Identifying which are the oldest national anthems in history is not always such a simple task. This is because some of them go through certain modifications over the years that lead to confusing the exact date of their creation.
Also read: Why does the Spanish anthem have no lyrics?
For example, some of them had their lyrics created on one date, and the melody on another, or were made official as an official anthem at another time, which leads to confusion as to which is the exact date of their creation that indicates a fair position in the ranking.
Because of this, here we tell you which are the oldest hymns in history, according to a list prepared by the Libretilla portal.
Wilhelmus van Nassouwe, from the Netherlands
The ‘Wilhelmus’, as it is popularly known, is the oldest anthem in the world since it was created in 1568. However, this piece of music was not conceived as a national anthem until 1932.
It is the official anthem of the Netherlands and has been present since its creation throughout the country’s history.
God Save The Queen, the United Kingdom anthem
The anthem of the British Commonwealth of Nations, which refers to the countries that recognize British royalty as head of state, including Australia, Canada, India, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and many more nations, is the second oldest national anthem in the world created in 1745.
It is called ‘God Save The Queen’, which translated into Spanish would be ‘Dios Save the Queen’, now adjusted to ‘God Save The King’, after King Carlos III took over from his mother Elizabeth II.
Royal March, of Spain
Also known as the Grenadier March, the records of its creation date from 1761 in the book called: Book of the Ordinance of the Toques of Fifes and Drums that are played again in the Infantry.
The text also indicates that Manuel Espinosa de los Monteros was the composer of the scores and shortly after, in 1970, King Carlos III of Spain made it official as the national anthem.
However, this work, the greatest musical symbol of Spain, has no lyrics despite multiple attempts to put it. It is part of the list of the only three countries in the world in which their anthem does not have lyrics.
La Marseillaise, from France
The Marseillaise is the official anthem of France and was written by composer Claudie Joseph Rouget de Lisle in 1792 after France declared war on Austria.
It is a war march that encouraged its citizens to fight against the foreign invasion. It was originally called War Song for the Rhine Army.
It was made official as the country’s anthem in 1975.
The national anthem of Argentina
The Argentine anthem has had different changes in its name throughout history. It was born as the Patriotic March, then it was modified as the National Patriotic Song, or Patriotic Song, to finally become official as the Argentine National Anthem.
It was published in 1847 and was written by Vicente López, an Argentine politician, while its melody was developed by the Spanish musician Blas Parera.
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