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National personification

Overview

A national personification is an anthropomorphization

Anthropomorphism

Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human characteristics to non-human creatures and beings, phenomena, material states and objects or abstract concepts. Examples include animals and plants depicted as creatures with human motivation able to reason and converse and forces of nature such as...

of a nation

Nation

A nation is a body of people who share a real or imagined common history, culture, language or ethnic origin. The development and conceptualization of the nation is closely related to the development of modern industrial states and nationalist movements in Europe in the 18th and 19th centuries,...

or its people; it can appear in both editorial cartoon

Editorial cartoon

An editorial cartoon, also known as a political cartoon, is an illustration or comic strip containing a political or social message, that usually relates to current events or personalities.-Modern political cartoons:...

s and propaganda

Propaganda

Propaganda is communication aimed at influencing the attitude of a community toward some cause or position. As opposed to impartially providing information, propaganda in its most basic sense, presents information primarily to influence an audience...

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Encyclopedia

A national personification is an anthropomorphization

Anthropomorphism

of a nation

Nation

or its people; it can appear in both editorial cartoon

Editorial cartoon

s and propaganda

Propaganda

.

Some early personifications in the Western world tended to be national manifestations of the majestic wisdom and war goddess Minerva

Minerva

Minerva was the Roman goddess whom Hellenizing Romans from the second century BC onwards equated with the Greek goddess Athena. She was the virgin goddess of warriors, poetry, medicine, wisdom, commerce, weaving, crafts, magic and the inventor of music...

/Athena

Athena

In Greek mythology, Athena is the goddess of wisdom, peace, warfare, strategy, handicrafts and reason, shrewd companion of heroes and the goddess of heroic endeavour...

, and often took the Latin

Latin

Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Through the Roman conquest, Latin spread throughout the Mediterranean and a large part of Europe...

name of the ancient Roman province

Roman province

In Ancient Rome, a province was the basic, and until the Tetrarchy , largest territorial and administrative unit of the empire's territorial possessions outside of the Italian peninsula...

. Examples of this type include Britannia, Germania

Germania (personification)

Germania is the personification of the German Nation or the Germans as whole, most commonly associated with the Romantic Era and the Revolutions of 1848, though the figure was later used by Imperial Germany. She is usually shown wielding Joyeuse, the personal sword of Charlemagne. Additionally, she...

, Hibernia

Hibernia (personification)

Hibernia as a national personification representing Ireland appeared in numerous cartoon and drawings, especially in the nineteenth century.As depicted in frequent cartoons in Punch, a magazine outspokenly hostile to Irish nationalism, Hibernia was shown as "Britannia's younger sister". She is an...

, Helvetia

Helvetia

Helvetia is the female personification of Switzerland. Sometimes called the mother of the Swiss nation, she is typically pictured in a flowing gown, with a spear and a shield emblazoned with the Swiss flag, and commonly with braided hair, commonly with a wreath as a symbol of Confederation.The term...

and Polonia. Representations of the citizenry of a nation -- rather than of the nation itself -- are Der Deutscher Michel and John Bull

John Bull

John Bull is a national personification of Great Britain in general and England in particular, especially in political cartoons and similar graphic works. He is usually depicted as a stout, middle-aged man, often wearing a Union Flag waistcoat.-Origin:...

.

A national personification is not the same as a national animal, although in some cartoons the national animal rather than the human personification is used to represent a country.

Personifications by country or territory

Country	Personification
Albania	Mother Albania Mother Albania Mother Albania is a 12-meter statue located at the National Martyrs Cemetery in Albania.The statue figuratively represents the country as a mother guarding over the eternal slumber of those who gave their lives for her. There are 28,000 graves of Albanian partisans in the cemetery, all of whom...
Armenia	Mother Armenia Mother Armenia Mother Armenia is the female personification of Armenia. Her most visual rendering is a monumental statue in Victory Park overlooking the capital city of Yerevan, Armenia.- Mayr Hayastan - Victory Park Statue :... (Mayr Hayasdan; lit. "Mother Hayasdan")
Australia	Boxing kangaroo Boxing Kangaroo The boxing kangaroo is a national personification of Australia, frequently seen in popular culture.The image of the boxing kangaroo Jack is known since 1891. Fifty years later it became a national symbol in the Royal Australian Air Force. The design was inspired by a travelling boxing show which...
Brazil	Efígie da República Efígie da República The Efígie da República is used as a national personification, both, in Brazil and in Portugal, symbolizing the Republic.-Brazil:... , the Candango (only in Brasília), the Bandeirante (only in São Paulo state)
Bulgaria	Bai Ganio Bai Ganio Bay Ganyo is a fictional character created by Bulgarian author Aleko Konstantinov . He is at present considered an exemplary image of an anti-hero: uneducated, ignorant, egoistic... , Mother Balgaria with her Lion (sometimes together with Rumelia Rumelia Rumelia or Rumeli is a Turkish name, used from the 15th century onwards, for the southern Balkan regions of the Ottoman Empire... 's personification)
Cambodia	Preah Thaong and Neang Neak Preah Thaong and Neang Neak Preah Thaong and Neang Neak are symbolic personas in Khmer culture. They are thought to have founded the pre-Angkor state of Funan. Much of Khmer wedding customs can be traced back to the marriage of Preah Thaong and Neang Neak....
Canada	Mountie Royal Canadian Mounted Police The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is the national police force of Canada, and one of the most recognized of its kind in the world. It is unique in the world as a national, federal, provincial and municipal policing body... , Johnny Canuck Johnny Canuck Johnny Canuck was a Canadian cartoon hero and superhero who was created as a political cartoon in 1869 and was later re-invented, most notably as a Second World War action hero.Johnny Canuck was created as a lumberjack national personification of Canada... , Le Vieux de '37 Le Vieux de '37 Le Vieux de '37 is the name under which is known an illustration by Henri Julien created approximately in 1880 to illustrate Le vieux patriote, a poem from Louis Fréchette.It depicts a participant of the Lower Canada Rebellion of 1837 and 1838 which sought to make of Lower Canada Le Vieux de '37... (French Canada), Adam Dollard des Ormeaux Adam Dollard des Ormeaux Adam Dollard des Ormeaux, , usually known simply as Dollard des Ormeaux, was a colonist and soldier of New France... (used during the two World Wars as a military example)
Chile	El Roto Roto Roto or rota is a Chilean term, considered derogatory, which refers to a person of poverty and vulgar habits of urban origin. It is also used contemptuously to refer to inhabitants of Chile, especially in Peru and Bolivia... , El Huaso Huaso A huaso is a Chilean countryman and skilled horseman, similar to the Argentinian, Rio Grande do Sul's or Uruguayan gaucho, the American cowboy, and Mexican vaquero and charro... , La Carmela, Doña Juanita Doña Juanita Doña Juanita is a name used for the average Chilean, and specially the older women from the countryside. A typical usage is: "How would you explain that to Doña Juanita?"... (an average Chilean woman from the countryside)
China	Mandarin Mandarin -Officials:* Mandarin , a bureaucrat of Imperial China, Vietnam and by analogy, any government bureaucrat-Clothing:* Mandarin dress, a style of clothing derived from Manchurian garb* Mandarin collar, a short shirt or jacket collar that is not folded...
Denmark	Mother Denmark (Mor Danmark)
Egypt	Mother of the World (Om El Donia)
England	Lion Lion The Lion is one of four big cats in the genus Panthera, and a member of the family Felidae. With some males exceeding 250 kg in weight, it is the second-largest living cat after the tiger...
Europe	Europa Europa (mythology) Europa was a Phoenician woman of high lineage in Greek mythology, from whom the name of the continent Europe has ultimately been taken. The story of her abduction by Zeus in the form of a white bull was a Cretan story, as Kerényi points out; "most of the love-stories concerning Zeus originated...
Finland	Finnish Maiden Finnish Maiden The Maiden of Finland is the national personification of Finland, much as Marianne in France, Britannia in the United Kingdom, Germania in Germany and Columbia, Uncle Sam or Lady Liberty for the United States.- Personification :... (Suomi-neito)
France	Marianne Marianne Marianne, a national emblem of the French Republic, is, by extension, an allegory of Liberty and Reason. She represents France as a state, and its values . She is displayed in many places in France and holds a place of honour in town halls and law courts...
Germany	Germania Germania (personification) Germania is the personification of the German Nation or the Germans as whole, most commonly associated with the Romantic Era and the Revolutions of 1848, though the figure was later used by Imperial Germany. She is usually shown wielding Joyeuse, the personal sword of Charlemagne. Additionally, she... , Arminius/Hermann der Cherusker Arminius Gaius Julius Arminius, also known as Arminius, Armin or Hermann was a chieftain of the Cherusci who defeated a Roman army in the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest... , Deutscher Michel Deutscher Michel Der Deutsche Michel is a figure representing the national character of the German people, rather as John Bull represents the British. Such figures differ from those that serve as personifications of the nation itself, as Germania does the German nation and Marianne the French...
Greece	Athena Athena In Greek mythology, Athena is the goddess of wisdom, peace, warfare, strategy, handicrafts and reason, shrewd companion of heroes and the goddess of heroic endeavour... , "Greece" of Delacroix Eugène Delacroix Ferdinand Victor Eugène Delacroix was a French Romantic artist regarded from the outset of his career as the leader of the French Romantic school...
Iceland	The Lady of the Mountains (Fjallkonan)
Ireland	Ériu Ériu In Irish mythology, Ériu , daughter of Ernmas of the Tuatha Dé Danann, was the eponymous matron goddess of Ireland. Her husband was Mac Gréine... , Kathleen Ni Houlihan Kathleen Ni Houlihan Kathleen Ni Houlihan is a mythical symbol and emblem of Irish nationalism found in literature and art, sometimes representing Ireland as a personified woman. The figure of Kathleen Ni Houlihan has also been invoked in nationalist Irish politics... , Hibernia Hibernia (personification) Hibernia as a national personification representing Ireland appeared in numerous cartoon and drawings, especially in the nineteenth century.As depicted in frequent cartoons in Punch, a magazine outspokenly hostile to Irish nationalism, Hibernia was shown as "Britannia's younger sister". She is an...
India	Bharat Mata Bharat Mata Bhārat Mātā , Mother India, or Bhāratāmbā is a personification of India as a mother goddess... ("Mother India"), Golden Bird ("Soney ki chiriyan", especially in Indian poetry)
Indonesia	Ibu Pertiwi Ibu Pertiwi Ibu Pertiwi is a national personification of Indonesia, the allegory of Tanah Air , Indonesian Motherland. Since prehistoric times the tribes of Indonesian archipelago often revered earth and nature spirits as a life giving mother, a female deity of nature...
Israel	Srulik Srulik Srulik is an illustrated character who symbolizes Israel. The character was first drawn in 1956 by the cartoonist Kariel Gardosh, known by his pen name Dosh, a Holocaust survivor who immigrated to Israel from Hungary, and appeared for many years in cartoons that were published in the newspaper...
Italy	Italia Turrita Italia Turrita Italia Turrita is the national personification or allegory of Italy, characterised by a mural crown typical of Italian civic heraldry of communal origin....
Japan	Amaterasu Omikami Amaterasu Omikami , or is, in Japanese mythology, a sun goddess and one of the principal Shinto . Her name, Amaterasu, means literally " illuminates Heaven"...
South Korea	Hong Gildong
Mexico	Miguel Hidalgo Miguel Hidalgo Miguel Gregorio Antonio Ignacio Hidalgo y Costilla y Gallaga Mondarte Villaseñor , often known as Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla or simply Miguel Hidalgo, was a Mexican priest and a leader of the Mexican War of Independence.In 1810 Hidalgo led a group of indigenous and mestizo peasants in a revolt... , Adelita La Adelita "La Adelita" is one of the most famous corridos to come out of the Mexican Revolution. It is the story of a young woman in love with a sergeant who travels with him and his regiment....
Netherlands	Hans Brinker (outside the Netherlands), De Leeuw van Oranje, de Nederlandse Maagd Netherlands Maiden The Netherlands Maiden or Maiden of Freedom was a National Personification symbol of the short-lived Batavian Republic, created in the Netherlands under the auspices of the victorious armies of the French Revolution.... ` ("Netherlands Maiden"), (Zeeland Zeeland Zeeland , also called Zealand in English and Zeelandic, is a province of the Netherlands. The province, located in the south-west of the country, consists of a number of islands and a strip bordering Belgium. Its capital is Middelburg... : Zeeuws Meisje)
New Zealand	Zealandia Zealandia SS Zealandia, nicknamed Z was a historically significant Australian cargo and passenger ship. It served as a troopship in both World War I and World War II. Zealandia transported the ill-fated Australian 8th Division. Its crew were the last Allied personnel to see HMAS Sydney, which was lost with...
Norway	Ola Nordmann Ola Nordmann Ola Nordmann is a name for the typical Norwegian person, a personification of the whole population in general.-As a national personification:The media often uses "Ola Nordmann" to describe trends in the population.... , Kari Nordmann, hist. Nór Nór Nór or Nori is firstly a merchantile title and secondly a Norse man's name. It is in Norse sources stated that Nór is the founder of Norway, from whom the land supposedly got its name...
Pakistan	Pak Watan Pak Watan Pak Watan is a national personification and a term of endearment for Pakistan.-Usage:In songs:* Aye Pak Watan Tujhe Mera Salam by Alamgir* Aye Pak Watan Aye Pak Zameen by Ghulam AbbasSee also:Pakistan... is a national personification and a term of endearment for Pakistan.
Palestine	Handala
Peru	The chalán Chalan Chalan or chalán may refer to:* The development of a raga in Hindustani classical music, closely related to the Pakad concept.* The rider of a Peruvian Paso horse.* A ferry in México, usually for narrow crossings where there is not a bridge... , La Madre Patria
Philippines	Juan dela Cruz, Joseng Masipag, Gabriela GABRIELA GABRIELA is a leftist Filipino organization that advocates for women's issues.It is a nationwide network of grassroots organizations, institutions, and programs that address issues such as human rights, poverty, globalization, militarism, violence, health, sex trafficking, and other issues... , Inang Bayan, Maria Clara Noli Me Tangere (novel) Noli Me Tangere is a novel written in Spanish by Filipino writer and national hero José Rizal, first published in 1887 in Berlin, Germany...
Poland	Polonia Polonia (personification) Polonia, the name for Poland in Latin and many Romance and other languages, is most often used in modern Polish as referring to the Polish diaspora...
Portugal	Zé Povinho Zé Povinho Zé Povinho is a Portuguese everyman created in 1875 by Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro. He became not only a symbol of the portuguese people working class, but turned into the unofficial personification of Portugal.... , Eu nacional (National Self), Lusitania Lusitania Lusitania was an ancient Roman province including approximately all of modern Portugal south of the Douro river and part of modern Spain . It was named after the Lusitani or Lusitanian people... , República Efígie da República The Efígie da República is used as a national personification, both, in Brazil and in Portugal, symbolizing the Republic.-Brazil:...
Russia	Mother Russia Mother Russia Mother Russia is a national personification of Russia, appearing in patriotic posters, statues etc... /Mother Motherland Mother Motherland Mother Motherland , also translated as Mother Homeland, a poetic appellation to Motherland, is the name of several monuments in various cities of the former Soviet Union... , Russian Bear Russian Bear The Russian Bear is a national personification for Russia, used in cartoons and articles at least since the 19th century, and relating alike to Tsarist Russia, the Soviet Union and the present post-Soviet Russia....
Scotland	Jock Tamson
Serbia	Saint Sava Saint Sava Saint Archbishop Sava , baptised name Rastko Nemanjić was the youngest son of Serbian ruler Stefan Nemanja, Eastern Orthodox monk, first archibishop of Serbian Orthodox Church, diplomat, writer, law giver and foundator of several important medieval monasteries.He is consider one of the most...
South Africa	Van Der Merweu Khabazela (Khabazela is a clan name of Mkhize)
Spain	Hispania, Juan Español
Sweden	Mother Svea Mother Svea Mother Svea, or Moder Svea, is a national emblem of Sweden. Normally depicted as a powerful shieldmaiden with one or two lions, her name, Svea, is a Swedish female name which derives from svea an old plural genitive form meaning "of the Swedes" as in Svea rike meaning "kingdom of the Swedes", an... , Svensson Svensson Svensson is the ninth most commonSwedish family name, and literally means "son of Sven", or "Sven's son"...
Switzerland	Helvetia Helvetia Helvetia is the female personification of Switzerland. Sometimes called the mother of the Swiss nation, she is typically pictured in a flowing gown, with a spear and a shield emblazoned with the Swiss flag, and commonly with braided hair, commonly with a wreath as a symbol of Confederation.The term...
United Kingdom	Britannia Britannia Britannia was the term used by the Romans to refer to the Roman province covering much of the island of Great Britain. The area beyond the Antonine Wall belonging to the Picts in the north was known as Caledonia. The name itself derives from Pretannia, Diodorus's rendering of the indigenous name... , John Bull John Bull John Bull is a national personification of Great Britain in general and England in particular, especially in political cartoons and similar graphic works. He is usually depicted as a stout, middle-aged man, often wearing a Union Flag waistcoat.-Origin:... , Lion and Unicorn
United States	Bald Eagle Bald Eagle The Bald Eagle is a bird of prey found in North America that is most recognizable as the national bird and symbol of the United States of America. This sea eagle has two known sub-species and forms a species pair with the White-tailed Eagle. Its range includes most of Canada and Alaska, all of the... , Lady Liberty Lady Liberty Lady Liberty may refer to:* Lady Liberty , La mortadella, 1971 French-Italian comedy* "Lady Liberty" , written by Al Jardine and Ron Altbach for the Beach Boys... , Uncle Sam Uncle Sam Uncle Sam is the national personification of the United States and sometimes more specifically of the American government, with the first usage of the term dating from the War of 1812 and the first illustration dating from 1852... , Yankee Doodle Yankee Doodle "Yankee Doodle" is a well-known British/American song, the origin of which dates back to the Seven Years' War. It is often sung patriotically in the United States today... , Brother Jonathan Brother Jonathan Brother Jonathan was a fictional character created to personify the entire United States, in the early days of the country's existence.In editorial cartoons and patriotic posters, Brother Jonathan was usually depicted as a typical American revolutionary, with tri-cornered hat and long military jacket... , Columbia Historical Columbia Columbia is a poetic name for America and the feminine personification of the United States of America... Obsolete examples: The South Confederate States of America The Confederate States of America was a separatist political entity existing between 1861 to 1865, established by eleven southern slave states of the United States of America, each of which had previously declared their secession from the United States... : Johnny Rebel Johnny Rebel Johnny Reb or Johnny Rebel was the slang term for any Confederate soldier, or the Confederate Army as a whole, during the American Civil War. His counterpart in the Union was Billy Yank.... The North Union (American Civil War) During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty-three states which were not part of the secession attempt by the 11 states that tried to form the Confederacy... : Billy Yank Billy Yank Billy Yank is the personification of the Northern states of the United States, or less generally, the Union during the American Civil War. The latter part of his name is derived from yankee, a slang term for Americans in general and for inhabitants of northeastern states in particular... The Frontier American Old West The American Old West comprises the history, geography, peoples, lore, and cultural expression of life in the Western United States, most often referring to the period of the latter half of the 19th century, between the American Civil War and the end of the century... : Johnny Appleseed Johnny Appleseed Johnny Appleseed , born John Chapman, was an American pioneer nurseryman who introduced apple trees to large parts of Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois... , Pecos Bill Pecos Bill Pecos Bill is an American cowboy, apocryphally immortalized in numerous tall tales of the Old West during American westward expansion into the Southwest of Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. Their stories were probably invented by Edward O'Reilly in the early 20th Century and are considered to be an... , Paul Bunyan Paul Bunyan Paul Bunyan is a mythological lumberjack who is usually believed to be a giant as well as a lumberjack of unusual skill. He resides in the small rural town of Bear Lake, Michigan. The character was first documented in the work of American journalist James MacGillivray... , John Henry John Henry (folklore) John Henry is an American folk hero, famous for having raced against a steam powered hammer and won, only to die in victory with his hammer in his hand...
USSR	Mother Motherland Mother Motherland Mother Motherland , also translated as Mother Homeland, a poetic appellation to Motherland, is the name of several monuments in various cities of the former Soviet Union...
Venezuela	Juan Bimba Juan Bimba Juan Bimba is a fictitious character used in the past as the national personification of Venezuela, but is now regarded as obsolete. According to the local folklore of the region of Cumaná the name comes from a mentally-ill local habitant of the 1850s; but this version is doubtful... (obsolete)
Wales	Dame Wales, Deffroad Cymru, the Awakening of Wales Christopher Williams (Welsh artist) Christopher David Williams was a Welsh artist.He was born in Maesteg, Wales. His father Evan Williams intended him to be a doctor, but he disliked the idea. A visit to the Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool, in 1892, where he spent some hours in front of Frederick Leighton's "Perseus and Andromeda,"...

External links

A scholarly case study of the evolution of Deutscher Michel

National personification

Personifications by country or territory

See also

External links