Do many people know why there is a double-headed eagle on the coat of arms? What does he mean? The image of a double-headed eagle is an ancient symbol of power. For the first time this figure arose during the appearance of the first developed states - about five thousand years ago. However, throughout its history, this sign has succumbed to various interpretations. Today, it is depicted on many symbols of power (flags and emblems) of various countries.
Meaning of the symbol
What does the double-headed eagle symbolize? This is a deep image, denoting a combination of two principles. The heads of the bird are directed in opposite directions: to the West and to the East. However, in itself it is a whole being, embodying unity. The double-headed eagle is the image of the sun, meaning nobility and power.
In some cultures, the meaning of the double-headed eagle symbol is slightly different. He is considered a messenger, an assistant of God, an executor of his will. He personifies a formidable force,capable of establishing justice. However, many experts agree that the double-headed eagle is a symbol whose meaning is pride and arrogance.
The wings of the bird are the personification of protection, and the sharp claws reflect the readiness to fight for ideals and ideas. The bird, depicted with a white head, means the purity of thought of the authorities, its justice and wisdom. The eagle is a brave, strong guardian who can see approaching trouble from any direction.
The appearance of the symbol in history
You can trace the meaning of the double-headed eagle symbol for thousands of years in different parts of the world. One of the first traces of it were found on the lands in the valley of the Tigris and Euphrates, where one of the first states, Southern Mesopotamia, was located. During the excavations of the city of Lagash, where the Sumerians lived, an image of an eagle was found.
Precious talismans, which depict his figure, also testify to the meaning and veneration of this symbol.
Hittite kingdom
One of the famous and widespread images of the symbol dates back to the 2nd millennium BC. In Western Asia (today the territory of Turkey), an image of a double-headed eagle carved on a rock was found. Archaeologists have come to the conclusion that this sign refers to the art of the ancient Hittites. In their mythology, an eagle with two heads is an attribute of the main god Tishub, who commanded a thunderstorm.
In the Hittite kingdom, a two-headed eagle looked in opposite directions, and in its paws it had prey - hares. archeologythis sign was interpreted in this way: the eagle is a king who tirelessly watches everything that surrounds him and defeats enemies, and rodents are voracious, cowardly pests.
Ancient Greece
In the mythology of the ancient Greeks, there was the god of the Sun - Helios. He could travel across the sky in a chariot drawn by four horses. It was a common image that was placed on the walls. However, there was another thing: instead of horses, the chariot was harnessed by two double-headed eagles - black and white. This image has not yet been accurately interpreted, however, it is believed that a secret meaning is hidden in it. Here you can trace an interesting chain: the eagle is the king of birds, and the Sun is the “king” of the planets. It is this bird that flies above the others and approaches the divine luminary.
The double-headed eagle of the Persians, Arabs and Mongols
Later, the double-headed eagle (the meaning of the symbol we already know) appears in Persia. His image in the first centuries of our era was used by the Shahs of the Sassanid dynasty. They were replaced by the Arabs, whose rulers placed the presented image on the coins. This emblem also belonged to the oriental ornament. He was especially popular when decorating. They even decorated coasters for the Koran. In the Middle Ages, it was placed on the standards of the Seljuk Turks. In the Golden Horde, the eagle meant victory. To this day, coins with the image of this two-headed bird, minted during the reign of the khans Uzbek and Dzhanybek, have survived.
Two-headed birdHinduism
In the mythology of Hinduism, the two-headed bird Gandaberunda is endowed with great magical power. She is able to withstand destruction. A beautiful legend was invented about the appearance of this creature. According to him, the supreme god Vishnu slew the demon, turning into the image of a mixture of man and lion Narasimha. However, even after he won the victory and drank the blood of his enemy, anger continued to boil in him and he remained in a terrible image. Everyone was afraid of him, and therefore the demigods asked Shiva for help. God turned into an eight-legged creation of Sharabha, whose strength and power surpassed Narasimha. Then Vishnu reincarnated as Gandaberunda, and in these images the two deities entered into a fight. Since then, in Hinduism, a two-headed bird means colossal, destructive power.
The oldest surviving image of a bird is in India on a statue created in 1047. To show the great strength of this creature, he was depicted carrying elephants and lions in his claws and beaks. Today, this emblem is present on the coat of arms of the Indian state of Karnataka.
First emblems in Europe
The spread of the symbol of the double-headed eagle in European lands began in the XI-XV centuries during the Crusades. As a coat of arms, the image of a double-headed eagle was chosen by the first knights, the Templars. Historians suggest that they borrowed this pattern during their travels in South Asia, on the territory of the Ottoman Empire. After the attempts of the knights to conquer the Holy Sepulcher in the Holy Land, the symbol of an eagle with two heads became widely known. It was mainly used in Byzantine and Balkan lands inas a pattern. They were decorated with fabric, vessels, walls. Some territorial princes took it as their personal seals. The version that the eagle could be a symbol of the imperial family in Byzantium is stubbornly rejected by historians.
Antique Roman Empire
In the year 330, the autocratic Emperor Constantine the Great, who transferred the capital of the Holy Roman Empire to Constantinople, making it the “Second Rome”, replaces the one-headed eagle - the two-headed one, which personifies not only the power of the emperor (secular power), but also spiritual power (the power of the Church). The second head balances the political component of this image. It denotes Christian morality. She reminds statesmen to act not only to please themselves, but also to act, thinking and caring for their people.
Holy Roman Empire
The two-headed eagle was adopted as the state emblem of the Holy (German) Roman Empire in 1434 during the reign of Emperor Sigismund. The bird was depicted as black on a golden shield. Halos were placed over their heads. However, this symbol, unlike a similar symbol in the ancient Roman Empire, did not have Christian motives under it. The double-headed eagle on the coat of arms of the Holy Roman Empire was rather a tribute to historical traditions dating back to the majestic Byzantium.
The appearance of the double-headed eagle in Russia
There are several versions of the appearance of the emblem of the double-headed eagle in Russia. Many historians claim that the appearance of this symbol is associated with the name of Sophia Paleolog. The successor of the fallen Byzantium, a highly educated princess, not without political overtones, who was taken care of by Pope Paul II, becomes the wife of the Russian Tsar Ivan III. This inter-dynastic marriage allowed Moscow to acquire a new status - the "Third Rome", since the second - Constantinople - fell in 1453. Sophia not only brought with her the symbol of the white double-headed eagle, which was the coat of arms of her family, the Palaiologos dynasty. She and her entourage contributed to the cultural upsurge of Russia. The eagle has been depicted on the state seal since 1497. This is confirmed in the text by the work of the Russian writer N. M. Karamzin "History of the Russian State".
However, there is another opinion about the appearance of the Russian double-headed eagle. Many experts are inclined to believe that Ivan III chose it as a state sign, pursuing the goal of equating himself with European monarchs. Claiming equal size, the Russian prince put himself on a par with the Habsburg family, who at that time ruled the Holy Roman Empire.
Double-headed eagle under Peter I
The well-known reformer, "cutting a window to Europe", Peter I during his reign devoted a lot of time not only to foreign and domestic policy. The king also took care of the state symbols. Against the backdrop of ongoing wars, he decided to create a single symbol.
Since 1700, the coat of arms of the country has been changing. Interesting changes related directly to the bird. Over her heads nowcrowns are placed. In her paws she has an orb and a scepter. Ten years later, in 1710, these adjustments were made to all seals. Later, on coins, as well as on any other objects depicting eagles, imperial crowns are placed above them. These symbols mean the complete independence and independence of Russia from other powers. No one can infringe on the state in its power rights. It is worth paying attention to the fact that the symbol took on this form ten years before Russia was called the Russian Empire, and Peter I its emperor.
In 1721, an important and last change under Peter was the change of color. The double-headed eagle turns black. The emperor decided to take this step, taking an example from the Holy Roman Empire. The beak, as well as the paws and attributes of the bird were depicted in gold. The background is made in the same shade. A red shield is placed on the eagle's chest, surrounded by the chain of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called. On the shield, Saint George on horseback strikes the dragon with a spear. All these images symbolize the eternal problem of the struggle between Darkness and Light, Evil and Good.
Eagle after the collapse of the Russian Empire
After Nicholas II abdicated in 1917, the state badge loses its power and meaning. A problem arose before the new leaders and authorities - it is necessary to create a new heraldic symbol. This issue was de alt with by a group of specialists in heraldry. However, before the convocation of the Constituent Assembly, they did not see it necessary to create a radically new symbol. They considered it acceptable to use the samethe double-headed eagle, however, it should have been “deprived” of its former attributes and the image of St. George the Victorious should be removed. Thus, the seal of the provisional government was drawn by the specialist I. Ya. Bilibin.
In the struggle for the title of coat of arms with a double-headed eagle, the image of the swastika, which meant well-being and eternity, “beat”. Thanks to these qualities, perhaps the Provisional Government liked this symbol.
In 1918, when the constitution of the RSFSR was adopted, a new coat of arms was chosen, and the eagle was forgotten until 1993, when it became the state symbol of the Russian Federation. Now it is depicted in gold color, contains almost the same attributes that existed during the Russian Empire - there is no St. Andrew's Order on it. It is permissible to use this symbol without a shield.
Standard of the President of Russia
President BN Yeltsin in 1994 issued a decree "On the standard (flag) of the President of the Russian Federation." The flag of the president was a three-color canvas (three identical horizontal stripes white, blue, red) and in the center depicted on it a golden coat of arms. The standard is framed with gold fringe.
