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Albion

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For other uses, see the archaic name for Great Britain.
The white cliffs of Dover.

Albion (Template:Lang-el) is the oldest known name of the island of Great Britain. It is thought to derive from the white cliffs of Dover. Today, it is still sometimes used poetically to refer to the island or England inparticular. It is also the basis of the Scottish Gaelic name for Scotland, Alba.

Etymology

Gallo-Latin Albiōn (cf. Middle Irish Albbu) derives from the Proto-Celtic * Alb-i̯en-, sharing the same stem as Welsh elfydd "earth, world". Together with other toponyms such as Alpes The Latin word alba is the feminine singular form of albus, meaning white in English.

Attestation

The early writer (6th century BC) whose periplus was translated by Avienus at the end of the 4th century AD (see Massaliote Periplus) does not use the name Britannia; he speaks of nesos 'Iernon kai 'Albionon: the islands of the Ierni and the Albiones. Likewise, Pytheas of Massilia (ca. 320 BC) speaks of Albion and Ierne. But Pytheas' grasp of the νῆσος Πρεττανική nesos Prettanicé (Britanic island) is somewhat blurry, and appears to include anything he considers a western island, including Thule.[1]

By the 1st century AD, the name refers unequivocally to Great Britain. The Pseudo-Aristotelian text De mundo (393b) has:

Ἐν τούτῳ γε μὴν νῆσοι μέγισται τυγχάνουσιν οὖσαι δύο, Βρεττανικαὶ λεγόμεναι, Ἀλβίων καὶ Ἰέρνη
"the largest islands they reached were two, called the Britannic [isles], Albion and Iernē."

Pliny the Elder, in his Natural History (4.16.102) likewise has:

"It was itself named Albion, while all the islands about which we shall soon briefly speak were called the Britanniae."

Cultural references

Sport

Television and Film

  • In the Japanese animated TV series, Tears to Tiara, the Kingdom of Albion is where most of the action takes place.
  • In the Japanese animated TV series Code Geass, the Lancelot Albion is the name of the final variant of one of the series' most powerful Britannian Knightmare Frames.
  • Albion is the name of the Pegasus-class warship which serves the protagonists of the Japanese OVA Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory.
  • The television series Merlin appears to take place in a fictionalised version of Britain called Albion. Many places in the Albion of Merlin share names with real British locations.
  • In the television series Robin of Sherwood, Albion is the sword he is given by Herne the Hunter.
  • In the television series Doctor Who, Albion Hospital first appears in Aliens of London. It shows up again in the two part episode The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances where it takes on a more important role in the story. It is actually the Cardiff Royal Infirmary.

Literature

  • Used by Shakespeare in King Lear in reference to England: "Then shall the realm of Albion / Come to great confusion" (III.ii.91-92). Possibly a play on the suspected origin of the term being "white", seeing that the Cliffs of Dover were mentioned in the preceding scene, and will be a key point of action--and confusion--later in the play.
  • In the Japanese light novel series Trinity Blood, the Albion Kingdom is the future name for Britain.
  • In the Japanese light novel series, Zero no Tsukaima, the Kingdom of Albion is the island belonging to the continent of Halkeginia, akin to England being an island nation of real-world Europe.
  • In the book Keep the Aspidistra Flying by George Orwell, New Albion is the ad company by whom the main character is employed.
  • The Song of Albion is a trilogy of books written by the author Stephen Lawhead.
  • Pete Doherty's prose and poetry are collected under the name Books of Albion.
  • In James A. Owen's novel The Indigo King, the fourth novel in the The Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica, Britain is referred to as Albion at the time of its founding.
  • In William Blake's The Lost Boy, 1794. The term "Albion shores" is a reference to Great Britain.
  • In the webcomic Aerth Saga, the dark Morgana MacBryde attempts to 'bring about the return of Albion', her ancient Kingdom, which in modern day history of the story, is referred to collectively as The Kingdom.

Music

When gallant Cook from Albion sail'd,
To trace wide oceans o'er,
True British courage bore him on,
Till he landed on our shore.
  • Down in Albion is an album by British band Babyshambles: "dreaming of sailing to the fictional land of Arcadia on the "Good ship Albion"".
  • Irish black metal band Primordial recently referred to Albion in a song off their To the Nameless Dead album named "Heathen Tribes" with the line And shadows of ancient Albion in relation to the beginning of the British Empire.
  • Folk metal band Skyclad made reference to Albion in a song from their album Folkémon entitled "Think Back and Lie of England" with the line: "Fake alibis for Albion"
  • British rock band Led Zeppelin makes mention of Albion in the song "Achilles Last Stand", on their 7th studio album: Oh Albion will remain, sleeping now to rise again.
  • British rock band Jethro Tull references Albion in their song "Coronach" from the 20 Years of Jethro Tull Boxed Set.
  • British metal band Cradle of Filth mentions Albion in the song "Haunted Shores" on their album Dusk... and Her Embrace: "The wolves are dead in Albion whilst the passive flocks roam free."
  • The Albion Band was a British electric folk band existing from 1972 until 2002.
  • Musician Emmy the Great refers to Albion in her song Easter Parade.
  • English Neo-Folk band "Fire And Ice" mentions Albion in their song "Gilded By The Sun": "Albion, how fine your trees stand gilded by the sun".

Gaming

Other

Places

  • Albion is the name of a small community within Maple Ridge, British Columbia, Canada. Once its own small settlement, it now designated a sub-community under the jurisdiction of the District of Maple Ridge. See also Albion Township, Ontario.
  • Albion College is the name of a small, private liberal arts college located in Albion, Michigan.
  • Albion Way is a housing estate located in Verwood, Dorset. It is also located very close to a pub called The Albion Inn.

References

  1. ^ G. F. Unger, Rhein. Mus. xxxviii., 1883, pp. 156-196.
  2. ^ The 10 people Who Shaped Sydney

www.giantmyths.com

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