eagle was adopted by Muscovy , when Ivan III of Russia married Sophia , daughter of Thomas Palaiologos . The Serbian eagle (in the modern coat of arms of Serbia , 1882) is derived from the coat of arms of the Nemanjić dynasty (16th century), in turn derived from the Byzantine imperial eagle. Use of the double-headed eagle for Serbia is among the examples of early representations in Western portolans ( Angelino Dulcert 1339). John

4698-458: The eagle's head. The redesigned coat of arms was adopted by law on 22 February 1990. The eagle appears on many public administration buildings, it is present in schools and courts. Furthermore, it is placed on the obverse of Polish coins . However the issue on which conditions it should be exposed and how it should be interpreted is the topic of numerous debates in Poland. The eagle was formerly on

4779-451: 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

4860-510: The following: Gules is the most widely used heraldic tincture. Through the sixteenth century, nearly half of all noble coats of arms in Poland had a field gules with one or more argent charges on them. Examples of coats of arms consisting of purely a red shield (blazoned gules plain ) include those of the d'Albret family, the Rossi family, the Swiss canton of Schwyz (prior to 1815), and

4941-426: 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

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5022-404: The image of the white eagle, is highly stylized. The heraldic bird is depicted with its wings and legs outstretched, its head turned to the right, in a pose known in heraldry as 'displayed'. The eagle's plumage, as well as its tongue and leg scales are white with gradient shading suggestive of a bas-relief . Each wing is adorned with a curved band extending from the bird's torso to the upper edge of

5103-539: The invader's emblem. The Poles conscientiously collected coins from the pre-partitions period with the eagle on their obverse and reverse. The symbol of the eagle, often with Pogonia , appeared on numerous flags and emblems of the November Uprising . The resurrection of the Polish Kingdom (Polish Regency) in the territories of the former Congress Poland (which had been partitioned and annexed by

5184-536: The national coats of arms of a number of countries: 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

5265-399: The new emblem design was introduced only on February 22, 1990, by the Act of February 9, 1990 amending the provisions on the coat of arms, colors and anthem of the Republic of Poland. Legislation concerning the national symbols is far from perfect. The Coat of Arms Act has been amended several times and refers extensively to executive ordinances, some of which have never been issued. Moreover,

5346-460: 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

5427-588: The other. 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

5508-438: The points upward); 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

5589-582: 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 heraldry of the First Empire , as did his nephew Napoleon III during the Second Empire . An eagle remains in the arms of the House of Bonaparte and

5670-418: 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

5751-466: 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

5832-578: The semi-autonomous Despots of the Morea , who were younger imperial princes, and by the Gattilusi of Lesbos , who were Palaiologan relatives and vassals. The double-headed eagle was used in the breakaway Empire of Trebizond as well. Western portolans of the 14th–15th centuries use the double-headed eagle (silver/golden on red/ vermilion ) as the symbol of Trebizond rather than Constantinople. Single-headed eagles are also attested in Trapezuntine coins, and

5913-435: 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

5994-454: The single-headed or the double-headed eagle. Consistent use of the double-headed eagle only begins with the 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

6075-449: The term used for depicting domestic or game animals shown facing each other, is not used because eagles are aggressive predators. 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"). This term is used when three or more Eagles are shown on a field. They represent immature eagles. Originally the term erne or alerion in early heraldry referred to

6156-420: The time of Otto III (late 10th century), in the form of the "eagle-sceptre". Frederick Barbarossa ( r. 1155–90) is reported as having displayed an eagle on his banner, Otto IV ( r. 1209–15) an eagle hovering over a dragon. The first evidence of the use of the Reichsadler (imperial eagle) proper dates to the mid-13th century. Matthew Paris ' Chronica Majora ( c.  1250 ) displays

6237-451: 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

6318-414: The wing, terminating in a heraldic cinquefoil (a stylized five-leafed plant). Three of its leaves are embossed like a trefoil (note similar trefoils in the medieval designs of the eagle). In heraldic terms, the eagle is "armed", that is to say, its beak and talons are rendered in gold, in contrast to the body. The crown on the eagle's head consists of a base and three fleurons extending from it. The base

6399-491: The word godło (plural: godła ) means only a heraldic charge (in this particular case a white crowned eagle) and not an entire coat of arms, but it is also an archaic word for a national symbol of any sort. In later legislation only the herb retained this designation; it is unknown why. The coat of arms of the Republic of Poland is described in two legal documents: the Constitution of the Republic of Poland of 1997 and

6480-769: 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. The Margraviate of Moravia from at least

6561-477: Was valid until February 21, 1990. In addition to the lack of a crown and other rosettes, there is a significant deformation of the eagle's head and eye compared to the pre-war eagle. The current version of the Emblem is consistent with the Act of February 22, 1990. Significant modifications by Andrzej Heidrich are visible compared to the pre-war eagle created by Zygmunt Kamiński. Eagle (heraldry) The eagle

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