Europe’s Amazing National Animals

In countries around the world, national animals represent the best of what destinations have to offer. 

In the United States, the bald eagle famously embodies strength and vigor. In India, the majestic tiger evokes power and grace. In China, the Chinese dragon is a figure of luck and prosperity.

For our money, though, the most memorable national animals come from Europe. Here, creatures both mythical and real have played a significant role in national histories and identities. 

From unicorns and dragons to butterflies and bulldogs, learn more about the creatures European nations proudly claim as their own.

You may think of the mythical phoenix as Greece’s national animal, but you’d only be half right. The phoenix is actually the national bird of Greece, which celebrates a real animal as its symbol: the dolphin.

While Greece may be known for its myths and gods, it is also flanked by water. The coastlines of Greece’s 2,000 islands in the Aegean, Ionian and Mediterranean Seas, combined with a sizable mainland coast, combine to total 8,500 miles. This represents the largest coastline in all of Europe, which means plenty of space for dolphins to call home.

These playful creatures hold a special place in Greek mythology. The story goes that when seamen angered the god of wine, Dionysus, they had to succumb to the seas to get away. Poseidon, the god of the sea, had pity on the sailors, turning them into dolphins and tasking them with keeping other sailors safe. Tales of dolphins rescuing sailors have continued throughout the centuries, and the Greeks adore their national animal.

Fun fact: the word “dolphin” is itself Grecian in origin. It derives from the ancient Greek root “delphis,” which means “womb,” as the playful sea mammals (no, they’re not fish!) bear live young. 

The now-extinct Old English Bulldog became a popular figure in British life in the 18th century, when its strength and tenacity were used to symbolize political might. 

During WWI, the British bulldog was used as a symbol on propaganda posters because of its “pluck and determination.” The Royal Navy even had a destroyer in its fleet named the “Bulldog,” sailing from 1930 to 1945, most famously serving as the ship that captured the Germans’ Enigma code machine.

Most famously, former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill was nicknamed “British Bulldog” thanks to his determined spirit, prominent jowl and stocky build. His association with the strong-jawed animal was cemented when he took a hard stance against the Nazis during World War II, promising a long and hard road to victory.

In a land that loves its myths and legends, it’s no surprise that Scotland’s national animal is the decidedly not-real unicorn.

Unicorns appear throughout Celtic fables and serve as a symbol of both purity and innocence, and masculinity and power. In ancient tales, only virgin maidens or Scottish kings could tame the wild creatures.

King William I first used the unicorn on his coat of arms in the 12th century. King James III placed the one-horned animal on his monies during the 15th century. And in the 16th and 17th centuries, King James VI continued the tradition by placing two unicorns on his shield (he eventually changed one of the animals to a lion when he became King James I of England and Ireland, to show a unified country).

Today, you’ll spot unicorns across the country on weathervanes, building facades and royal palaces.

Another mythical animal that’s the national symbol of a Celtic country is the Welsh Dragon, Y Ddraig Goch. Used as a battle standard for King Arthur, the dragon’s appearance was first officially recorded in 829 AD.

When the Tudors came to power in England, the Welsh dragon was used to support the coat of arms topped by the English crown on Henry VII’s banner. 

Today, you can “visit” the dragons of Wales at Caerphilly Castle, where detailed models of the creatures in the Dragon’s Lair are turning the 750-year-old monument into a tourist attraction.