The modern totem: an overview of the national animal on its role in forming national identity

Abstract

National symbols play a significant role in contemporary politics by shaping national identities. However, national animals receive little attention in the scholarship. This paper provides a study of the animal as a national symbol, proposing a possible model to fit the national animal into the rich nationalism literature. It generates theories about the formation, strengths, challenges of the national animal, supported with case study analysis. The central hypothesis is that the national animal is a distinctive national symbol. It is a symbol of the national rather than of the nation. It is not a purely top‐down political design; it embeds concrete traits; and it creates space for international interaction. Theoretically, the national animal can forge a strong national identity. However, many real‐life challenges prevent it from becoming prominent in modern nations.