National Symbols: Uncle Sam's foriegn counterparts?

wingsandsword · Oct 7, 2012

Some Old World of Darkness books (especially Mage and Werewolf, where spirits play a big role) got me thinking about this whole issue. Especially since I vaguely recall an old Mage rote that if you cast it in a city, you could summon a spiritual embodiment of a city. The given example was the embodiment of Atlanta: as a middle aged "Southern Belle" type in an elaborate antebellum ball gown, that is tattered and well worn, with a polite, friendly, and charming atmosphere but obviously weary and tired.

That made me think of what would countries be like in such a fashion. The anthropomorphic representation of the United States of America is Uncle Sam. You probably know the image, a tall, thin slightly elderly Caucasian male with white hair, wearing a red, white and blue outfit, with a proud and defiant attitude.

I realized that I've got no idea what other countries have as a symbol like that. I mean, I could come up with some transparent American stereotype of a country as some kind of living representation, but I really don't know what, or if, other countries have a similar symbol of themselves.

So, to my fellow ENWorlders from beyond the USA, do you have some kind of anthropomorphic embodiment of your nation? A mythical/fictional person or being that is a national symbol?

Lwaxy · Oct 7, 2012

Only the heraldic eagle for Germany, but most of the time it is only used as caricature pictured as bankruptcy vulture.

Of course, with Germany's past, not too much of a surprise.

Morrus · Oct 7, 2012

Nah, we went for an actual living familiy of charicatures instead.

S'mon · Oct 7, 2012

Morrus said:
Nah, we went for an actual living familiy of charicatures instead.

Morrus is forgetting John Bull.

Olgar Shiverstone · Oct 7, 2012

In that case, I nominate France's Marianne. And of course, Mother Russia.

Would the UK prefer John Bull or Britannia as its anthropomorphic symbol? The latter seems more enduring, if lacking in personality.

Edit: It seems I confuse Great Britain, the United Kingdom, and England in the preceding, where more appropriately Britannia = GB, John Bull ~ England. Is that more correct?

Morrus · Oct 8, 2012

S'mon said:
Morrus is forgetting John Bull.

This post worth > $1.25.

S'mon · Oct 8, 2012

Olgar Shiverstone said:
In that case, I nominate France's Marianne. And of course, Mother Russia.

Would the UK prefer John Bull or Britannia as its anthropomorphic symbol? The latter seems more enduring, if lacking in personality.

Edit: It seems I confuse Great Britain, the United Kingdom, and England in the preceding, where more appropriately Britannia = GB, John Bull ~ England. Is that more correct?

Britannia is just Athena redressed, you see similar depictions for America and other nations - she's not really a 'personality' character or organically linked to Britain.
John Bull is definitely specifically English not generic British, you'll note the Union Jack waistcoat though - at least until recently the English have regarded the Union Flag as their national flag, not the St George's Cross. This seems to be changing at least in some parts of England, though.

Umbran · Oct 8, 2012

wingsandsword said:
Especially since I vaguely recall an old Mage rote that if you cast it in a city, you could summon a spiritual embodiment of a city.

As a complete aside, I wonder what lunatic used that working often enough for it to be come rote?

Olgar Shiverstone said:
In that case, I nominate France's Marianne. And of course, Mother Russia.

Or, possible the Russian Bear.

Following that line, China probably comes up as a Dragon.

VariSami · Oct 8, 2012

Finland has the Finnish Maiden. And yes, the picture I'm linking is politically biased but it's the classic depiction on the matter. In case you're wondering, that's the Romanov eagle trying to tear apart a Finnish law book. The painting was made before Finland's independence, during times of weakening autonomy.