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In the Holy Roman Empire's heraldry, it represented the Church and the
State - Several Eastern European nations adopted it from the
Byzantines and continue to use it as their national symbol to this day,
the most prominent being Russia [Wiki.com - In 1433 the doubleheaded
eagle was adopted for the first time by the Holy Roman
Emperor Sigismund. Since then the double-headed eagle came to be
used as the symbol of the German emperor, and hence as the coat of
arms of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation.] - Use in
Masonry: The Double-Headed Eagle of Lagash on the cover of Morals
and Dogma - The Double-Headed Eagle of Lagash is used as an
emblem by the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry - There are many
meanings attached to this symbol, The date of its introduction into
Freemasonry is not clear but it may have been first used in France to
symbolize the Councils of the East and West - Another theory is that it
was adapted from the arms of the Austrian state, to gain the favor of
the ruling family
Origins: Double-headed eagles have been present in imagery for millennia. The two-headed eagle can be found in
the archaeological remains of the Sumerian civilization and through the Hittite civilization, dating from a period that
ranges from the 20th century BC to the 7th century BC. Cylindric seals discovered in Bogazkoy, an old Hittite
capital in modern-day Turkey, represent clearly a two-headed eagle with spread wings. The aesthetics of this
symmetrical position explains in part the birth of this religious figure: It originally dates from circa 3,800 BC, and
was the Sumerian symbol for the god Ninurta, son of Enlil. It can also be seen in the same region in three
monumental settings: Circa 1,900 BC during the Hittite surge from north-central Anatolia (modern Turkey) down
into Babylonia; in Alacahöyük around 1400 BC and in Yazilikaya before 1250 BC. Here the context looks slightly
different and totally religious: The eagle returns to its ancient origins as a symbol of divine power. The two-headed
eagle is seen less and less during the last Hittite period (from the 9th century BC to the 7th century BC) and totally
disappears after the end of the empire. The double-headed eagle was also in use by the Arsacid Dynasty of Armenia
and the Mamikonian family in the 3rd to 9th centuries. -- Byzantine Empire: Constantinople was the successor of
Rome, and the Byzantines continued the use of the old imperial "single-headed" eagle motif. Although the roots of
the transformation to double-headed are almost certainly connected with old depictions in Asia Minor, the details of
its adoption are uncertain. It was, however, already in use during the first centuries AD and certainly before the 10th
century AD by Armenians and Persians, appearing in their art. The Ancients used no flags in the modern sense. The
Romans used various signa, such as the bronze aquilas (adopted as the legions' symbol by Marius) and vexilloids,
and, if the emperor was present, pikes or banners with the emperor's portrait. With the adoption of Christianity as
state religion during the later Empire, the Chi-Rho and the cross became more and more used in military standards,
such as the labarum. The Roman single-headed eagle however continued to be used as a symbol of imperial
authority. According to the most prevalent theory, the single-headed eagle was modified to double-headed by
emperor Isaac I Komnenos (1057-1059) being influenced from local traditions about such a (mythical) beast (the
haga) in his native Paphlagonia in Asia Minor. Local legends talked about this giant eagle with two heads that could
easily hold a bull in its claws; the haga was seen as a representation of power, and people would often "call" it for
protection. Isaac Komnenos, deeply influenced by these beliefs, had already used it as a family emblem.[3] As there
has been reference to "stone representations" of the eagle that were the inspiration for its picture, it is reasonable to
assume that Hittite carvings may have been the source of the symbol's usage, but other relevant works, such as
much older Sumerian cylinder seals representing the god Ninurta, must be considered as the chief source. Whether
the eagle became an "imperial" symbol or remained purely a personal symbol for Komnenos, is not clear. After the
Latin conquest of Constantinople in 1204, the Byzantine double-headed eagle was used by the successor states of
Epirus and Nicaea. Theodore II Laskaris chose it for his symbol as Emperor (Empire of Nicaea), taking it to
http://www.basicchristian.org/blog_History_Study_Complete.rss[1/16/2012 7:38:03 AM]