National personification

Britannia arm-in-arm with Uncle Sam symbolizes the British-American alliance in World War I. The two animals, the Bald eagle and the Barbary lion, are also national personifications of the two countries.

A national personification is an anthropomorphic personification of a state or the people(s) it inhabits. It may appear in political cartoons and propaganda.

Some personifications in the Western world often took the Latin name of the ancient Roman province. Examples of this type include Britannia, Germania, Hibernia, Hispania, Helvetia and Polonia.

Examples of personifications of the Goddess of Liberty include Marianne, the Statue of Liberty (Liberty Enlightening the World), and many examples of United States coinage. Another ancient model was Roma, a female deity who personified the city of Rome and his dominion over the territories of the Roman Empire.^[1]

Examples of representations of the everyman or citizenry in addition to the nation itself are Deutscher Michel, John Bull and Uncle Sam.^[2]

Gallery

• 
  Iudaea Capta, "Judaea Taken", commemorative coin issued by the Roman emperor Vespasian (left) after the Jewish War
• 
  An early example of national personification in a gospel book dated 990: Sclavinia, Germania, Gallia, and Roma, bringing offerings to Emperor Otto III.
• 
  The allegorical personification of Italy in a painting by Philipp Veit, which was realized between 1834 and 1836
• 
  In this Allegory depicting the 1576 Pacification of Ghent by Adriaen Pietersz van de Venne, the seated women represent a short-lived unity among the embattled provinces of what would become the present-day Belgium and Netherlands.
• 
  1909 cartoon in Puck shows (clockwise) US, Germany, Britain, France and Japan engaged in naval race in a "no limit" game.
• 
  Columbia depicted in an American Committee for Relief in the Near East poster defending an Armenian woman beneath her flag
• 
  The Liberty of Oudiné in memory of the Argentine centenary of the May Revolution (1810-1910)

Personifications by country or territory

Location	Image	Personification	Animal used for the same purpose
Albania		Mother Albania	Double-headed eagle
Americas		Personification of the Americas	American alligator
Argentina		Allegory of the Republic, Gaucho
Armenia		Mother Armenia We Are Our Mountains (Artsakh)
Australia		Little Boy from Manly	Boxing kangaroo
Austria		Austria Tyrolia (Tyrol)	Double-headed eagle
Bangladesh		Bangamata[3]	Bengal tiger[4]
Belgium		La Belgique, Manneken Pis[5][6]	Brabantic Lion, Leo Belgicus
Bhutan			Thunder Dragon
Brazil		Efígie da República the Bandeirante (São Paulo State and Minas Gerais) the "Tropeiro" (Minas Gerais) the Candango (Brasília) the Gaúcho (Rio Grande do Sul);
Brunei		Awang Budiman[7][8]
Bulgaria		Mother Bulgaria	Double-headed eagle
Cambodia		Preah Thong and Neang Neak
Canada		Mountie,[9] Johnny Canuck,[10] Canada Bereft (Vimy Memorial). Le Vieux de '37 (Quebec) Inuit (Nunavut)[11] Canada was often personified as a young woman in 19th and early 20th century editorial cartoons, called simply "Canada", "Miss Canada", or sometimes "Mother Canada".[12]	Canadian beaver Snowy owl (Quebec) Qimmiq (Nunavut)
Chile		Huaso, Roto, Señora Juanita, Angel of Liberty[13] Moai (Rapa Nui)	Condorito
China and  Taiwan			Chinese dragon, Panda, hare[14] Snow Lion (Tibet)
Colombia		Juan Valdez
Croatia		Mother Croatia	Dalmatian
Cuba		La República	Tocororo
Cyprus		Liberty	Cypriot Mouflon[15]
Czechia		Čechie, Czech Vašek, Honza, Svejk	Czech lion
Denmark		Holger Danske, Mother Denmark	Mute swan Polar bear (Greenland)
Dominican Republic		Conchoprimo
Egypt		Mother of the World	Sphinx
El Salvador		Salvador del Mundo	Torogoz
Estonia		Kalevipoeg
Europe		Europa or Europa regina
Finland		Finnish Maiden	Finnish lion
France		Marianne	Gallic rooster
Georgia		Mother of a Georgian
Germany		Germania, Deutscher Michel Bavaria (Bavaria) Berolina (Berlin) Brema (Bremen) Brunonia (Brunswick Land) Franconia (Franconia) Francofurtia (Frankfurt) Hammonia (Hamburg) Lubeca (Lübeck) Borussia (Prussia) Palatia (Rhineland-Palatinate) Saxonia (Saxony) Vimaria (Weimar) Württembergia (Württemberg)	Reichsadler, Bundesadler, Berliner Bär (Berlin), Bavarian Lion (Bavaria), Marcher Eagle (Brandenburg), Prussian Eagle (Prussia)
Greece		Hellas
Haiti		Ezili Dantor, Le Marron Inconnu, Katrin
Hungary		The Lady of Hungaria	Turul
Iceland		The Lady of the Mountains
India		Bharat Mata Kangleipak Ima (Manipur)	Bengal tiger, Asiatic lion, Indian Elephant, Indian peafowl Pākhangbā (Manipur)
Indonesia		Ibu Pertiwi	Garuda Pancasila
Iran,  Afghanistan and  Tajikistan		Rostam[16][17][18]	Lion and sun
Ireland		Ériu, Banba, Fódla, Kathleen Ni Houlihan, Hibernia, The Old Woman of Beare[19]	Irish Hare[20]
Israel		Srulik	Lion of Judah
Italy		Italia turrita Roma (Rome)	Italian wolf[21][22] Aquila, Capitoline Wolf (Rome) Lion of Saint Mark (Venice)[23]
Japan		yamato-hime	Green Pheasant
Kazakhstan		Altin Adam	Tulpar
Korea ( North Korea and  South Korea - despite mutual enmity, both states lay claim to the same historical heritage)			Korean Tiger, Chollima
Kyrgyzstan		Manas	Siberian ibex
Latvia		Milda, Liberty
Lebanon		Abu Abed
Lithuania		Lietuva
Low Lands or Benelux			Leo Belgicus
Malaysia		Hang Tuah[24][25]	Malayan tiger[26]
Malta		Melita	Dolphin
Mexico		Mexican Motherland, La China Poblana	Golden eagle
Mongolia		Genghis Khan	Saker falcon
Montenegro		Fairy of Lovćen, Mother Montenegro	Double-headed eagle
Morocco			Barbary Lion
Netherlands		Dutch Maiden Dutch Sailor (Holland)	Dutch Republic Lion, Leo Belgicus
Nepal		Gurkha, Sherpa	Yeti[27]
New Zealand		Zealandia[28] Southern man (South Island)[29]	Kiwi
Nicaragua		El Güegüense	Motmot
North Macedonia		Mother Macedonia[30][31]	Lioness
Norway		Mother Norway, Ola & Kari Nordmann, Nór
Palestine		Handala
Peru		Peruvian Motherland, El Perú Libre	Vicuña
Philippines		La Madre Filipinas, Juan dela Cruz	Philippine Carabao
Poland		Polonia	White eagle
Portugal		Zé Povinho, Efígie da República, Guardian Angel of Portugal	Rooster of Barcelos
Rhodesia		Cecil Rhodes	Sable antelope, Zimbabwe Bird
Romania		România	Lynx
Russia		Mother Russia, General Winter	Russian bear
San Marino		Liberty, Saint Marinus
Serbia		Mother Serbia, Kosovo Maiden	Serbian eagle
Singapore			Merlion
Slovakia		Jánošík
Slovenia		Kralj Matjaž
South Africa		The Lady of Good Hope	Springbok
Spain		Hispania Breogán (Galicia)	Hispanic Lion
Sri Lanka		Sri Lanka Matha (Mother Sri Lanka)	Lion
Suriname		Mama Sranan (Mother Suriname), a 1965 sculpture by Jozeph Klas in the center of Paramaribo, of a mother figure holding five children representing Suriname's ethnic groups in her arms.[32]
Sweden		Mother Svea (Moder Svea)
Switzerland		Helvetia Basilea (Basel) Berna (Bern) Geneva (Geneva) Tigurina Virgo (Zürich) Lucerna (Lucerne)	Cow[33]
Thailand		Siam Devadhiraj	White elephant
Turkey		Ana Vatan (Turkish Motherland) Sick man of Europe (Ottoman Empire)	Wolf
Turkmenistan		Oghuz Khagan	Akhal-Teke
Ukraine		Cossack Mamay	Ruthenian Lion
United Kingdom		Britannia John Bull (England)[34] Scota (Scotland) Dame Wales (Wales)	Bulldog The Lion and the Unicorn (England and Scotland) Welsh dragon (Wales) Manx cat (Mann)
United States		Columbia, Lady Liberty[35] Uncle Sam (federal government) Brother Jonathan (New England) Kamehameha (Hawaii) Sequoyah (Oklahoma) The Lady of the Alamo (Texas) Billy Yank (The North, obsolete) Johnny Reb (The South, obsolete)	Bald Eagle, American Buffalo, Timber rattlesnake (American Revolution)
Uruguay		Efigie de la República
Uzbekistan		Timur	Snow Leopard
Venezuela		Juan Bimba (obsolete)
Vietnam		Lạc Long Quân and Âu Cơ	Vietnamese Dragon, Lạc Bird

See also

• Afghanis-tan, a manga originally published as a webcomic about Central Asia with personified countries.
• Polandball, a contemporary form of national personification in which countries are drawn by Internet users as stereotypic balls and shared as comics on online communities.
• Hetalia, a manga and anime about personified countries interacting.
• Mural crown
• National animal, often personifies a nation in cartoons.
• National emblem, for other metaphors for nations.
• National god, a deity that embodies a nation.
• National patron saint, a Saint that is regarded as the heavenly advocate of a nation.

References

1. "Il Tempio di Venere e Roma" (in Italian). Retrieved 12 September 2023.
2. Eric Hobsbawm, "Mass-Producing Traditions: Europe, 1870-1914," in Eric Hobsbawm and Terence Ranger, eds., The Invention of Tradition (Cambridge, 1983), 263-307.
3. Ahmed, Salahuddin (2004). Bangladesh: Past and Present. APH Publishing. p. 310. ISBN 8176484695. Retrieved July 11, 2012.
4. "NATIONAL SYMBOLS". Bangladesh Tourism Board. Bangladesh: Ministry of Civil Aviation & Tourism. Archived from the original on 2016-12-28. Retrieved 2015-09-10.
5. Couvreur, Manuel; Deknop, Anne; Symons, Thérèse (2005). Manneken-Pis : Dans tous ses états. Historia Bruxellae (in French). Vol. 9. Brussels: Musées de la Ville de Bruxelles. ISBN 978-2-930423-01-2.
6. Emerson, Catherine (2015). Regarding Manneken Pis: Culture, Celebration and Conflict in Brussels. Leeds: Taylor & Francis Ltd. ISBN 978-1-909662-30-8.
7. "20th SEA Games 1999". 2001-03-02. Archived from the original on 2001-03-02. Retrieved 2024-06-20.
8. "Berita 2021c - Rekaan baju 'Dang Budiwati' imbau zaman gemilang Sukan SEA NBD". www.pelitabrunei.gov.bn. Retrieved 2024-06-20.
9. McGill, Robert (2017). War Is Here: The Vietnam War and Canadian Literature. McGill-Queen's Press. p. 37. ISBN 9780773551589. Retrieved 17 May 2019.
10. Barber, Katherine (2007). Only in Canada You Say: A Treasury of Canadian Language. Oxford University Press Canada. p. 70. ISBN 9780195427073.
11. Légaré, André (2008). "Inuit identity and regionalization in the Canadian Central and Eastern Arctic: a survey of writings about Nunavut". Polar Geography. 31 (3–4): 99–118. Bibcode:2008PolGe..31...99L. doi:10.1080/10889370701742845. Retrieved 2024-08-04.
12. "Library and Archives Canada". Library and Archives Canada.
13. "CHILE: 50 AÑOS DEL GOLPE. EL ÁNGEL DE LA LIBERTAD". Rascacielos. September 2023. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
14. "网民为什么会把中国称为"兔子"" [Why do Internet called China a "hare"?]. The Paper (in Chinese). 1 August 2015. Retrieved 8 October 2021.
15. "Animals in Cyprus". AZ Animals. Retrieved 2023-01-06.
16. Hassanabadi, Mahmoud. "Rostam: A Complex Puzzle: A New Approach to the Identification of the Character of Rostam in the Iranian National Epos Shāhnāme".
17. Dallmayr, Fred (25 August 1999). Border Crossings: Toward a Comparative Political Theory. Lexington Books. ISBN 9780739152546.
18. Heck, Isabel. "Le mythe de Siyâvosh: rapports entre l'épopée nationale de ferdowsi et des récits populaires en Iran (The myth of Siyâvosh: relationships between the national epic of Ferdowsi and popular stories in Iran)" (PDF) (in French). Retrieved 2024-02-08.
19. O'Rourke Murphy, M. & MacKillop, J. (2006). An Irish Literature Reader: Poetry, Prose, Drama.
20. "Discovering What's the National Animal of Ireland: A Cultural Emblem Revealed". 3 February 2024. Retrieved 2024-04-24.
21. Minahan, James B. (2009). The Complete Guide to National Symbols and Emblems. ABC-CLIO. p. 436. ISBN 9780313344978.
22. Blashfield, Jean F. (2009). Italy. Scholastic. p. 33. ISBN 9780531120996.
23. ""Saint Mark", Franciscan Media". Archived from the original on 8 October 2020. Retrieved 30 July 2018.
24. Liok Ee Tan (1988). The Rhetoric of Bangsa and Minzu. Monash Asia Institute. p. 14. ISBN 978-0-86746-909-7.
25. Melanie Chew (1999). The Presidential Notes: A biography of President Yusof bin Ishak. Singapore: SNP Publications. p. 78. ISBN 978-981-4032-48-3.
26. Minahan, James B. (2009). The Complete Guide to National Symbols and Emblems. Greenwood. p. 101. ISBN 978-0313344961.
27. Subba, Sanghamitra (29 January 2020). "Love it or hate it, it's abominable".
28. Phillips, Jock. "South African War memorial, Waimate".
29. Dingwall, R. "Southern Man (Dunedin Airport)", Otago Sculpture Trust, 19 November 2011. Retrieved 14 July 2017.
30. A Manifesto from the Provisional Government of Macedonia, 1881, Our mother Macedonia became now as a widow, lonely and deserted by her sons. She does not fly the banner of the victorious Macedonian army
31. Bulgarian graphic representation of Bulgaria, East Rumelia and North Macedonia
32. "Kunstschatten: Mama Sranan - Parbode Magazine". Archived from the original on 2016-04-14. Retrieved 2016-03-30.
33. Valance, Marc. (Baden, 2013) Die Schweizer Kuh. Kult und Vermarktung eines nationalen Symbols, p. 6 ff.
34. "John Bull, symbol of the English and Englishness". Historic UK. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
35. "Britannia and Liberty: Behind the Design". Royal Mint. Retrieved 6 August 2024.

Further reading

• Lionel Gossman. "Making of a Romantic Icon: The Religious Context of Friedrich Overbeck's 'Italia und Germania.'" American Philosophical Society, 2007. ISBN 0-87169-975-3. [1]

External links

• A scholarly case study of the evolution of Deutscher Michel
• Kirsten Stirling: "The Image of the Nation as a Woman in Twentieth Century Scottish Literature"