The Paris 2024 Olympics and Paralympics unveiled the Phryges as their official mascots this week, showing off cartoonish images that are meeting with wide-ranging reactions.
Phryges are small Phrygian caps, which represent a strong symbol of liberty, inclusivity and the ability of people to support great and meaningful causes. They are kitted out in a red, white and blue colourway, with the golden Paris 2024 logo emblazoned across their chests.
The two mascots share a motto of “Alone we go faster, but together we go further”, and the Olympic Phryge is described as “a tactician with a calculating brain”, while the Paralympic Phryge is “spontaneous and full of energy and enthusiasm”.
It's a symbol of revolution and freedom, of striving. It's an icon seen over centuries, from the Notre Dame Cathedral to the Eiffel Tower.
More specifically, it's the red bonnet famously worn by Marianne, the artistic personification of the free French republic.
Julie Matikhine, the brand manager of the Paris 2024 Games, said of the Phryges: “It is a mascot who embodies the French spirit. An ideal that carries the values of our country, a part of our history and a singular point of view on the world.”
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