Everything about Albion totally explained
Albion (Ἀλβίων) is the oldest known name of the island of
Great Britain. Today, it's used romantically to refer to the
United Kingdom, especially
England and occasionally
Scotland. It is the basis of the
Celtic language name for Scotland,
Alba.
Etymology
Gallo-Latin
Albiōn (
Middle Irish Albbu) is from a
Proto-Celtic stem
*Alb-i̯en-. Together with other toponyms such as
Alpes it may either derive from a
Proto-Indo-European root
*albh- "white" (also found in in
Welsh elfydd meaning "world" and in the Germanic
Elves), or may be of pre-Indo-European origin.
It is often hypothesised that the
Romans took it as connected with
albus (white), in reference to the
White cliffs of Dover and
Alfred Holder's
Alt-Keltischer Sprachschatz (1896) unhesitatingly translates it
Weissland ("white-land").
The Albiones
There was a
Celtiberian tribe called the
Albiones on the north coast of
Spain in western
Asturias, mentioned by
Pliny.
The name of the Asturian
Albiones is attested on the "stele of Nicer Clutosi" found near
Vegadeo, which has the inscription
» ☧ NICER CLUTOSI (filius) C(astello) CARIACA PRINCIPIS ALBIONUM AN(norum) LXXV HI(c) S(itus) EST
" Nicer, [son] of Clutoso of the castle[?] of Cariaca, [ofthe house] of the prince of the Albiones, [diedaged] 75 years, lies here."
It has been suggested that the ethnonym as a term for the "Celts of the extreme west" was transferred from Asturias to Great Britain: Pytheas' grasp of the "
Πρεττανικη" archipelago is somewhat blurry, and appears to include anything he considers a western island, including
Thule.
Alternatively, there could have been two tribes called
Albiones (or a single tribe in origin divided by migration), compare the
Parisii of France and of Yorkshire, or the
Brigantes of northern England and of
Galicia.
Both western Iberia and southern Great Britain had been reached by
Celtic expansion in the
7th to
6th centuries BC, showing exposure to
Hallstatt D but not to
La Tène influence.
Attestation
The early writer (6th century BC) whose
periplus was translated by
Avienus at the end of the 4th century AD (see
Massaliote Periplus) doesn't 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.
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 Ierne."
Pliny the Elder, in his
Natural History (4.16.102) likewise has:
» "It was itself named Albion, while all the islands about which we'll soon briefly speak were called the Britanniae."
Cultural references
Various British football clubs bear the name Albion, the highest profile being
West Bromwich Albion F.C., based in the West Midlands. Others include
Burton Albion F.C., based in Burton upon Trent,
Stirling Albion F.C. and
Albion Rovers F.C. in
Scotland and
Brighton & Hove Albion F.C., based on the south coast. There is also at least one rugby club to use the name -
Plymouth Albion R.F.C., based in Plymouth.
The original lyrics to
Advance Australia Fair contain a reference to Albion in the second verse:
» 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.
The videogame
Fable is set in a fictional land called Albion. The
sequel will also be set in Albion.
The title of a
Babyshambles single from the album which also shares one of the songs lyrics:
Down in Albion. also Pete Doherty and Carl Barat dreamed they'd a boat named the Albion using it to get to Arcadia.
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"
The British rock band Led Zeppelin also makes mention of Albion in the song "Achilles Last Stand," on the 7th studio album Presence:
Oh Albion remains, sleeping now to rise again.
The British rock band
Jethro Tull references
Albion in their song "Coronach" from the "20 Years of Jethro Tull Boxed Set".
The pejorative
sobriquet perfidious Albion takes its meaning from this old name for Britain.
The South Australian band The Avi Sol. mention Albion in the song The Vagrants "Albion sleeps to rise again"
Further Information
Get more info on 'Albion'.
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