Quaternion eagle
A quaternion eagle is a double-headed imperial eagle of the Holy Roman Empire , which allegorically depicts the empire by depicting the coats of arms of the members ( estates ) of the empire.
symbolism
Quaternion eagle from the handwriting "Agrippina" by Heinrich van Beeck
Woodcut drawing by Hans Burgkmair the Elder from 1510
Colored depiction by Jost de Negker based on the depiction of Burgkmair, 1510
Quaternion eagle by Jost de Negker as a vector graphic
The double-headed eagle became the heraldic animal of the Roman-German king and emperor under Emperor Sigismund in 1433 and thus became the heraldic animal of the empire. On the wing feathers of the quaternion eagle derived from it, the coats of arms of the members of the empire are depicted in groups of four ( quaternions of the imperial constitution ). It is a selection of imperial estates .
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The eagle itself symbolizes the realm as a whole, into which the limbs have to fit. The respective representations had little to do with the actual composition of the imperial estates, however, since the choice of coats of arms was relatively arbitrary or the representation served the interests of the client. For example, the coats of arms of Cologne and Aachen are shown in the depiction of van Beeck , but the coats of arms of the electors are missing. This representation thus expresses the growing urban self-confidence towards the other stands.
The motif of the imperial eagle enjoyed great popularity and was widely used throughout the empire and was always depicted on the imperial eagle tankard, popular in modern times .
