The Red Kaganate

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Images of Animals "...Animals and birds were ...important warrior motifs in the earlier centuries, often appearing on helmets in Central Asian wall-paintings; gilded wolf's head-shaped standards were reserved for the supreme khagan or khan of khans. Genghis Khan used a bird's head emblem, and Hulegu is said to have had an 'eagle banner'. There are also references to human as well as animal-shaped helmet crests in Mongol epics." (Nicolle, Sourcebook) "...Surprisingly, perhaps, the double-headed eagle, which became the most important late Byzantine imperial device, was of ancient oriental origin rather than having much connection with the ancient Roman imperial eagle..." (Nicolle, Sourcebook) "The double-headed eagle had been a popular pattern on Islamic fabrics since the 10th century and was adopted as an identifying motif by the Turkish rulers of Anatolia and the Middle East from the late 11th century onwards..." (Nicolle, Sourcebook) "...lions and leopards are also mentioned as banner devices in late 10th-century Persian literature..." (Nicolle, Sourcebook) "Chinese-looking dragons were introduced to the Middle East by the Turks." (Nicolle, Sourcebook) Citations to "Nicolle, Sourcebook" are to - David Nicolle, Medieval Warfare Sourcebook: Christian Europe and its Neighbors, Brokhampton Press, London, 1998.