Maybe like how Argentina is named after argent and Brazil after the brasil tree, some superficial or subjective characteristics can be used to name some areas, but it makes sense to have some areas named after local tribes, or even what the tribes name their land but latinised.
What are some possible, entirely invented names, in some ASB TL where Romans discover and colonise the Americas. What would the continents be named, and divided as? What could they be named after?
I think in a quasi-fascist Russia, there can develop a nasty form of anti-semitism, similar to the ideology of the black hundreds. What would you say would be the fate of the Ukrainian and Belorussian identities?
It uses a biblical allegory (Moses leading his people away from the tyrant Pharaoh, the theme being that opposing tyranny is obeying god) that can be changed around to be a bit more authoritarian. I'll see tonight what I can come up with and tell you.
Oh, I guess Uncle Sam would just be surreal, since there can't be any founding daddy on the seal, perhaps lets just depict Archangel Michael squashing a figure representing all the evils boiled down into one, the only problem is that it would look too Orthodox. I'd look to C.S. heraldry for...
I was thinking him standing and someone prostrating in front of him, and that'd be the obverse side. Who should be depicted prostrating? Custer? Who is considered a founding father of the R.U.?
If not Gabriel, than we can have Archangel Michael, who seems to be honoured by protestants? He would be depicted as having a sword of fire and a shield.
I just referred to Gabriel as she out of the stereotype of heraldic angels being female, disregard that :p. So Gabriel could very well be depicted as a man, perhaps in the flowing robes that archangels are associated with? Or how else would Gabriel be depicted?
I really wanted a R.U. figurehead kneeling in front of Archangel Gabriel herself, and that'd go in the middle of the seal, maybe that'd be the obverse side? I don't want to make a redux of the OTL great seal too much.
I don't think those depictions of archangels are too "Catholic-y" :p perhaps in TTL such depictions are used more and more in protestant usage as to it being not Catholic at all?