COUNTER COVER 24

THE DOUBLE-HEADED EAGLE

The double-headed eagle is a symbol present in the iconography and heraldry of various Indo-European cultures, from the East to the Mediterranean.

The double-headed eagle represents the union of masculine and feminine principles, unified by the inner heart that takes up a large part of the animal’s body. It is a symbol of united government based on the freedom and dignity of each one of the genders.

In Europe, the use and representation of two-headed eagles comes from the Hittite culture, reaching Western Europe in the Middle Ages from Byzantium, whose empire also spread its use in the East.