National personification

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A national personification is an anthropomorphization of a nation; it can appear in both editorial cartoons and propaganda.

Some early personifications in the Western world tended to be national manifestations of the majestic wisdom and war goddess Minerva/Athena, and often took the Latin name of the ancient Roman province. Examples of this type include Britannia, Germania, Hibernia, Helvetia and Polonia.

A national personification is not the same as a national animal, and many countries have both, quite distinct from each other. The division is not, however, always watertight - for example, in some cartoons it is the national animal rather than the human personification which is used to represent a country.

1 Personifications by country or territory
2 Pictures
3 See also
4 References
5 External links

[edit] Personifications by country or territory

Country	Personification
Albania	Mother Albania
Argentina	the gaucho, Martín Fierro
Armenia	Mother Armenia (Mayr Hayasdan; lit. "Mother Hayastan")
Brazil	Efígie da República
Bulgaria	Bai Ganio
Cambodia	Preah Thaong and Neang Neak
Canada	Mountie, Quebec: Le Vieux de '37 (as heros : Adam Dollard des Ormeaux "used during the two World Wars as a military example", Big Joe Mufferaw and Louis Cyr "as strong men and good workers"), Johnny Canuck
Chile	El Huaso, La Carmela, Doña Juanita (an average Chilean woman from the countryside)
Denmark	Mother Denmark (Mor Danmark)
Finland	Finnish Maiden (Suomi-neito)
France	Marianne
Germany	Germania, Arminius/Hermann der Cherusker, Deutscher Michel ^[1]
Greece	Athena, "Greece" of Delacroix
Iceland	The Lady of the Mountains (Fjallkonan)
Ireland	Erin, Kathleen Ni Houlihan, Hibernia, Paddy, a derogatory figure resembling a leprechaun popularized in the 19th century in Punch magazine
India	Bharat Mata ("Mother India")
Indonesia	Ibu Pertiwi
Israel	Srulik
Italy	Italia Turrita
Malaysia	Pak Belang or other name Harimau Malaya
Mexico	Miguel Hidalgo, Adelita
Netherlands	Hans Brinker (outside the Netherlands), Jan Modaal or Jan met de pet (Average Joe), `de Nederlandse Maagd` ("the Dutch Virgin"), Frau Antje (used commercially in Germany as a representation of the Dutch) (Zeeland: Zeeuws Meisje)
Norway	Ola Nordmann, Kari Nordmann, hist. Nór
Palestine	Handala
Philippines	Juan dela Cruz, Joseng Masipag, Gabriela, Inang Bayan, Maria Clara
Poland	Polonia
Portugal	Zé Povinho, Eu nacional ("National Self", an expected hero who will come and save Portugal)
Russia	Mother Russia
South Africa	Van Der Merweu Khabazela (Khabazela is a clan name of Mkhize)
Spain	Hispania
Sweden	Mother Svea, Svensson
Switzerland	Helvetia, Herr und Frau Schweizer, Hans Meier, Hans Mustermann, Max Muster
United Kingdom	Britannia, John Bull, Colonel Blimp (Scotland: Jock Tamson, Sawney)
United States	Lady Liberty, Uncle Sam, historically Brother Jonathan and Columbia Obsolete examples: The South: Johnny Rebel The North: Billy Yank The Frontier: Johnny Appleseed, Pecos Bill, Paul Bunyan, John Henry
Venezuela	Juan Bimba

[edit] Pictures

Britannia arm-in-arm with Uncle Sam symbolizes the British-American alliance in World War I.	Germania representing Germany, from 1848.	Bharat Mata symbolizes India	Delacroix, Greece Expiring on the Ruins of Missolonghi (1827)
The Israeli Srulik.	The Palestinian Handala.	1914 poster showing Marianne, Mother Russia and Britannia.	Famous French political cartoon from the late 1890s.
Statue of Mother Svea representing Sweden on a building in Stockholm.	World War I recruiting poster featuring John Bull.

[edit] See also

National emblem for other metaphors for nations

[edit] References

^ In addition to these, a German cartoon of 1904 shows a moustached figure representing Germany, in company with John Bull and Marianne - see image in Entente Cordiale page