National symbols in Spain

Valle de los Caidos  (Valley of the fallen, Madrid)

As with all nation states, Spain has appropriated a number of flags, anthems and symbols over the years.  Examples of some of these are included on this page.  The first is the current Spanish national anthem. The version shown has words used during Franco’s era but officially it has no official lyrics.  Several attempts have been made to rectify this but they have yet to reach a consensus.  This is perhaps in indication of the symbolic importance of the anthem for the nation-state.  The current protocol is to play it without lyrics, no doubt a godsend to vocally challenged Spanish footballers and sportsmen.

https://youtu.be/eOtkH0sUL5Q?list=RDED8MjGuFI7o

The second anthem is the one adopted by the Republican side during the civil war.

Serene and happy, brave and daring,
Let us sing, soldiers, the battle hymn.
Our voices shall astonish the world
Which will see on us the children of the Cid.

Soldiers, the country calls us to the fight.

Let us swear for her to succeed or to die.

Never saw the world more noble daring,
Nor any day greater valor was shown,
Than that, inflamed, we showed at the fire
Awaken in Riego the love of his land.

Soldiers, the country calls us to the fight.

Let us swear for her to conquer or to die.

The war trumpet echoes to the winds;
Affrighting the greedy, the cannon now roars.
at Mars, wrathful provokes the audacity
And the ingenuity of our nation.

Soldiers, the country calls us to the fight.

Let us swear for her to succeed or to die.

What is interesting here is the reference to Spain as the motherland. This is in contrast to the Falangist view that Spain was the fatherland.  Though it would be wrong to attribute too much to a few words in an obsolete national anthem it is telling that the 2nd Republic’s attitude to gender equality was far more advanced than in Franco’s Spain.

National anthems are usually produced by the elite to foster a national consciousness yet this is not always successful.  During the civil war Catalan Republicans were known to sing these alternative lyrics which express the contempt many felt for the Spanish ruling elites of church and monarchy.

Translation (From Spanish)
If priests and monks knew;
the beating they’re going to receive,
they’d make a chorus and sing:

                                                “Liberty, liberty, liberty!”

(From Spanish)
If the Kings of Spain knew
how little they’re going to last,
they’d go out on the street and sing:

                                                “Liberty, liberty, liberty!”

(From Catalan)
The queen wants a crown?
We’ll give her a crown…
Let her come to Barcelona

                                                  And we’ll cut her head off!

(From Spanish)
A man was pooping
But had no paper.
King Alfonso XIII came by

                                             So he wiped his ass with him.

The Spanish Flag.

The national flag of Spain has undergone many changes over the years. The current flag (left) was officially designated in 1981. The red band symbolises bravery and valour whilst the yellow band symbolises generosity. The national coat of arms is located in the central band.   To some extent this is a very neutral,  bland symbol .

The flag of the 2nd Republic was very similar however one of the red stripes was replaced with the purple one.  This is supposedly because the red stripes were thought to represent the monarchy during this period.  The colour also represented the historical areas of Castille and Leon.  This flag was short-lived and ceased to be used after the civil war end.  It is however sometimes still used at protest rallies as a symbol of left-wing struggle.

It is not surprising that ultra milliaristic Franco would change the flag again and he managed at least four different designs in his reign.  This an example of how extreme nationalists place great importance on the symbols of their nation.  As we can see from this flag used from 1945 till his death in 1977, heraldic symbols can play a big part in the way in which a country wants to portray itself. The St Johns eagle is a symbol of catholicism and the more intricate coat of arms is apparently one used by the catholic monarchy in the past.  This flag is a real affirmation of Spains traditional past.