![]() The City of London is very fortunate in so many ways, but today I am thinking particularly of its having not one but two guardian giants. Gog and Magog made their most recent outing at this year's Lord Mayor's show, leading the way as they always do. But how come the City has these giants and what on earth is the story behind them? As with all myths, it doesn't make too much sense if you try to analyse it, so I recommend that you don't think about it too hard! The Roman emperor Diocletian had 33 wicked daughters, whom he attempted to marry off to 33 husbands. The daughters weren't keen on this idea and under the leadership of Alba, one of them, plotted to murder their sleeping husbands. Not all together surprisingly, Diocletian decided at this point to cut off the daughters and they were cast adrift in a boat. Evenutally they washed up on the shores of a land that came to be called Albion, after Alba. Here they settled down with the local demons (clearly men much more to their taste) and raised a race of wicked giants. (You will just have to bear with me on this...) Cut to the arrival of Brutus, grandson of Aeneas, who has fled from Troy (yes I know the dates don't match) and arrives with his champion a huge man called Corineus. Corineus fought with the leader of the giants whose name was Gogmagog. Still with me? Gogmagog was thrown into the sea and as a reward Corineus got the western part of the country which was named after him and which we know today as Cornwall. And another version is that it was the Greek King Aegeas who had the daughters and not Diocletian and yet another that Gog and Magog were giants taken prisoner by Brutus and chained up at the gates of his capital New Troy, which became London. Originally the two giants seem to have been known as Gogmagog and Corineus but somewhere along the line Corineus disappeared and what we have now are Gog who carries a mace and Magog who carries a shield with a phoenix on it. Given that Corineus was the victor that seems a bit unfair to me but there you are. The statues have been in Guildhall for centuries. The current ones date from 1954, replacing 18th century ones destroyed in the blitz. They in their turn replaced 17th century ones, which being made of wicker and paste were apparently eaten by rodents. An earlier set were burnt in the Great Fire in 1666. Naughty children were told that they must behave lest they be eaten by the giants and there is a great short story by Charles Dickens which describes the statues coming to life and consuming prodigious quantities of wine. Giants have featured in coronation processions and in the Lord Mayor's procession since the 15th century. The statues in Guildhall are far too heavy to move and the Worshipful Company of Basketmakers gave the wicker ones that we see in the Lord Mayor's Show. They live for the rest of the year in a large cupboard just off the Great Hall and sometimes you can get a peek. By Jo
4 Comments
3/9/2019 01:21:59 am
London is a huge place, in fact, it is far too big for a week long travel. My wife and I are planning to go visit London, however, we do not have all the time in the world. I am actually making an itinerary that we can use for our travels. I am having a hard time choosing what where we should go, so if you have any ideas, then I would really appreciate you voicing them out. I want to make this trip nice.
Reply
10/11/2022 09:14:57 am
Up white market. Happen law beat road successful page right.
Reply
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorsAs tour guides we have a wealth of fascinating facts, tips and experiences to share. Archives
November 2017
Categories |