Fasces ( /ˈfæsiːz/, a plurale tantum, from the Latin word fascis, meaning "bundle") are a bundle of wooden sticks with an axe blade emerging from the center, which is an image that traditionally symbolizes summary power and jurisdiction, and/or "strength through unity". Fasces frequently occur as a charge in heraldry, and should not be confused with the related term, fess, which in French heraldry is called a fasce.
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