A national anthem is a musical composition that expresses the identity and aspirations of a nation. It is usually composed as a hymn or as an operatic piece or just a song, the latter being popular among African countries. However, an anthem generally has to be recognised and adopted by a nation’s legislature before it can be called a national anthem. On the other hand, some national anthems, especially those that have royal roots, have been adopted without passing through the legislature.
Either way, a national anthem is a musical representation of a nation-state and should be taken seriously. However, some national anthems are so old that their timelines can sometimes be blurry.
Therefore, this article presents a list of countries with the oldest national anthems.
List of countries with oldest national anthems
1. Netherlands – Wilhelmus (1568)
Wilhelmus van Nassouwe, popularly known as the Wilhelmus, is the national anthem of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The anthem was first introduced as far back as at least 1568, making it the oldest national anthem in the world.
It was written sometime between 1568 and 1572 during the Dutch Revolt, the Dutch War of Independence from the Spanish Empire. Written in the first person narrative, the anthem talks about the life and deeds of Willem van Nassau, aka William of Orange, the main leader of the revolt and the Dutch people’s quest for freedom.
However, the Wilhelmus was not officially recognised until 1932 even though it was part of the Dutch culture. The Wilhelmus was also the anthem of the Netherlands Antilles from 1954 to 1964.
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2. England – God Save the King/Queen (1745)
God Save the King/Queen was first performed in London in September 1745. The performance was arranged by Drury Lane, the leader of the Theatre Royal’s band after Prince Charles Edward Stuart defeated the army of King George II at Prestonpans.
Although the exact timeline of this anthem remains unclear, it probably became the official national anthem of the United Kingdom sometime at the beginning of the nineteenth century.
3. Spain – La Marcha Real (1770)
La Marcha Real is one of only four national anthems in the world that have no official lyrics. It originated from the Marcha Granadera, a military march song dedicated to the Grenadier soldiers. The troop would always sing the melody while parading before the king. It first became popular in Madrid, later spread across the country and became known as the Marcha Real.
In September 1770, King Charles III declared the song the official March of Honor. It became a national anthem when Isabel II reigned as Queen of Spain. Efforts have been made to compose lyrics for the anthem over the years. But none has been approved so far.
4. Denmark – Kong Christian stod ved højen mast (1780)
Kong Christian stod ved højen mast, which means “King Christian stood by the lofty mast”, is the unofficial royal anthem and one of the two national anthems of Denmark. It is a tribute song to the Danish-Norwegian sailors, praising their heroic deeds during the war against Sweden in the 17th and 18th centuries.
The song was first performed on King Christian VII’s birthday in January 1780 as part of the play, The Fishermen, written by Johannes Ewald. It remains a national anthem that is usually played in events related to the royal family and military of Denmark.
5. France – La Marseillaise (1795)
La Marseillaise is the national anthem of France. It was first written in 1792 by Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle in Strasbourg after the declaration of war by France against Austria. This was a revolutionary song, an anthem of freedom, a patriotic call to mobilize all the citizens and fight against tyranny and foreign invasion.
La Marseillaise became France’s official national anthem after it was adopted at the National Convention in 1795. It was named after volunteers from Marseille who sang the song and marched to the capital.
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6. Argentina – Himno Nacional Argentino (1813)
Himno Nacional Argentino was written by Argentine politician and writer, Vicente López y Planes. It was composed into music by the Spanish musician, Blas Parera, and was adopted as the only official anthem of Argentina on May 11, 1813.
The anthem celebrates the beauty of Argentina, the struggle for freedom, and the unity of the Argentine people. However, changes have been severally made to the anthem since 1927, which contributed to the crisis in the country.
In 1944, a shortened version of the original anthem was restored and recognised as the official anthem of Argentina.
7. Peru – Himno Nacional del Perú (1821)
Also known as Marcha Nacional del Perú or Somos libres, Himno Nacional del Perú was adopted as the national anthem of Peru through a contest. After independence, Peru’s first leader, General José de San Martín, declared that the country’s national anthem would be chosen through a contest. Composers from across the nation were invited to send their entrees to be considered before September 18, 1821.
Seven entries were submitted but the song written by José de la Torre Ugarte and composed by José Bernardo Alzedo was unanimously selected. It became a national anthem and was first performed on September 23, 1821, at the theatre of Lima.
8. Brazil – Hino Nacional Brasileiro (1822)
Hino Nacional Brasileiro, or the Brazilian National Anthem, was composed by Francisco Manuel da Silva in April 1831. However, some historians believe he composed the music in 1822 to commemorate Brazilian independence. The song was first played publicly on April 13, 1831, five days after the former Emperor Pedro I abdicated the crown.
However, the lyrics stopped being used soon because it was considered offensive to the Portuguese. The melody continued to be used and officially became a national anthem in 1890. Joaquim Osório Duque-Estrada wrote the current lyrics in 1909 and it became official in 1922 after undergoing several changes.
9. Chile – Himno Nacional de Chile (1828)
Poet Bernardo de Vera y Pintado composed the first Chilean national anthem in 1819. However, the anthem was only sung during the anniversary of the country’s founding until 1838. Himno Nacional de Chile was composed by the Spanish composer, Ramón Carnicer, when he was in exile in England because of his liberal ideas.
Chilean Minister in London, Mariano Egaña, who was acting on the criticism the song received, asked Carnicer to compose a new hymn with Bernardo de Vera’s original text. The song debuted in Santiago, in the Arteaga Theatre, on December 23, 1828.
10. Belgium – La Brabançonne (1830)
Legend has it that La Brabançonne was written in September 1830, during the Belgian Revolution, by a young revolutionary called Jenneval. Jenneval, a Frenchman, whose real name was Alexandre Dechet, read the lyrics during a meeting at the Aigle d’Or café.
Jenneval wrote the lyrics. He was an actor at the theatre where, in August 1830, the revolution started and led to Belgium’s independence from the Netherlands.
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