With the Paris Olympics set to kick off in two days, you might notice a curious red character popping up in advertisements or during the event itself.

Is it a bird? Is it a plane?

No, it is the Olympic Phryge, the mascot for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

This year’s mascot was modelled after the phrygian cap, a soft conical headdress with a point that curls forward.

The 2024 Olympic mascots will be everywhere during the Games. Source: IOC

It was worn by various civilisations throughout history, but became known as a symbol of liberty in France during the 1789-1799 French Revolution.

Phrygian caps, also known as liberty caps, are still often used as a metaphor for freedom in France and in French art.

They feature on French coins and stamps, and are placed on top of the head of busts of Marianne (the personification of the French Republic) in every town hall.

The Olympic Games website states the Olympic Phryge was chosen as a mascot to symbolise freedom and “represent allegorical figures of the French republic”.

“The motto of the Olympic Phryge and Paralympic Phryge is: ‘Alone we go faster, but together we go further’, representing the ways in which the mascots, and the people of the world, can make each other better by working side by side,” the website states.

Olympic Games have had mascots since 1968, ranging from animals to building materials.

Here are five of the most memorable Olympic mascots through the ages.

Shuss – Grenoble 1968

Source: IOC

The then-unofficial Olympic mascot debuted to advertise the 1968 Winter Games at Grenoble, France.

Named Shuss, the character was meant to depict a man on skis; it was likely named after the word ‘schuss’, meaning to ski down a slope.

Although Shuss turned into an important advertisement for the Games, featured on everything from keyrings to watches, the character’s designer Aline Lafargue only had one night to prepare a plan for submission.

Haakon and Kristin – Lillehammer  1994

Source: IOC

The first Olympic mascots in human form, Haakon and Kristin were named after historical Norwegian figures Håkon IV Håkonsson, King of Norway from 1217 to 1263, and his aunt, Princess Kristina.

King Håkon’s ties to Lillehammer lie in the tale of his childhood escape from a group trying to claim the throne, during which he had to flee through Lillehammer.

Princess Kristina went on to marry the head of the enemy faction to bring peace.

The Haakon and Kristin mascots were two children dressed in medieval clothing in a nod to their historical roots, but were meant to “express the interests and visions of young people, such as environmental awareness”.

Eight pairs of young Norwegian children were also chosen to represent each region in Norway to be ‘‘living mascots’’.

That year’s Paralympic Games were represented by a teenage troll boy with an amputated knee, named Sondre after Norwegian skiing pioneer Sondre Nordheim.

Syd, Millie and Olly – Sydney 2000

Source: IOC

The mascots for Australia’s second turn as Olympic hosts were a platypus named Syd (referencing Sydney), a kookaburra named Olly (referencing Olympic) and an echidna named Millie (referencing the new millennium).

The selected native animals also symbolised water, air and earth, respectively.

Kangaroos and koalas were purposely not chosen to shine a light on Australia’s lesser-known animals.

The mascots were chosen based on Australian and international surveys, and were designed by Matthew Hatton, and represented the first time the Olympic Games had three official mascots.

Sydney’s Paralympics were represented by Lizzy the frill-necked Lizard.

Her frill was in the shape of Australia, and she symbolised the strength, determination and attitude of Paralympic athletes.

Neve and Gliz – Turin 2006

Source: IOC

Neve (snow in Italian) and Gliz (short for ghiaccio, meaning ice in Italian) were depicted as as a humanoid snowball and ice cube, respectively.

The result of an international contest launched three years before the 2006 Winter Games, they were designed to represent the fundamental elements required for successful Winter Games and to personify winter sports.

Neve was linked to harmony and elegance of movement, while Gliz represented athletic power and strength.

The 2006 Paralympic mascot was a snowflake names Aster; as every snowflake is known for being unique, Aster represented the unique way each individual can practise sport, in addition to their unique way of life.

Wenlock – London 2012

Source: IOC

This mascot, which emerged as the winning design of a competition launched in 2008, was named after the Shropshire town of Much Wenlock, which still hosts the traditional Much Wenlock Games that helped inspire the modern Olympics.

Cutting quite the unusual figure, Wenlock was designed to look like he was made from one of the last drops of steel used to build London’s Olympic Stadium.

The light on his head was based on the lights found on the city’s iconic black cabs, and the shape of his forehead matched the Olympic Stadium roof.

His eye was a camera lens, filming everything he saw, his bracelets represented the Olympic rings, and the three points on his head represented the three podium places available for medal winners.

The 2012 Paralympic mascot was Mandeville, named after the birthplace of the Stoke Mandeville Games, which were a predecessor of the modern Paralympic Games.

Like Wenlock, Mandeville was metallic, had a camera for an eye, and a London cab light on its head.