Helvetia (right) with "Geneva" (National Monument in Geneva)

Standing Helvetia on reverse of 1 Swiss Franc coin

Helvetia on a 25 centime Swiss postage stamp, 1881

Helvetia is the female national personification of Switzerland, officially Confœderatio Helvetica, the "Helvetic Confederation".

The allegory is typically pictured in a flowing gown, with a spear and a shield emblazoned with the Swiss flag, and commonly with braided hair, commonly with a wreath as a symbol of confederation. The name is a derivation of the ethnonym Helvetii, the name of the Gaulish tribe inhabiting the Swiss Plateau prior to the Roman conquest.

History[link]

The fashion of depicting the Swiss Confederacy in terms of female allegories arises in the 17th century. This replaces an earlier convention, popular in the 1580s, of representing Switzerland as a bull (Schweitzer Stier).

Matthaeus Merian (1642)

In the first half of the 17th century, there isn't a single allegory identified as Helvetia. Rather, a number of allegories are shown representing both virtues and vices of the confederacy. On the title page of his 1642 Topographia, Matthaeus Merian shows two allegorical figures seated below the title panel: one is the figure of an armed Eidgenosse, representing Swiss military prowess or victory, the other is a female Abundantia allegory crowned with a city's ramparts, representing the Swiss territory or its fertility.

Female allegories of individual cantons predate the single Helvetia figure. There are depictions of a Respublica Tigurina Virgo (1607), a Lucerna shown in 1658 with the victor of Villmergen, Christoph Pfyffer, and a Berna of 1682

Over the next half-century, Merian's Abundantia would develop into the figure of Helvetia proper. An oil painting of 1677/78 from Solothurn, known as Libertas Helvetiae, shows a female Libertas allegory standing on a pillar. In 1672, an oil painting by Albrecht Kauw shows a number of figures labelled Helvetia moderna. These represent vices such as Voluptas and Avaritia, contrasting with the virtues of Helvetia antiqua (not shown in the painting).

On 14 September 1672, a monumental baroque play by Johann Caspar Weissenbach was performed in Zug, entitled Eydtgnossisch Contrafeth Auff- und Abnemmender Jungfrawen Helvetiae. The play is full of allegories illustrating the raise of Helvetia and her decadence after the Reformation. In the 4th act, the Abnemmende Helvetiae or "Waning Helvetia" is faced with Atheysmus and Politicus while the old virtues leave her. In the final scene, Christ himself appears to punish the wayward damsel, but the Mother of God and Bruder Klaus intercede and the contrite sinner is pardoned.

Identification of the Swiss as "Helvetians" (Hélvetiens) becomes common in the 18th century, particularly in the French language, as in François-Joseph-Nicolas d'Alt de Tieffenthal's very patriotic Histoire des Hélvetiens (1749–53) followed by Alexander Ludwig von Wattenwyl's Histoire de la Confédération hélvetique (1754). Helvetia appears in patriotic and political artwork in the context of the construction of a national history and identity in the early 19th century, after the disintegration of the Napoleonic Helvetic Republic, and she appears on official federal coins and stamps from the foundation of Switzerland as a federal state in 1848.

Name of Switzerland[link]

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The Swiss Confederation continues to use the name in its Latin form when it is inappropriate or inconvenient to use any or all of its four official languages. Thus, the name appears on postage stamps, coins and other uses; the full name, Confœderatio Helvetica, is abbreviated for uses such as the ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 and vehicle registration code CH, and the ccTLD, .ch.

Notably, translations of the term Helvetia still serve as the name for Switzerland in languages such as Irish, in which the country is known as An Elvéis, Greek, in which it is known as Ελβετία (Elvetia) and Romanian, Elveţia. In Italian Elvezia is seen as archaic, but the demonym noun/adjective elvetico is used commonly as synonym of svizzero. In French, Swiss people may be referred to as Helvètes. The German word Helvetien is used as well as synonym of Schweiz and has a higher poetic value. Helvetien is also more common in Germany, the German-speaking Swiss use simply "Helvetia" or "Helvecia" as poetic synonym of their country.

See also[link]

• Augusta Raurica
• Historiography of Switzerland
• Aventicum
• National personification
• Vreneli
• Coins of the Swiss franc
• Postage stamps and postal history of Switzerland

References[link]

• Thomas Maissen, Von wackeren alten Eidgenossen und souveränen Jungfrauen. Zu Datierung und Deutung der frühesten „Helvetia“-Darstellungen, Zeitschrift für schweizerische Archäologie und Kunstgeschichte 56 (1999), 265-302.[1]

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Nigel Green (15 October 1924 – 15 May 1972) was a South African-born English character actor. Because of his strapping build and commanding demeanour he would often be found playing military types and men of action in such classic sixties films as Jason and the Argonauts, Zulu, Tobruk and The Ipcress File.

Early life and career[link]

The son of a professor, Green attended King's College School, Wimbledon and the University of London followed by the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. During the Second World War, he trained as an Observer in the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm.

He appeared on stage at the Old Vic before making his first forays into British films and television in the mid-1950s.

Film career[link]

Early film roles include Reach for the Sky (1956), The Criminal (1960), The League of Gentlemen (1960), and Beat Girl (1960). His large physique led to him being cast as Little John in the 1960 film Sword of Sherwood Forest.

In 1963 he had one of his most memorable roles as Hercules in Jason and the Argonauts. The following year his profile was raised dramatically following his co-starring role as Colour Sergeant Frank Bourne in Zulu. In 1965 he took a turn as leading man, playing Nayland Smith in The Face of Fu Manchu. The same year also saw another of his most memorable roles as Major Dalby in The Ipcress File where he played the superior and nemesis of Michael Caine's secret agent Harry Palmer.

Other roles include Carl Petersen in Bulldog Drummond movie Deadlier Than the Male (1967), Count Contini in the Matt Helm film The Wrecking Crew (1969) and "Lord Ashley's Whore" in John Huston's The Kremlin Letter (1969).

His strong persona allowed him to play many military roles such as in Khartoum (1966), Tobruk (1967), Fräulein Doktor and Play Dirty (both 1969).

Green also appeared in a number of horror films including Corridors of Blood (1958), The Masque of the Red Death (1964), as the father of Jane Asher's character, The Skull (1965), Let's Kill Uncle (1966) and Countess Dracula (1971).

His last role was as "the Electric Messiah", a mental patient believing himself to be God, in The Ruling Class (1972).

Television career[link]

Television appearances include The Adventures of Sir Lancelot, The Adventures of William Tell, The Other Man, Danger Man, The Power Game, The Avengers, Sherlock Holmes, Jason King, The Protectors and The Persuaders!.

Personal life[link]

Green's first wife was the actress Patricia Marmont. His second wife was the actress Pamela Gordon, with whom he had one daughter.

He was separated from Gordon when he died from an overdose of sleeping pills in 1972, aged 47. It is unknown if his death was intentional or not. Peter O'Toole said on his commentary on The Ruling Class that he believes Green was very depressed, and that his death shortly after filming ended was probably intentional, although his family believe it to be unintentional.

Filmography[link]

• The Sea Shall Not Have Them (1954)
• As Long as They're Happy (1955)
• Reach for the Sky (1956)
• Find the Lady (1956)
• Bitter Victory (1957)
• Corridors of Blood (1958)
• Witness in the Dark (1959)
• Beat Girl (1959)
• The Criminal (1960)
• League of Gentlemen (1960)
• Sword of Sherwood Forest (1960)
• Gorgo (1961)
• Mysterious Island (1961)
• Pit of Darkness (1961)
• The Queen's Guards (1961)
• The Spanish Sword (1962)
• The Durant Affair (1962)
• The Primitives (1962)
• Mystery Submarine (1963)
• Jason and the Argonauts (1963)
• The Man Who Finally Died (1963)
• Zulu (1964)
• Saturday Night Out (1964)
• The Masque of the Red Death (1964)
• The Skull (1965)
• The Ipcress File (1965)
• The Face of Fu Manchu (1965)
• Khartoum (1966)
• Let's Kill Uncle (1966)
• Tobruk (1967)
• Deadlier Than the Male (1967)
• The Queen's Traitor (1967)
• Africa Texas Style (1967)
• Play Dirty (1968)
• The Wrecking Crew (1969)
• Fräulein Doktor (1969)
• The Kremlin Letter (1970)
• Countess Dracula (1971)
• The Ruling Class (1972)
• Gawain and the Green Knight (1973)

External links[link]

Nigel Green at the Internet Movie Database

• Nigel Green at Find a Grave