Dum spiro spero

Dum spiro spero means "While I breathe, I hope"^[1] in Latin and is generally attributed to Cicero.^[2]

It is a motto of various places and families.

States and Towns

• The notable origin of the motto is St Andrews, Fife, Scotland. Its attribution to Saint Andrew and his bones being taken to this small fishing village on the North Sea, contributed to its direct linkage between the saying, the town, the University of St Andrews and the Saint.

• It is also the state motto of South Carolina, adopted in 1776. On March 26, 1776, the Provincial Congress of South Carolina set up an independent government, and the motto formed a part of official great seal, created by W. H. Drayton.

• Dum Spiro Spero was the state motto for the Kingdom of Sarawak.

• Dum Spiro Spero is the motto of the Principality of Hutt River, and appears on their coat of arms.

• Dum Spiro Spero is the motto of Burstow Park House, in Surrey England and also appear on their coat of arms.

Families

Dum spiro spero is the family motto of numerous families worldwide, including:

• the Bushnell family display the motto on their coat of arms (of English origin) While I have breath I hope.
• the Baker family
• the Bonnington-Carter (de Lusignan/Markoullé) family (direct descendents of the Frankish Kings and Lords of Cyprus) display the motto on their coat of arms. The motto is believed to represent the family's desire to return to their ancestral homelands in the Levant/Poitou after the Crusades (of Frankish Cypriot/English origin)
• the Brooke family display the motto on their coat of arms (of Rajah of Sarawak origin)
• the Pearson family display the motto above their coat of arms (of English origin)
• the Gahan family display the motto above their coat of arms. (of Irish origin)
• the Spearman family display the motto above their coat of arms
• the Bisschoff family display the motto beneath their family crest. (of German origin)
• the Casement family (of Norman origin)
• the Darlington family
• the Davies family (of Welsh origin)
• the Dearden family
• the Dillon family (of Irish origin)
• the Durden family (of English origin)
• the Durr family
• the Doran family (of Irish origin).
• the Dullaghan family (of Irish origin)
• the Flude family
• the Goins family (of Irish origin)
• the Harding family crest is a stag and anchor and underneath the shield reads the motto Dum Spiro Spero
• the Harman family (of English origin)
• the Hensley family and variants, i.e. Hensleigh, Henslie, Henslea, Ensleigh, etc. Whose origins are in England, display the motto underneath their Coat of Arms.
• the Betteridge family (of Anglo Saxon origin) use Dum Spiro Spero as their family motto.
• the Scottish Clan MacLennan, who have used it since at least the sixteenth century, and many claim that this motto was used by the MacLennans from the thirteenth century.^{[citation needed]}
• the Lee Family.
• the Liversidge family, and variants, i.e. Liversage, Liversedge, etc., who draw their name from Liversedge in West Yorkshire, England.
• the Moses family Wales.
• the Mason family.
• the Harigon family, who adopted it because over many years of peril and distress they hoped for a land of many sheep and pastures. They moved to New Zealand and harbor sheep that have been neglected on their farm, named after this famous saying.
• the Högquist family, and variants, i.e. Högqvist, Högkvist, etc., from Gotland in Sweden
• the Hunter family shield is a Greyhound's head and underneath the crest lies the moto: Dum Spiro Spero
• the Bushell, Bushnell and Bussell family, possibly since they held a family seat in Somerset, England. Some believe that the usage pre-dates other usages of the motto in the context of a family motto.^{[citation needed]}
• the Lindsay family of Scotland, who also use the motto Endure Forte. These are engraved in the garden walls at Edzell Castle in Angus, Scotland.
• Sir Homi Mody, K.B.E.
• the Roberts family, whose coat of arms is azure, a chevron argent, with an eagle crest and unicorns for supporters.
• the Salmon family, whose origins are in Scotland, display the motto underneath the family shield, which bears six fleurs-de-lis and six salmon (fish).
• the Sharp family, whose origins lie in Scotland, specifically the north western Bute region.
• the Sparks family.^[3]
• the Stanton family, whose coat of arms bears a demi-lion, red, white, and black coloring, and a shield with numerous spires.
• the Swainson family, whose coat of arms bears a lions head, six diamonds and a speared boars head also display the motto below their shield.
• The Williamson family whose coat of arms has a red shield and three fleurs-de-lis with crown and hawk and the motto underneath, this family name also has direct links to William the Conqueror.
• Woodes Rogers, famous pirate hunter & Governor of The Bahamas during the Golden Age of Piracy, displays this motto above his head in a well preserved original family portrait (dated 1729) filled with emblems of his life & career.
• the Metford family of Canada, whose coat of arms bears a leopard pierced with an arrow & the motto scrolled below.
• Johann "von Meyer" Dresden Germany was ennobled and given the title "baron" the "von" in front of Meyer ( a small "v" meaning a title) this included a Crest and Motto of "Dum Spiro Spero" this commemorating his Philanthropy.
• the McGahon family (County Londonderry, Northern Ireland), whose coat of arms bears 3 fish with the motto displayed beneath.^{[citation needed]}
• the Bezdekovsky family (Czech republic, Prague)
• the Olphert family (Ballyconnell, Ireland) The motto and the family coat of arms is still visible above the door at Ballyconnell House, Donegal [1]
• the Dillon family whose coat of arms displays a lion surrounded by three crescents. It is the Irish-Norman form of De Leon from the town of Lyon in central France.^{[citation needed]}
• the Jelenkovic family (of Serbian origin) whose coat of arms has a deer horns with red ribbon and the motto scrolled below.^{[citation needed]}
• the Gaughan family: whose coat of arms bears the motto, and three fish.^{[citation needed]}
• the Morgan family^{[citation needed]}
• the Clifton family^{[citation needed]}
• The Partridge Family: whose coat of arms bears the motto. See, A genealogical and heraldic dictionary of the landed gentry of England ..., Volume 2 By Sir Bernard Burke

Organizations

Dum spiro spero is the motto of the Asthma Sinus Allergy Program at Greater Baltimore Medical Center [ASAP@GBMC] located in Maryland.

Dum spiro spero is the motto of David Collett Hall at Loughborough University located in Leicestershire, England.

Dum spiro spero is the motto of the 68th Royal Air Force Apprentice entry at RAF Halton Buckinghamshire, England.

Dum spiro spero is the motto of the Don Popadopolis Dopescurvy, SEM the Hegemon.

Dum spiro spero is the motto of Czech Army's 601st Special Forces Group.

Dum spiro spero is the motto of dispute STROPDAS, dispute of the Dutch rowing association Thêta.

Dum spiro spero is the motto of Russian naval special team.

Dum spiro spero is the motto of Fairfield College, Hamilton, New Zealand.

In Entertainment

Usage In Literature

In Jules Verne's novel In Search of the Castaways, the character Jacques Paganel quotes it (shortened into "Spiro Spero") as his personal motto.

Usage In TV

The motto is seen tattooed on Lucas North's shoulders, a character from the BBC show Spooks.

Usage In Romans

It is written on an old castle's ruins in the key scene of William Styron's Set this house on fire.

Usage in games

It is also used in the soundtrack of the horror game Clive Barker's Undying.

Usage in comics

Seen on the last page of The Mighty Thor #157^[4], the first conclusion of the Mangog storyline.

Usage in music

• The phrase is used as the title for a concert band work by composer Chris Pilsner^[5]
• Dum Spiro Spero is the title of the eighth album by Japanese rock band Dir En Grey.^[6]

• "Dum Spiro Spero" is the title of a song by David J Roch from his EP "This Is For You Whether I Have Met You Or Not" 2011.
• "Dum Spiro Spero" is the title of a track by Australian band The Daylight Curse from the album "While I Breathe I Hope" 2003.

References

1. ^ http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dum%20spiro,%20spero merriam-webster.com
2. ^ letters to Atticus
3. ^ http://sparksfamilytree.net/
4. ^ Thor v.1 #157 (Oct. 1968) "Behind Him... Ragnarok!"
5. ^ http://chrispilsner.com/dum-spiro-spero
6. ^ http://direngrey.co.jp/