The French symbols

 

The main French symbols of the Republic have a date in common: the French Revolution of 1789!

This crucial period in the history of our country forever marks the break with the Ancien Régime and puts an end to royalty, society of orders and privileges.

It bequeathed us the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, which proclaims the equality of citizens before the law, fundamental freedoms and the sovereignty of the Nation, capable of governing itself through elected representatives.

For us, these values ​​of the Republic are important.

Through this article you will understand the importance of these symbols…

 

French flag tricolor

The flag of France has 3 colors: blue, white and red.

This consists of 3 vertical bands of the same width, in accordance with article 2 of the 1958 Constitution.

It was designed by Jacques-Louis David in 1794 at the request of the Convention; its origins date back to the French Revolution (July 14, 1789).

The tricolor flag thus takes up the 3 colors used by the different flags of the Ancien Régime: blue and red, the colors of the city of Paris and white, the emblematic color of royalty (the king).

Today, you can see it floating on the fronts of institutions (town halls, Senate, National Assembly, etc.). It is also deployed during national commemorations (November 11 and May 8) and honors are paid to it according to a very precise ceremonial.

 

The National anthem

It was a French army officer, Claude-Joseph Rouget De Lisle, who wrote and composed the words and melody of this song.

La Marseillaise was written in 1792 following the declaration of war by the King of Austria. The original title of this war song is « War Song for the Army of the Rhine ».

Why is this song called the Marseillaise?

In 1792, during the Tuileries revolt [insurrection] against King Louis XVI, men from all over France invaded the capital, Paris, to express their anger. The arrival of the Marseille federates singing the song of Rouget De Lisle was very noted. The song then takes the name of its singers: the Marseilles. The 3rd Republic made Marseillaise the national anthem.

1st stanza:

Allons enfants de la Patrie, Le jour de gloire est arrivé !

Contre nous de la tyrannie,

L’étendard sanglant est levé (bis) ,

Entendez-vous dans les campagnes mugir ces féroces soldats ?

Ils viennent jusque dans vos bras.

Égorger vos fils, vos compagnes ! Aux armes citoyens.

Formez vos bataillons

Marchons, marchons !

Qu’un sang impur abreuve nos sillons. 

Translation

Come on, children of the Fatherland, the day of glory has arrived!

Against us from the tyranny,

The bloody standard is raised (bis),

Do you hear these fierce soldiers bellowing in the countryside?

They come right into your arms.

Slay your son, your companions ! To arms, citizens.

Form your battalions

Let’s walk, let’s walk!

Let impure blood water our furrows.

Today, the Marseillaise is mainly sung during official or sporting events opposing France to other countries but also during commemorations, greetings, etc.

 

The motto: “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity”

 

The motto of the Republic, liberté, égalité, fraternité, appeared during the Revolution but was not institutionalized until 1848 in the preamble to the constitution of the Second Republic (1848-1852). It combines three notions: the first two are rights, the third is more of a moral commitment.

Freedom is available: freedom of thought, freedom of conscience, freedom of opinion, freedom of expression, freedom of coming and going, freedom of association.

Equality is enshrined in the constitution which states that France « … ensures equality before the law for all citizens without distinction of origin, race or religion« . To be a citizen is to be equal to other citizens, to have the same rights and to assume the same duties.

Fraternity is a value, which means that we must help each other, respect each other and respect others.

With Napoleon’s Empire this motto disappeared. We would not find it until 1848 during the Second French Revolution which gave birth to the 2nd Republic. With the 3rd Republic, the motto became part of the national heritage.

During the Second World War, General Pétain decided to replace this motto with “work, family, homeland”.

Which sums up well the policy pursued by the Vichy Regime and will plunge the country into a phase of withdrawal.

At the end of the war, the Constitution of 1946, then that of 1958, established the motto « liberty, equality, fraternity » which officially became the motto of our country. The History of France has played an important role in the notion of the main symbols of our Republic which are: the tricolor flag, the anthem and the motto. But other effigies are associated with our country… Thus we find various unofficial figures (anniversary date, animal, character, object, etc.) which distinguish us from other countries. Let’s find out…

 

National holiday of July 14

On the morning of July 14, 1789, the people of Paris took up arms and headed towards an old royal fortress: the Bastille, which served as a prison for opponents of the King.

This storming of the Bastille is therefore considered the first victory of the Republic over the monarchy.

Under the 3rd Republic this date was taken up to celebrate the foundations of the French republican regime.

July 14 is celebrated to symbolically remind everyone of the victory of the people over royalty.

It is a law of July 6, 1880 which decrees July 14: national holiday of the Republic.

Today, for July 14, the traditional military parade is being organized in Paris on the Champs-Elysées. This parade is highly symbolic since the French military forces leave from the Place de la Bastille, which symbolizes the Ancien Régime, to reach the Place de la République. Everywhere across mainland France, and in all the overseas departments, balls, illuminations and fireworks are organized.

 

Marianne

 

 

Coming from the Revolution, Marianne represents the citizen rebellion for freedom.

The first representations of a woman in a Phrygian cap, symbol of freedom and the Republic, appear during the French Revolution of 1789. Marianne was very common in the 18th century.

Marie-Anne (as she was written at the time) therefore symbolically represented the people. Even if this character never had an official existence, that did not prevent the faces of famous women from being associated with this Marianne. Thus in turn: Brigitte Bardot in 1968 (film actress and singer); Mireille Mathieu in 1978 (singer); Catherine Deneuve in 1985 (actress); Inès de la Fressange in 1989 (model and fashion journalist); Laetitia Casta in 2000 (model and actress); Évelyne Thomas in 2003 (journalist and TV host) and Sophie Marceau (actress) lent their faces. are increasing, particularly in town halls. This is a great period of republican affirmation and the mayors show their fellow citizens their attachment to the Republic through Marianne.

 

 

Today, Marianne appears on postage stamps with her Phrygian cap and her motto « liberty, equality, fraternity », but also on coins (cents of euros)!

That’s why the French are notorious for going on strike… It’s historical!

 

 

Rooster

No people of Gaulle had the rooster as their emblem!

Gaulle was a region of Western Europe, first clearly described by the Romans, encompassing modern-day France, Belgium, Luxembourg and parts of Switzerland, the Netherlands, Germany and Italy North.

The Gallic rooster became the symbol of the French people through a play on Latin words on “gallus”, which means both “Gaul” and “rooster”. Indeed, Renaissance scholars made a lot of jokes on this subject and this is undoubtedly why the association of the 2 words remained.

 

 

During the Renaissance, the gallinaceae, a religious symbol of hope and faith in the Middle Ages, was associated with the idea of ​​nation. The effigy of the kings of France is often accompanied by a rooster.

Occasionally, when you walk around Versailles or the Louvre, have fun looking for the roosters engraved by Louis XIV.

If the Revolution established the rooster as a representation of national identity, for Napoleon Bonaparte, “The rooster has no strength, it cannot be the image of an empire such as France”.

The eagle will therefore replace the rooster until the 3rd Republic (1870).

Since the First World War, the rooster has once again become a strong patriotic symbol. It reflects the image of a France with peasant origins, proud, stubborn and courageous.

The rooster is not recognized as an official emblem of the Republic, but it is in the collective imagination. Nowadays, the rooster is found in sporting fields, with many national federations having made this animal their emblem. The animal has also adorned coins, uniforms and still appears on the gate of the Élysée Palace.

 

Practice French 

Now you know everything about the symbols and emblems of France.

To practice and test your French culture, click here (French file, English file) for your amusement!

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This was carried out by The Municipal Children’s Council of the city of Viry-Chatillon.

 

A bientôt

Julie