Effigy facts for kids

Effigy of Ravana, a figure from the Ramayana, with burning sparklers, in Manchester, England, in 2006

An effigy is like a statue or a model of a person, often made to be life-sized. People use effigies for many different reasons. Sometimes, they are used in protests to show strong feelings about a politician or a leader. Other times, effigies are part of special traditions and celebrations, like holidays such as New Year or Easter. In the past, some cultures even used effigies to represent people who could not be caught for a crime. The word "effigy" is also used for certain traditional sculptures, such as figures on tombs or portraits on coins.

There are many connections between the different ways effigies are used. For example, traditional holiday effigies can sometimes become symbols in political protests. A figure representing the "Old Year" or Judas in Latin America might be replaced with the effigy of a disliked politician. Traditional forms are also borrowed for protests. In India, protest effigies often look like the ten-headed demon king Ravana, similar to figures in the traditional Ramlila plays. In Mexico and the United States, piñatas shaped like politicians are sometimes used in protests and broken apart.

In most cases, except for traditional art forms, effigies highlight the social or political importance of the person they show. Tomb effigies and funeral effigies display clothing and symbols that show a person's social standing. Effigies on coins are signs of a country's sovereignty (its right to rule itself). When an effigy was used in formal punishment, it was like saying the person was no longer part of society. Popular protests use effigies to make fun of or criticize a targeted politician.

Where Does the Word "Effigy" Come From?
Effigies in Protests and Politics
Effigies in Traditions and Celebrations
- Seasonal and Holiday Effigies
Effigies for Remembering People
- Royal Funeral Effigies
- Sculptures on Tombs
Other Kinds of Effigies
- Effigies on Coins
- Earth Mounds and Pottery Shapes
Images for kids
See Also

Where Does the Word "Effigy" Come From?

The word effigy was first written in English in 1539. It likely came from the French word, which itself came from the Latin word effigies. This Latin word means "copy," "image," "likeness," "portrait," or "statue."

Effigies in Protests and Politics

Hanging or burning an effigy of a political opponent is a very old and common way to show disapproval or make fun of them. For instance, in 1328, soldiers in Italy burned a straw puppet of a leader they opposed. Burning effigies in political protests is especially common in India and Pakistan. In the Philippines, this practice became popular during the successful People Power Revolution against President Marcos. Since then, effigy protests against presidents have become elaborate events.

In the British colonies in New England, effigy protests became a powerful tool against the 1765 Stamp Act. These protests helped lead to the American Revolution and the founding of the United States. After that, it became a common way to express political views in the US. Almost every US President has been represented in an effigy protest at some point.

A well-known British example of a political effigy is the figure of Guy Fawkes. He was one of the people who tried to harm King James I in 1605 by trying to blow up the House of Lords. Just one year later, November 5th was made a holiday to celebrate the king's survival, with bonfires. Soon after, people started burning effigies of Guy Fawkes. Traditionally, children make effigies from old clothes filled with straw. Communities also build their own bonfires. Today, Lewes, on the south coast of England, has very elaborate celebrations for Guy Fawkes Night. Different groups make effigies of important and unpopular figures in current events. They burn these alongside effigies of Guy Fawkes and the Pope.

In Port Said, Egypt, an effigy called "al-Limby" is burned during the Spring Festival. This tradition began after the First World War. Demonstrators burned an effigy of British High Commissioner for Egypt Lord Allenby during a protest against British troops in the city. Later in the 20th century, it became common to portray current figures disliked by Egypt as the al-Limby. During the Arab Spring, effigies of President Mubarak and other Egyptian politicians were displayed and burned as the al-Limby.

Effigies in Traditions and Celebrations

Burning effigies is part of many rituals that mark the change of seasons. These traditions are performed all over Europe. The figures usually represent things like winter, the old year, or other challenging forces. Burning them celebrates the yearly cycle of life, like the end of winter and the return of spring. Most of these traditions happen around New Year, at the end of Carnival, or in the week before Easter.

Seasonal and Holiday Effigies

Many of these traditions have spread as people moved to other countries. European settlers brought their customs to new lands, where they sometimes mixed with local traditions. In Latin American countries, the Spanish tradition of burning Año Viejo (the Old Year) on New Year's Eve and Judas on Good Friday is widely practiced. Judas effigies are also burned in the Philippines. In Mexico, a hard papier-mâché figure representing Judas is sometimes destroyed with fireworks.

The tradition of burning Guy Fawkes effigies has also been brought to places like New England, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

In 1971, professors at Lake Superior State University started a new tradition of burning a snowman on the first day of spring. This was inspired by a festival in Germany. In that festival, a parade ends with the mayor asking children to be good. If they promise, a straw snowman is burned, and spring officially arrives.

The Marzanna ritual represents the end of winter's dark days and the welcoming of spring. Marzanna is a Slavic goddess linked to winter. This ritual involves burning a female straw effigy or drowning it in a river, or both. It is a folk custom in Poland, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic, taking place on the first day of spring.

Effigies for Remembering People

Effigies have also been used to remember important people, especially royalty.

Royal Funeral Effigies

Funeral effigies made from wood, cloth, and wax were important in royal funeral rituals in early modern France and England. These effigies represented the idea of the king's lasting power and importance. The effigy would be dressed in royal clothes and treated as if it were alive, while the real body remained hidden. After a new king was crowned, these effigies were stored away.

The museum at Westminster Abbey has a collection of English royal wax effigies. Some of these date back to Edward III of England, who died in 1377. In the 18th century, other important people were also honored with funeral effigies. Examples include British Prime Minister Pitt the Elder and naval hero Horatio Nelson.

From the funeral of Charles II in 1685, effigies were no longer placed on the coffin. However, they were still made for later display. Charles II's effigy was displayed over his tomb until the early 19th century. Nelson's effigy became a tourist attraction. It was made the year after his death and burial in St Paul's Cathedral in 1805.

Sculptures on Tombs

A tomb effigy, also called a gisant in French, is a sculpted figure. It is usually life-sized and shows the person who died lying on a tomb monument. These sculptures were first developed in ancient Egyptian and Etruscan cultures. They became very common in Western European tombs from the late 11th century. This style continued through the Renaissance and is still sometimes used today. They typically show the deceased in a peaceful pose, often with hands folded in prayer. They might be lying on a pillow, sometimes with a dog or lion at their feet. A husband and wife may be shown lying side by side.

Other Kinds of Effigies

Effigies appear in many other forms too.

Effigies on Coins

In the study of coins (called numismatics), an "effigy" describes the portrait on the front side of a coin. This front side is commonly called "heads." The appearance and style of the effigy change based on the ruler's preference. For example, some rulers, like George VI of the United Kingdom, preferred to be shown without a crown. Others favored very formal representations. Sometimes, a ruler's reign is long enough that several different effigies are issued to show their changing appearance. This happened with Queen Victoria (three effigies over 63 years) and Elizabeth II. Queen Elizabeth II was shown with five different effigies on British coins and three different effigies on British postage stamps between her ascension to the throne in 1953 and her death in 2022.

Earth Mounds and Pottery Shapes

An Effigy mound is a term used in the archaeology of ancient America. It describes a large earthwork, like a giant drawing on the ground, shaped like an animal, symbol, human, or other figure. These mounds generally contain one or more human burials.

An Effigy vessel is a term used in the archaeology of ancient America for ceramic or stone containers. These pots, vases, or cups are shaped like an animal or human.

In southern India, effigies of the demon-king Ravana from the epic poem the Ramayana are traditionally burned during the festival of Navrati.

A wicker man was a large human-shaped statue made of wicker. It was used in ancient Celtic rituals and was burned.

Images for kids

The funeral effigy of Elizabeth of York, mother of King Henry VIII, wax, 1503, Westminster Abbey
A rare wax funerary effigy of a private person, who stipulated it be made in her will, England, 1744. Holy Trinity Church, Stow Bardolph, Norfolk.
"Grand Rababou" is burned annually in the ″Carnaval des Bolzes″ of Fribourg, Switzerland
Modern Marzanna (goddess) effigy, Poland
Welsh children with their Guy Fawkes effigy in November 1962. The sign reads "Penny for the Guy".
Every year The Man is burned at the Burning Man festival, Nevada