Holy Roman Eagle

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The Holy Roman Empire was not holy, nor Roman, nor an empire. It was a confederation of German states that lasted for almost a thousand years.

The first mention of a double-headed eagle as representing the Holy Roman Emperor dates from 1250, for Emperor Frederick II. Usually depicted black on a gold background, it replaced the earlier single-headed eagle. In all likelihood, the double-headed eagle was adopted from the arms of Byzantium to strengthen the claim that the Holy Roman Empire was the rightful heir of the Roman Empire.

The text is from the Gothic language version of the Lord's Prayer, as found in the Codex Argenteus, the Gothic Language translation of the Bible by the medieval bishop Wulfilas.