Fig. 445.—Arms of the Prussian Province of Brandenburg. (From Ströhl's Deutsche Wappenrolle.)
Until some agreement has been arrived at, I can only recommend my readers to follow the same plan which I have long adopted in blazoning arms of which the official blazon has not been available to me. That is, to use the term "rising," followed by the necessary description of the position of the wings (Figs. 447-450). This obviates both mistake and uncertainty. Originally with us, as still in Germany, an eagle was always displayed, and in the days when coats of arms were few in number and simple in character the artist may well have been permitted to draw an eagle as he chose, providing it was an eagle. But arms and their elaboration in the last four hundred years have made this impossible. It is foolish to overlook this, and idle in the face of existing facts to attempt to revert to former ways. Although now the English eagle displayed has the tip of its wings pointed upwards (Fig. 451), and the contrary needs now to be mentioned in the blazon (Fig. 452), this even with us was not so in the beginning. A reference to Figs. 453 and 454 will show how the eagle was formerly depicted.
 Fig. 446.—Eagle close. |
 Fig. 447.—Eagle rising, wings elevated and addorsed. |
 Fig. 448.—Eagle rising, wings addorsed and inverted. |
 Fig. 449.—Eagle rising, wings displayed and inverted. |
The earliest instance of the eagle as a definitely heraldic charge upon a shield would appear to be its appearance upon the Great Seal
