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SCMP Reporter

WHILE English coins or stamps represent Queen Elizabeth II, the French use the visage of Marianne to symbolise their nationality.

   This nationally famous figure symbolises freedom and justice for the French Republic in much the same way the maxim ''Liberty, Equality, Fraternity'', served the Chinese students chanting on Tiananmen Square in 1989.

  The first mention of Marianne's name came about during the early stages of the newly born French republic, dating back to October 1792.

  First written word about Marianne was found in a song composed by Guillaune Lavabre and entitled La Garisou de Marianne (The recovery of Marianne).

  The name is said to have come about in 1797, and the story is quite charming.

   Having survived an aborted coup, the executive power in France wanted to find a pleasant name for its republic.

  During a public reception, a famous revolutionary Barras asked a simple woman for her first name, which happened to be Marie-Anne.

  ''Perfect,'' Barras said.

  ''It is brief and fits the republic as well as it fits you.''   In secret correspondence with his friends, Barras used the code of ''marianne'' to give demands to his regime.

  This nickname was to be later adopted by a secret republican society founded under the Restoration (1815-1830).

  According to Hongkong's French Consul General, Laurant Aublain, the figure of the French Republic, Marianne - wearing the Phrygian cap which symbolised its enfranchisement from royalty - first appeared in France's city halls in 1877, replacing the robustfigure of Napoleon.

  From 1881 on, the Marianne model was to be the monumental statue of the Triumph of the Republic, which is sculpted by Jules Dalou and erected at Place de la Nation, in Paris.

  More recently, Marianne was modelled from well-known French women: Brigitte Bardot in the 1970s and early 1980s; and Catherine Deneuve in the late 1980s and last year.

 Does Marianne still have a symbolic significance in France?   ''Its meaning differs according to the age and the profession'' said Genevieve Schaefer, cultural attache for the French Consulate.

  ''For those over 30, it certainly represents freedom. For younger people, its significance is probably minor.''   Mr Aublain said Marianne was a warrior woman, fighting against the dictatorial regime, as well as against threatening neighbouring nations.

    ''Altogether, Marianne remains a paradox of strength and femininity, very much like France's treasured historical women such as Jeanne Hachette, Jeanne d' Arc or Saint Genevieve,'' said Mr Aublain.

  ''Marianne is, at the same time, strong, generous and romantic,'' added Regis Anouil, who studied French history at Harvard University.

  ''The famous painting by Eugene Delacroix, where Marianne, bare-breast, carrying the three-coloured flag, is leading the French people on to the barricades, perfectly illustrates this idea.''   Although highly meaningful in France, it appears that Marianne remains a mystery abroad.

  ''The symbolism in Hongkong is certainly not as strong as the one of the Rooster,'' said Mr Aublain.



Simple woman nation's symbol