Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Questions concerning the website:
Questions concerning national anthems:
Other questions:
Questions concerning the website:
-
How do you determine which anthems appear on your site?
- This is one of my most frequently asked questions, especially when it comes to inclusion of a particular anthem that is associated with a group that is not an independent country. It is, as you may guess, a very controversial topic and can be
quite political. I do try my best to stay away from political controversy
on this site (which isn't easy), so I have attempted to follow for
the most part two international organizations' lists of recognized
nations, the International
Standards Organizations 3166 list, which is, in turn, based on
United Nations data. (The file names
of all the data are based on the ISO3166
list as well). Aside from recognized nations, there are also other
national anthems on my site, which is even harder to determine what
to include, and usually garner the most questions as to why it is included. Dependencies and colonies are included (based on United
Nations and ISO3166
data) if they have their own regional anthem different from the parent
country, with a few exceptions as a matter of general interest. Subnational areas (provinces,
states, districts) are included if they either have some degree of
autonomy (such as the Azores and Tibet),
have been an independent nation (or separate colony) before (such
as Bavaria and Newfoundland),
is a distinct "nation within a nation", often having a distinct national
characteristic from the "parent nation" (such as
Scotland, Tatarstan, Basque
Country), or I felt would be of general interest to my visitors.
(Note that many countries that have subnational areas have local songs
in the subnational areas, but they are not "national anthems", but
rather "provincial/state/prefecture/regional songs"). Finally, there
are other anthems that aren't of nations or subnational areas, such
as those of people groups (Kurdistan, Assyria),
former nations (Austria-Hungary, East
Germany), or just plain miscellaneous (Esperanto,
United Federation of Planets) that are included
mainly as a broader view of the study of national anthems and how
they are used; inclusive-ness is determined mainly by percieved level
of visitor interest. For those wanting to learn about anthems that
I decided not to include (such as state or regional songs), please
visit nationalanthems.us
(I have even been known to contribute to that site anthems submitted
to me that I don't feel match my criteria.)
Please keep in mind that my site is set up not to be a list of countries of the world (which would exclude a lot of entries on my site), but rather of anthems of the world; despite the political status of the group using the anthem, this site only concerns itself with the background of the anthem, not the politics or status of the group using the anthem.
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- Can I use your music files / lyrics / sheet music / information
on my website / in my project / on a CD?
- In most cases I do grant permission to use the information on this
page in projects / CDs / on websites / whatever the request is. Since
I would like to spread my love of national anthems to the world, I
would encourage those who plan to do just that! However, I would ask
a few things that you keep in mind before you use the information.
First and foremost, I would appreciate an ask, it is common courtesy
even if I do wind up approving most requests. I would also like to
know what the project is about, mainly for my own curiosity. Secondly,
please check to see that any of the information isn't copyrighted
to anyone (there are some of those, which are discussed later in the
FAQ, and they are clearly indicated on the web site.) Thirdly, where
it is possible, I would very much appreciate a link to my page to
be placed where the information will be used. This would aid in bringing
more people to the page (we haven't been formally submitted to any
search engine, but sites that are heavily linked tend to draw better
rankings. Better rankings for this page mean that more accurate information
on anthems will be used as more people go to this page.)
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- Why does the Sheet Music / Lyrics / Music box say "NOT
AVAILABLE"?
- It means just that, the lyrics, sheet music, or a music file is
not available for this particular anthem. Rest assured, I'm not holding
on to this information and withholding it for whatever reason, it
means that I have not found this information yet. If you have information
that is marked "NOT AVAILABLE" on my page, and you want to share it,
let me know!
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- Why are most of the anthems only available in MIDI format?
- I do agree that the music sounds a lot better to listen to in MP3
(or other "true to life" format), but, with almost 400 anthems detailed
on this page, there would simply not be enough room on any server
space that I know of for them all! A MIDI takes up a lot less space
than an MP3, although sound quality is sacrificed. (Keep in mind,
the primary purpose of the page is to give background information
on the anthems, the music files are there to enhance the information.)
Also, it would be well worth your while to check out some of the pages that I have listed
in my Links page under "Music", they
have a much bigger selection of MP3s available.
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- How do I download the Music / Lyrics / Sheet Music?
- If you noticed, on most pages there should be a bar with a green
light on it, and the bar reads "Download", under "Music",
"Lyrics" or "Sheet Music". Simply click on this
button and a dialogue box should pop up asking if you want to save
this to your computer, and to what directory. Follow the instructions
from there. If you are having difficulty, please email
me.
PLEASE NOTE: Some MIDI files are copyright-protected by
Peter Breiner and Naxos. Please respect their copyright and do not
attempt to download their files to your computer (they do not have
a download button anyways). You can, however, purchase a CD set
from Naxos containing the selected anthem (performed by an orchestra,
rather than a MIDI file), details are on my Links
page under "CDs".
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- How do I listen to the music / view the lyrics or sheet
music?
- For the music, it all depends on what program you are using to listen
to embeded MIDI files (only the MIDIs and .wavs are embeded, I will
speak of other formats later). I have Quicktime
Player running it on my system, another common one is the media
player that comes with Microsoft
Windows. In both these cases, you should see controls that you
would see on any standard tape deck or CD player, the triangle pointing
right (play), a square (stop), two vertical lines (pause), etc. Just
push the play button; the music does not start on its own like
other sites. For other music formats, such as MP3, Windows Media,
and Real Audio, you would simply click on the bar with the blue
light at the end of it, it will then load the file in the window you
are in. If you cannot get it to play in your browser, then just follow
the instructions to download the file. MP3s and Windows Media files
(and possibly MIDIs and WAVs) will probably play using the same program
(whatever program you have in your computer, I use Winamp),
Real Audio files can be played with the Real
Audio player.
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- Why is there hardly any information on X anthem?
- Short answer: I couldn't find any! The information on my page is
culled from other anthem sites, official government pages for each
nation, contributors, books, and my own knowledge. Unfortunately,
the fact is that I just haven't found much information on many nations
through these means (I was surprised at the lack of information on
the national anthem on most government pages!) Which leaves me with
my contributors. If you know of information on a particular anthem,
please let me know, and it will be shared on the page, citing you
as a contributor! (Don't forget to let me know your name!)
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- What is that logo that you use for the site on the main
page?
- It is intended to be a graphical representation of what the site
is all about; there is a representation of the world, combined with
the white flag of peace to form the shape of a musical note, symbolizing
music of the nations of the world (flag and globe), bringing understanding
of other cultures and peace (white flag of peace).
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Questions concerning national anthems:
- Why do countries use national anthems? Do all countries
have a national anthem?
- Interestingly, there is no international law that requires a country
to adopt an anthem (or a flag), yet currently every country has realized
that this is something that is needed as part of a national identity.
An anthem is used to musically express what a country (or other group
of people) stand for and what unites them, like a flag or a national
motto. In modern times, the only country to not have adopted a national
anthem at a particular time was Afghanistan; during the
reign of the Taliban (a strict Islamic group) from 1999-2002, music
was forbidden in the country, therefore a national anthem would have
been against this law. After the Taliban was defeated, the anthem
used up to that point was reinstated. (Germany
also did not have an anthem from 1945 to 1949, but, legally, there was no German government at the time.)
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- How did the practice of national anthems get started?
- The first countries to adopt national anthems were the European
monarchies, in the late 18th century. (Probably the earliest of those
was Great Britian.) It was probably started as
a means of praise to the ruler. The tradition quickly spread across
Europe as other countries saw the advantages of such a song. Other
countries with republican types of government (such as France)
developed anthems from songs that were de facto anthems, songs used
as rallying cries of the people. People-groups and regions developed
their anthems in much the same way. However a particular nation came
about with their national anthem, the practice spread to other parts
of the globe during the late 19th century, when Europeans were colonizing
other countries and bringing in their ways.
Until the early twentieth century, "national anthems"
as we know them were rare (indeed there was not the need for them
that we have, no television or radio to broadcast them, no Olympics
to play a winner's anthem, etc.) Therefore, keep in mind that most
of the anthems on this site before roughly 1930 were probably unofficial.
Also, note that many of the leading countries of today didn't officially
adopt an anthem until well into the twentieth century (United
States (1931), Germany (1922), Canada
(1980)), and some (like the United Kingdom
and Finland) never officially adopted an anthem,
their anthems in current use have been "de facto" legitimized
through popular use.
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- Are there any national anthems without words?
- There are actually quite a surprising number of anthems without
words, for whatever reason. Currently, my site lists 22 of them. Of
these, probably the most well-known country currently without words
to their anthem is Spain, others are: Afghanistan
(1926-1943), Basque Country, Bosnia
and Hercegovina (1998-), Egypt (1923-1960),
Europe, Iraq (?-1959),
Iraq (1959-1965, 2003-2004), Iraq
(1965-1981), Italy (1862-1946), Kuwait
(1961-1978), North Yemen (1962-1978),
Ottoman Empire, Qatar (1954-1996),
Russia (1991-2000), San Marino,
Sealand, Somalia (1960-2000),
Somaliland (1960), Srpska,
United Federation of Planets, and Zanzibar.
(Many of these have unofficial lyrics.)
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- What is the best national anthem?
- This is a very subjective thing to judge, and pretty much hinges
on how you define "best". (You may have seen in magazines or websites
where they list, for example, "The Ten Best Songs of Rock and Roll",
and you would inevitably disagree with their picks (or each list has
different picks), mainly because it depends on personal taste.) It
was reported that China was honoured with
the "world's best anthem" at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin, Germany,
whereas "Kimigayo" won first prize
at a 1903 "World National Anthem Contest" also held in Germany.
However, nothing is said in either case of how these conclusions were
arrived at and what criterion were used in these judgements. My particular
criterion for what makes an anthem good are that it should be stirring
and simple, while encapulating how natives and the world view the
country, as well as easy to sing. Nations such as Gibraltar, Canada, Germany, and Israel all fit this description. I am currently undertaking a huge project (when I have time) to analyze every anthem on my site against these criterion to come up with some sort of system as to what the better anthems are, keep watching for new information on this. Keep
in mind, that this is a very unscientific and somewhat arbitrary answer
to a hard-to-answer question. The best answer to what the "best"
national anthem is, of course, is the one held most dear by the listener.
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- What is the name for the study of anthems?
- There actually doesn't exist a formal name for the study of anthems.
Some names that have been tossed about are "anthemists" (for those
that study anthems), "anthematology", "anthemology" (slightly
less correct), and "ethnymnology" (from the ancient Greek construct
for national anthems.)
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- What are the different types of national anthems?
- While studying national anthems, I have found that various "families"
of anthems occur that many, if not most, of the world's anthems fall
into. I have named five categories, based on the part of the world
where they occur, and give examples of some countries that use these
types of anthems:
- Latin American epic anthems:
Possibly the easiest to identify, these are found in Latin American
(Spanish-speaking Central and South America) countries and tend
to be rather long, have an epic quality in the music, often containing
both a quick, patriotic section of music, and a slower, stately
part, and consists of many verses, usually chronicling the history
of the country. Many are also composed by Italians (or other Europeans).
In many cases, all the verses are official and, whether or not
all verses are often sung in the country or not, children are
expected to memorize the entire anthem in school in some of these
countries. Examples include Argentina, Ecuador,
El Salvador, Honduras,
and Uruguay.
- Western hymn: The oldest type
of anthem, originating in Europe and common to European monarchies
and their former colonies, they are stately and smooth in music
style. Examples include Australia, Canada,
Germany, and the United
Kingdom.
- European march: Often used
by non-monarchical European nations, and often by socialist nations,
and/or nations born in revolution, these anthems are in a march
style and often speak of war. Examples include France,
USSR (1922-1944), and USSR
(1944-1992).
- Eastern Folk: Anthems that
are reminiscent of the "national style" of music, often
adapted from folk music, and sometimes utilize native instruments.
Examples include Japan, India,
Kenya, Swaziland, and
Senegal.
- Arab fanfare: Common to states
in the Persian Gulf (usually sheikdoms or otherwise ruled by royalty)
at one point in their history, these are short anthems consisting
of little more than a fanfare and flourish. They often have no
words as well. Examples include Bahrain,
Kuwait (1961-1978), and Iraq (?-1959).
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- Are there any two countries / regions that use the same
national anthem as another country?
- Again, you would be surprised at how many nations do fall into this
category. There are many different examples on my site, some examples
as well as classification are:
- Common heritage: Greece
and Cyprus; Wales,
Cornwall, and Brittany;
Estonia and Finland;
Germany and Austria-Hungary
- Proposed or successful political union: Cape
Verde and Guinea-Bissau; Egypt
(1960-1979) and Iraq (1965-1981)
- Use of regional, ethnic, or political song as anthem:
Many communist countries' and groups use of either "The
Internationale" or "La Marseillaise";
Poland and Yugoslavia;
Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe,
Ciskei, Transkei,
and South Africa
- Emulation of well-known anthems: Britain
by Liechtenstein, Norway
(royal), Switzerland (until 1961), and
Germany (to 1918); Europe
by Rhodesia
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- What is proper protocol regarding national anthems?
- Anthem protocol varies from country to country. Some countries have
laws regulating respect for the anthem, some don't. I hope to present
a partial list here of some of the various anthem regulations in the
world, followed by general guidelines to follow, regardless of the
country you happen to live in.
- Thailand: In Thailand, the anthem is played
at 8:00 in the morning and 6:00 in the evening every day, to respect the country
and the sovereign. Sometimes the national anthem would come on
in the middle of a television broadcast and patriotic images are
shown, the anthem is given top priority. In movie theatres, patriotic images are shown between the trailer and main feature, and the
royal anthem is played. In all these situations,
standing and observing silence is mandated.
- St. Lucia: The government of St. Lucia
has outlined protocol for the anthem on its website.
Among the points stated are that upon playing of the anthem, people
should come to attention, and civilian men should bare their heads.
Members of the military in uniform are to act in accordance with
their own regulations. Also, the national anthem shall not be
parodied.
- Barbados: The government of Barbados has
similar guidelines on its website.
- Myanmar: It is customary for the singers
of the anthem to give a slight bow at the conclusion of their
performance, as a sign of respect to the nation and anthem.
- United Kingdom and the Commonwealth: God
Save the Queen must be played for Her Majesty the Queen or
other members of the Royal Family. Governors-General of Commonwealth
countries are to be honoured by a salute, consisting of an abbreviated
version (usually the few beginning bars and the few ending bars)
of the national anthem of their own country.
- Denmark: Inside Denmark, the Royal
Anthem is played only when royalty is present and is usually
followed by the National Anthem. (Thanks
to Gerrit van de Ruitenbeek for this information)
- New Zealand: Addressing New Zealand's unique
situation of having two official anthems, "God Save the Queen"
is to be played at occassions where a member of the Royal Family
is present or loyalty to the crown is stressed, where "God
Defend New Zealand" is to be played where the national identity
of New Zealand is addressed. There are no regulations as to whether
English or Maori language versions are to be performed, and to
which order, yet common practice says that if the first verse
is sung in Maori, it should be repeated in English.
- Kazakhstan: Upon adoption of the new anthem
in early 2006, a law was also passed "obliging everyone to
stand and press the palm of their right hand to the left side
of their chest when the national anthem is performed in public"
(as reported by Radio
Free Europe: Radio Liberty).
As stated before, this is just a small list of the various codes regarding
anthem etiquette around the world. General rules should follow the
above, as they seem to be universal. In addition, some other helpful
guidelines are:
- When multiple anthems are to be performed (such as honouring
a visiting dignitary or sporting team from another country), the
host nation's anthem is usually performed last.
- In Western countries, men are generally required to remove their
hat during the playing of the anthem, but ladies generally are
not. (This is due to the centuries-old notion that a woman's hat
is part of her outfit, while a man's is an accessory to it.)
- It is not absolutely necessary to sing along to the anthem (especially
if you don't know the words, although most anthem lyrics are on
this site!)
- Any national anthem, whether of your own or of another nation,
should be treated equally (that is, one should stand up for both,
be silent for both, and both should be treated with respect),
regardless of your personal feelings toward the other nation.
As stated on the main page of this website, learning about national
anthems is a way to learn about other cultures and people, learning
about others gives us respect for others, treating another's anthem
the same as you would treat your own demonstrates that respect.
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Other questions:
- What are your favourite national anthems?
- My personal favourite songs, anthems or otherwise, tend to vary
every so often. Also, when it comes to national anthems, it all depends
on the arrangement/performance of it, I have heard arrangements of
the same anthem where one could be extremely well-done, and another
could be lackluster. Unfortunately, as I pointed out earlier in this
FAQ, most of the anthems on this site are in MIDI format, which aren't
the best rendition, so please don't judge why I like a particular
anthem based on the MIDI file provided! :) My list of favourites,
while changing, usually includes the following, which consistently
seem to be performed well (some of them even in MIDI format). In no
real particular order: Wales, Gibraltar,
Armenia (1944-1991), Belarus
(1955-1991)/Belarus (1991-), Georgia
(1946-1991), Georgia (2004-), United Arab Emirates, Kyrgyzstan,
Moldova (1945-1991), Turkmenistan
(1997-), Ukraine (1949-1991), Ukraine
(1917-1920, 1991-), Basque Country, Bosnia-Hercegovina,
Europe/Rhodesia, Jersey,
Isle of Man, Olympics,
Russia/Soviet Union, Sealand,
Serbia/Srpska, Taiwan
(alternate), United Federation of Planets.
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- How did you get into studying anthems?
- At about the age of 10 (1982), I developed an interest in all things
relating to the nations of the world: maps, flags, national capitals,
national anthems, national data, etc. Around 1990, when the Soviet
Union was disintegrating and new nations were coming on to the world
scene, my dad got me a software program ("PC Globe") that
had a lot of the national data I was interested in on there, including
crude sound files of all the national anthems. I was delighted to
hear the anthems (most of which I hadn't heard before), and immediately
developed my first list of favourite anthems, and started becoming
interested in learning more about the national anthems of the world,
and finding the national anthems that weren't in this software program.
My interest grew from that point on.
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- Where do you live? Tell me about yourself.
- My name is David Kendall, and I live in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada,
and have lived in Canada all my life. While I've only been to Canada
and the United States in travelling, I would love to visit other countries
and learn more about their anthems first hand. I also am a web designer
(I run my own web design company), and I created this site myself.
I have also lent my anthems expertise to some books and CD compilations,
and have been interviewed about anthems for BBC Radio and Radio Slovenia.
Feel free to send me an email to learn more
about me!
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