Defending our culture

Identity and Nation

Cuban culture is a colorful, interesting, an often bizarre mix. This mix of different, often contrasting, factors and influences can be seen at many levels of Cuban culture. In Cuba, the intermingling of races is one of the most obvious examples.

Our Symbols

The flag, which will become the National Flag of Cuba, was raised in Matanzas in May 19th, 1850, the very day that General Narciso López seized the City of Cárdenas, Matanzas province. For 19 years this flag symbolized anticolonial Cuban activities..
Once the Independence War outbroke in October 10th, 1868, the flag was adopted as national emblem by the Asamblea Constituyente de la República de Cuba (Constituent Asembly of the Republic of Cuba) met in Guáimaro, in April 11th, 1869.
Since then, each and every act of the Cuban independent movement was presided by it.. José Martí expressed that the blood shed by independence cleaned the doubtful origin of the flag which will become glorious in the battlefields
The equilateral triangle which outstands is the perfect geometrical shape, because of its equal three sides and three angles, which means equality among men.
The three colours (white blue and red) are related to French revoutionary triptyc of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity, and besides they the ideals of justice expressed in white pureness, and altuism and highness of those ideals in blue, with the red, reflection of the blood shed in search of freedom. They also incarnate the new republican and democratic ideals that are synthetized in the citizen of the republic,free and equal, with full rights and duties, opposedly to king´s vassals, according to absolute monarchies´ conception.
Finally, the five-pointed star, with one pointing North to indicate steadiness, expresses the balance between moral and social qualities which must tipify the state, and shines by its own light, it is to say, the independent state.
So, the star symbolizes liberty, the triangle equality and the strips union, perfection and fraternity.
Symbolism on it conferred revolutionary transcendence and allowed to identify Cuban nation perpetual ideals. Narciso López, who was freemason, knew revolutionary, republican and humanist symbolism. Because of this he included them in the Cuban flag. His conception differs this one from the North American, by reflecting not only the ideas of freedom, but also those of equality and fraternity which inspired the French Revolution.
So, it is easy to understand why the Cuba flag became the symbol of generations of patriots and social fighters, the symbol of all Cubans. Its revolutionary content synthetizes the whole ideal of a noble and brave people, the human, generous and steady feeling of a nation thought and forged by itself.

The National Coat of Arms is inspired on the one designed by poet Miguel Teurbe Tolón, under the ideas by Narciso López for the National Flag. The present day Coat of Arms differs something from the one originally made in 1849 as a sketch to La Verdad newspaper, directed by Teurbe in New York and used by López to seal official documents and bonds issued by him, as provisional Chief of State of Cuba, between 1850 and 1851.
Its present-day design was officialy approved by the Assembly of Guáimaro, when the Republic of Cuba was created. According to Law No. 42 it is a Symbol of the Nation.
The aforementioned National Coat of Arms represents the Island of Cuba. It is formed by two archs of similar circles which cut backing their concavity one to the other, like a heart-shaped ogive, and is divided in three bodies, spaces or fields. Cuba, as the key of the Gulf of Mexico, the union of the Cubans, the sun of liberty, the colors of the flag and a typical Cuban landscape are present in the coat of arms.
A red Phrygian cap, emblem from the French Revolution, pointing to the right in its upper part, appears in its design This cap had been used by men who got freedom in ancient times. In its central part appears a five-pointed white star, one of them ponting up, and, just like the flag, it represents the independent state.
The Coat of Arms is hold by a bunch of eleven sticks tied by a red ribbon , x-crossed, meaning union, because strength is in it . The upper horizonal field represents a sea, with two capes, mountains or land points, which symbolizes the position of Cuba between the two Americas and the rising of a new nation.
A golden rod key placed in a blue sea closes the strait. At the bottom, a raising sun spreads its rays all over he sky, remembering the place of Cuba: “The Key of the New World”, the link between America and Europe and North and South America, as well as the shining rise of the new-born state.
In its lower left field appears a rural landscape, green and mountain site, with a blue and clear sky, symbolizing our environment, plain and natural, presided by a palm tree, a royal palm, the typical Cuban tree, with its central leave bud pointing up, emblem of the straight character of the Cuban people.
Its lower right field has five same width stripes, alternating dark blue and white and bending from right to left, and associated to the flag. These blue and white stripes symbolize the department division of the island under Spanish colonialism.
Not exceeding its height, the National Coat of Arms of Cuba, is ornated by a laurel branch at its left representin strength, and an oak branch at its right representing victory.

In August 13th,1867, the Bayamo City Revolutionay Committee met in the house of the lawyer Pedro (Perucho) Figueredo, to make the planes which must unlash the Cuban independence movement. Right there it was suggested to Figueredo himself to compose “Our (Cuban) Marsellaise”. On the dawn of August 14th the revolutionary from Bayamo created the melody which would become the National Anthem of Cuba. It was named La Bayamesa (The Woman from Bayamo) as expression of its revolutionary character and from the place where the Cuban rebelliousness was born.
In May 8th, 1868, Figueredo asked to Manuel Muñoz Cedeño, musician, to orchestrate that march, epic chant far from religious hymns; hymn of war and victory that should appeal to combat and exalt the motherland feeling. In June 11th, 1868 Figueredo made possible that it would be played in the Iglesia Mayor (Main Church) of Bayamo Fourteen months after being created the melody of the National Anthem of Cuba, Figueredo includes its letter.
In October 10th, 1868 the Revolution outbursted, and ten days later, October 20th, Bayamo City is seized by rebel forces. Amidst rebel troops happiness and bustle, mixed with the joyful crowd, side by side with Carlos Manuel de Céspedes and other patriots, and surrounded by the shouts demanding the lyrics of that hymn, Figueredo took out pencil and paper from his pocket and crossing a leg on his horse´s saddle, he wrote the lyrics that, handwritten, copy by copy, was sung for the first time by those met. From then on its notes presided each and every act of the independent movement, and has become an expression the patriotic character of the Cuban people.

posted by Lilith @ 11:23 AM