national anthem, hymn or song expressing patriotic sentiment and either governmentally authorized as an official national hymn or holding that position in popular feeling. The oldest national anthem is the United Kingdom’s “God Save the King,” which was described as a national anthem in 1825, although it had been popular as a patriotic song and used on occasions of royal ceremonial since the mid-18th century.
During the 19th and early 20th centuries, most European countries followed Britain’s example, some national anthems being written especially for the purpose, others being adapted from existing tunes. The sentiments of national anthems vary, from prayers for the monarch to allusions to nationally important battles or uprisings (“The Star-Spangled Banner” in the United States, “La Marseillaise” in France) to expressions of patriotic feeling (“O Canada,” “Advance Australia Fair,” “God Defend New Zealand”).
The verse or text of national anthems, like the music, has not in every case been written by a national of the country concerned. Changes in politics or international relationships often cause the texts to be altered or a new anthem to be adopted. For example, the U.S.S.R. adopted “Gimn Sovetskogo Soyuza” (“Hymn of the Soviet Union”) as its national anthem in 1944, replacing the communist hymn “L’Internationale,” whose words and music were written in the late 19th century by two French workers.
Few national anthems have been written by poets or composers of international or historical renown, a notable exception being the first Austrian national anthem, “Gott erhalte Franz den Kaiser” (“God Save Emperor Francis”), composed by Joseph Haydn in 1797 and later, in 1929, sung to the text “Sei gesegnet ohne Ende” (“Be Blessed Forever”). Haydn’s melody was also used for the German national anthem “Deutschland, Deutschland über Alles” (“Germany, Germany Above All”), adopted in 1922. (See also Emperor Quartet.) Beginning with its third verse, “Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit” (“Unity and Rights and Freedom”), it continues in use as the national anthem of Germany, retitled as “Deutschlandlied.” The German national anthem before 1922 had been “Heil dir im Siegerkranz” (“Hail to Thee in Victor’s Garlands”), sung to the melody of the United Kingdom’s national anthem. Some authors of national anthems, such as Italy’s Goffredo Mameli, gained renown only as a result of their composition’s national popularity.
See also Flags and Anthems of the World.