I just found out that the only anthem in the world that mentions Sweden is the Polish anthem. The Swedish anthem itself is about the north in general. Are there any other countries mentioned in your anthem (and in a positive/neutral/negative way)? What historical event might be related to it?

33 comments

1. It only Mentions Denmark. But there’s some references to the Norse Mythology, which by extension were belived by all of Scandinavia.

2. In Italian national anthem Austria and Poland are mentioned + Russia indirectly

   Also Rome

   But we usually sing the shortened version without that paragraph

3. Not countries, but the first stanza (which isn’t considered part of the modern anthem for obvious reasons) mentions the borders and they’re, well, all pretty far from our modern borders (except, arguably, the Northern one, as the “Belt” is a bit ambiguous and the Fehmarnbelt is still part of Germany) – one river in France (Maas), one river in Italy (Etsch), one river in Lithuania/Belarus (Memel).

4. The original version of the Portuguese anthem mentioned the Bretons, during the scramble for Africa Portugal wanted to unite the two coasts between Angola and Mozambique but the English wanted Cairo to South Africa and made an ultimatum. This was before it was chosen to be the anthem z when it was chosen the Bretons vexames cannons.

5. In the Dutch anthem we sing “are we of German blood […] the king of Spain I have always served. ” In the original poem (which is 15 alineas long) they mention the  Netherlands once in the 10th alinea, but we sing only the first alinea and for special occasions the 6th. 

6. The Dutch anthem mentions Germany, or at least, that’s what it sounds like and Spain and Israel (historical Israël of David).

   >Wilhelmus van Nassouwe ben ik van Duitschen bloed.

   > De Koning van Hispanje heb ik altijd geëerd.

   > Een Koninkrijk gegeven in Israel, zeer groot.

   Duitschen bloed meaning of German blood. In the time of writing of the lyrics, it meant Dietschen bloed, where Dietsch meant greater Netherlands (the Netherlands language area hence why the English named the people who spoke the language of the Netherlands Dutch).

7. France is (indirectly) mentioned by Napoleon Bonaparte in polish anthem, there is also direct mention of Italy.

8. There is a common myth that, in the original version of the Portuguese anthem, the lyric “Contra os canhões marchar” (Against the cannons march) was “Contra os Bretões marchar” (Against the Brits march), supposedly in reaction to the British Ultimatum of 1890. This is, however, not true. We have the original music sheets by Alfredo Keil himself (the composer), and it was “cannons” since the beginning.

   It is possible, however, that the “brits” version was sung in protests at the time, as it was a popular protest song back then (it would only become the national anthem after the Revolution of 1910).

   No countries besides Portugal are mentioned in our anthem but, in the unofficial extended version, Europe is mentioned: “Brade a Europa à terra inteira: / Portugal não pereceu!” (Shouts Europe to the whole earth: / Portugal has not perished!)

9. The anthem of the Austrian state of Styria (written in 1844) mentions that the state reaches to the rivers Sava and Drava (in current Slovenia), which isn’t the case since 1918 anymore.

   Slovenia (at least the official one) took offence and when they joined the EU in 2004 there was a discussion to change that line or use a new anthem during Social Democratic government.

   The current right wing government doubled down and wants to at the original text to the constitution.

10. Not nations, though places..

    Rome:

    A strophe/verse mention a norwegian king that spoke out against Rome (The pope)..

    Fredrikshald:

    A strophe/verse mention the place Fredrikshald which is a place near the current norwegian/swedish border were the swedish king Karl 12 (or Charles 12 in englih) was murdered, probably by a norwegian bullet.. hinting at norways history with sweden (Then with norway as a part of denmark). Indeed they have raised a [memorial stone](https://lokalhistoriewiki.no/images/Karl_XII_minnesmerke_Fredriksten.JPG) at the place he was murdered, with the text on it that tells that this place (Fredriksten ; the fortress in Fredrikshald) saved the country. The event also marked the end of sweden’s history as a great power in europe. Keep in mind that our national anthem is written in 1859.. Then norway is in personal-union with Sweden

11. In one of my countries anthems (the least used one) a danish/norwegian folkhero is mentioned. Unsure if that counts, as Norway was under danish rule at the time and the person is born in what is modern day Norway

12. > I just found out that the only anthem in the world that mentions Sweden is the Polish anthem.

    By name, yes. But the Norwegian one also refers to Sweden (as one of Norway’s two “brothers”, Denmark being the other one).

    The Swedish is as said about the Nordics(/North), it doesn’t individualize any countries. It was written at the height of Scandinavism.

13. Well, Catalan anthem does not mention them by name but it says

    > Endarrere aquesta gent, tan ufana i tan superba.

    And

    > Que tremoli l’enemic en veient la nostra ensenya.

    Meaning «Go back these people, so proud and so arrogant» and «Let the enemy tremble at the sight of our banner» and in both cases it refers to the Spaniards / Castilians.

    The background is the [Reaper’s War](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reapers%27_War) (aka Catalan Revolt or Catalan Revolution), during the Thirty Years’ War. First time the Catalan Republic was proclaimed, later becoming a Principality with the King of France as Count of Barcelona, in a personal union with the Kindom of France.

14. The Swedish anthem is about The North, not north in general. It is about sweden, just using poetic names for it. If you write a poem to your wife and write “the most beautiful woman in the world” would you say it is about women in general?

15. In the French one we just mention the Kings, traitors, brutish and blood thirsty enemy soldiers… in short, all the rest of Europe. Except Switzerland.

16. The Dutch anthem does not mention The Netherlands. (It’s older than the country.)

    It mentions Spain (We will always honor the king of Spain, while the song is a song for the leader of the rebellion against Spain.), a area in France (Oranje) and the general area of Germany and the Netherlands. (What nowadays sounds like it mentions Germany.)

    And it’s the oldest song used as an anthem in the world. (Text + melody together).

17. The polish anthem also mentions:
    Italy (Neutraly)

    France (through Napoleon, Possitively)

    Russia, Prussia and Austria (indirectly as the partitioners of poland, Negatively)

18. The military anthem of Finnish Defence Forces and the song of the President of Finland, Porilaisten marssi (‘March of the Pori Regiment’) mentions Poland, Lützen and Leipzig (Germany) and Narva (Estonia), locations for battles where Finns fought as part of the Swedish army.

19. Hungary:

    Zászlónk gyakran plántálád

    Vad török sáncára,

    S nyögte Mátyás bús hadát

    Bécsnek büszke vára.

    =

    Our flag you often planted

    On the wild Turk’s earthworks

    And under Mátyás’ grave army whimpered

    Vienna’s “proud fort.”

    —

    Most rabló mongol nyilát

    Zúgattad felettünk,

    Majd töröktől rabigát

    Vállainkra vettünk.

    =

    Now the Mongol arrow flew

    Over our devoted heads;

    Or the Turkish yoke we knew,

    Which a free-born nation dreads.

    —

    Hányszor zengett ajkain

    Ozmán vad népének

    Vert hadunk csonthalmain

    Győzedelmi ének!

    =

    How often came from the mouths

    Of Osman’s barbarian nation

    Over the corpses of our defeated army

    A victory song!

20. Polish national anthem – the *Song of the Polish Legions in Italy* doesn’t only mention the Swedes. 🙂

    Context: the song was written in 1797 in Reggio Emilia, Italy. General Dąbrowski was the military commander of [Polish Legions](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polish_Legions_(Napoleonic_era)) allied to Revolutionary France. The song is a call to arms to march from Italy and liberate Poland that has been since 1795 completely partitioned between Prussia, Russia and the Habsburg Empire.

    Italy – mentioned in the chorus, directly and in a neutral way:

    March, march, Dąbrowski
    From Italian lands to Poland!
    We’ll rejoin the nation
    Under your command.

    The Legions did indeed march to Poland, when the [Duchy of Warsaw](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duchy_of_Warsaw) was created in 1806 they formed part of its Army that in 1809 [liberated a significant section of the Austrian partition](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austro-Polish_War) of Poland.

    Russia, Prussia and Habsburg Austria – the whole anthem is a call to fight against them, the most obvious even if not exactly direct reference is in the first stanza, they are the “foreign powers”:

    Poland has not yet perished
    As long as we still live.
    What the foreign powers took from us
    With a sabre we shall retrieve!

    Revolutionary France – referred to indirectly via Napoleon’s name (at the time of the song, commander of the French Revolutionary Army in Italy), positively:

    We’ll cross the Vistula and the Warta
    Poles we all shall be!
    Bonaparte has shown us
    Ways to victory!

    Russia and Prussia+Austria were also mentioned directly, negatively, in a stanza that has been since removed from the anthem:

    Germans and Muscovites will not settle here
    When we’ll take backswords in our hands.
    The motto of all will be unity
    And our fatherland

21. The Hungarian anthem doesn’t mention countries specifically but rather nations: the (Ottoman) Turks, Mongolians and in a way also mention Huns too (the descendants of Bendegúz who was the father of Attila) . It also mentions Wien (because Wien was captured by king Mathias in 1485)

    The whole anthem is about that our present sucks, our past was good in the beginning but quickly turned into disaster and this anthem is a plea for God to end our suffering. This is why these nations are mentioned because they either genocided us or oppressed (except the Huns who are related to us according to legends)

22. God save the king is not only the anthem of England but also of the UK, which includes Scotland. Here is the sixth verse:

    Lord grant that Marshal Wade
    May by thy mighty aid
    Victory bring.
    May he sedition hush
    And like a torrent rush
    Rebellious Scots to crush.
    God save the King!

23. That’s because it’s an “organic anthem” – meaning that it hasn’t been choosen by law, but the people have chosen it by themselves in a bottom-up process. 

    Matter of fact, Sweden has no official anthem. This song is just our de facto anthem – and if we ever want a new one, the people can choose it by themselves. 

24. ours mention God, and the Virgin Mary which makes sense as it was written as a prayer. It also mentions our country indirectly “this sweet land”, but does mention the people “the Maltese”

25. The Polish anthem just likes name-dropping. It mentions Italy probably as many times as Poland itself.

26. The British National anthem mentions rebellious Scots, but we don’t sing that part and it causes embarrassment whenever it is mistakenly sung.

27. My nation’s anthem is about fighting against the English. We don’t say “the English” directly, but we talk about sending “Proud Edward’s army” home. This is a reference to Edward II, defeated at Bannockburn.

28. Denmark has two official anthems, and while the one you hear at football matches is all peace and beech trees reflected in the salty eastern sea, the ROYAL anthem has this gloriously unhinged first line:

    *King Christian stood by the lofty mast
    In mist and smoke;
    His sword was hammering so fast,
    Through Gothic helm and brain it passed;*

    “Gothic” here refers to Götaland, aka south-western Sweden. So while it technically doesn’t mention Sweden by name, it is explicitly about the Swedes (and how great it is to bash their skulls in.)

29. Most of South American National Anthems refer to Spain or the Spanish, never in nice terms. Ungrateful suckers. The Dutch also, former Spanish territory, remember the golden age of Spanish dominance, with nice words. In total, 13 of them, written during their war of interdependence sponsored by the British.

30. The danish national anthem once had a verse talking sh*t about Russia. We removed it later on, though, as it isn’t very smart to have in your national anthem if you want to keep up somewhat healthy international relations

31. The Irish national anthem is:

    Amhrán na bhFiann

    Sinne Fianna Fáil,

    Atá faoi gheall ag Eirinn,

    Buíonn dár slua, thar toinn do ráinig chugainn,

    Faoi mhóid bheith saor, seantír ár sinsear feasta

    Ní fhágfar faoin tíorán ná faoin tráill;

    Anocht a théam sa Bhearna Baoil

    Le gean ar Ghaeil chun báis nó saoil,

    le gunnaí scréach, trí lámhach na bpiléar,

    Seo dhíbh canáigh, Amhrán na bhFiann.

    It’s always sung in Irish, i don’t even know the English lyrics, but this is the official translation:

    The Soldier’s Song

    Soldiers are we,

    Whose lives are pledged to Ireland,

    Some have come from a land beyond the wave,

    Sworn to be free, no more our ancient sireland

    Shall shelter the despot or the slave;

    Tonight we man the Bearna Baoil

    In Erin’s cause come woe or weal,

    ‘Mid cannon’s roar and rifle’s peal,

    We’ll chant a soldier’s song.

    It doesn’t directly mention any other country.

32. 🇧🇪: A previous prime minister was asked to sing our national Anthem. He started singing the french one. Does that count?

33. In Polish we also mention Italy and Napoleon directly positively. The 3 partitioners are mentioned indirectly negatively.