On steormæle is heafodstol (eac heafodburg and heafodburh hatte) seo heafodlice burg oþþe tun gesibb hire wealde. Heo is nean a seo burg þe lichamlice befehþ þæt setlærn and þæt gemotærn þæs setles wealdes and is geseted be lage.
Þær sind maniga gelimpunga þær ricu oþþe oðre anstandendas habbaþ manige heafodstolas. On Suþaffrican, to bȳsne, se wealdenda heafodstol is Pretoria, se lagsettenda heafodstol is Næsstun, and se demenda heafodstol is Blotsmanwelle, þe is þæt gelimp þæs gesemes þætte gesciepede þæt Suþaffrican Gæd on 1910.
In oðerum landum, se "wyrcenda" and "geseteda" heafodstol mæg wesan gesundrod for wyrcendlicum intingum, wrycende gelimpunge þære þe burg is gecuþ to "þæm heafodstole" þe nis soþlice healdend þæs setles wealdes:
On swelcum gelimpungum is seo burg þe hielt þone wealdenda heafodsto gewunelic understanden wesan se "ricisca heafodsto" ongemang elemanna. To bȳsne, Santiago is understanden wesan se heafodstol of Cilan þeah hire Gemot is in Falparegse.
To heafodlicum stede wealdes þæs landscipes oþþe rices, se heafodstol gecyndelice atihteþ þa steormællice geanmetedum and him þara cræftas sind þorftene to welwyrcendum wealde swelce æswutolas, tidingwriteras, and folclices rædes cneordlæcendas. Ieldre heafodstolas habbaþ eac oft growen on fornytte steormællice, lifwisisce, oþþe andgietfule stolas. Swelc is huru seo gelimpung Parises on Franclande and Buenos Airese Argentinan ongemang riciscra heafodstola, and Irkutskes oþþe Saltlagburge on Uta on heora landscipum. Naþȳslæs swelc halgung mæg wesan wiðerwinnende. Seo settung of Brasilie in Brasiles inlande wæs gedon be dæl to eowienne þæs gewealdes gesundrodnesse fram þæm crodenan and gewemedan ealdan heafodstole Rio de Janeiro. Þæt geweald Suþcorean gehet on 2004 þæt hit wege his heafodstol fram Seoule to Geongi-Gongtscu — þeah þe þæt word "Seoul" self mænþ "heafodstol" in þære Coreiscan spræce.
Seo gæderung wealdlices and feohhweorfunglices oþþe lifweglices domes nis nanum wisum woruldwide. Þeawlice heafodstolas magon feohhweorfunglice aþeostrian fram bifylclicum ofersteallum, swa swa hit gelamp mid Thebane, þe aþeostrode fram Alexandrie, Nantscing fram Scanghai, oþþe Edinburg fram Glasgowe. Þæt geafeall cynecynnes oþþe lifweges cuðe eacswa wyrcean þone deaþ his heafodstoles, swa swa hit gelamp be Bablonie and Cahocie. Æac wæron manige niwlice heafodstolas, swelce Abuja and Ottawa, rædlice geseted onweg fram feohhweorfunglicum stowum and nabbaþ giet weaxen greate to niwum feohhweorfunglicum burgum.