Peacock (heraldic animal)
As a heraldic animal, the peacock is a mean figure .
The animal, one of the chicken birds, is very close to its natural appearance in the depiction in the coat of arms . The choice of the blue peacock suits the species widespread in Europe as the best known and most ornate representative of the pheasant-like . He was the heraldic bird of the County of Wied .
His image in the coat of arms is widespread blue, clockwise with a long tail as a train or as an upright spring wheel, as it is known as courtship behavior . The head is adorned with a feather crown. The use in the coat of arms suggests the proverbial vanity. In particular, the bird's lofty gait gives cause for this. The animal with its open wheel (tail feathers set up during courtship) is described as a tail-reflecting peacock .
The tail feathers are popular as an ornament in the upper coat of arms (for example the coat of arms of the Dukes of Braunschweig), because the "eyes" on the feathers are a special decorative element. These are positioned in a clear number with the eyes facing the viewer. Bundled feathers are also called peacock thrust in heraldry . The peacock tail is another representation (example is the helmet gem of the Counts of Anhalt). The number and color of the eyes should be mentioned in the description . A special modification is the peacock with a woman's head, widely known in French heraldry, known as the Gante . The peacock is also common in religion and mythology . He stands as a symbol of the resurrection in the Christian world. In India it is a sacred animal.
The peacock has been known as a heraldic animal since the 12th century. When Prince Wilhelm zu Wied was appointed Prince of Albania in 1914 , the peacock was incorporated into the middle shield of the Albanian double-headed eagle .
The peacock has also entered heraldry as a coat of arms for the Habsburg coat of arms gallery.
Wheel flapping peacock as a shield holder around 1555
Peacock as the crest of the Counts of Tecklenburg-Lingen
Peacock feathers as the helmet of the Counts of Lingen
Fan-shaped peacock bump as a helmet ornament for those from Weltze
cylindrical peacock bump as a helmet ornament for those from Töwden
Coat of arms of the Babenbergs (shield with peacock bump) on which the Austrian state symbols go back
Ermelo (Netherlands)
Fällanden in the canton of Zurich
Faoug in the canton of Vaud
Steimel in the Neuwied district
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c Gert Oswald : Lexicon of Heraldry. VEB Bibliographisches Institut, Leipzig 1984.
- ↑ Georg Scheibelreiter : Heraldry. Oldenbourg Wissenschaftsverlag, Vienna et al. 2006, ISBN 3-7029-0479-4 .