The oldest national anthem without a text is considered to be the Spanish national anthem. It was composed in 1761, and its author is Manuel de Espinos de los Monteros. The melody he wrote was played during major state events, such as when the Grenadines were in troops before the king. It was then that it was declared by Charles III as the country’s official “march of honor” in 1770.
The song became officially used as Spain’s national anthem on January 8, 1771. Over time, attempts were made to add text to it, but they were not authorized, so it remains one of the four wordless anthems of the world. Despite this, Spain’s anthem music has been used for various events, including international sporting events and official ceremonies.
Other countries that currently have wordless anthems are San Marino, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Many attempts have been made to introduce text into the anthems of these countries, but to no avail. In particular, the absence of words in the anthem of Bosnia and Herzegovina and San Marino is due to the need to avoid favoring one ethnic group over any other. These countries have a complex ethnic and cultural structure with different nationalities and therefore a symbolic unification of all citizens is important.
In San Marino, there have also been attempts to adapt the text to modern realities, but the lack of a unified consensus has resulted in the anthem remaining wordless. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, where the polity includes three main ethnic groups (Serbs, Croats and Bosniaks), keeping the musical form of the anthem without text helps to avoid political disagreements and conflicts.
Thus, wordless anthems remain relevant in countries where neutrality and inclusiveness are important, allowing citizens of different ethnic and cultural groups to feel like equal members of society.
