Albion
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{{otheruses1|the archaic name for Great Britain}}
[[Image:white cliffs of dover 09 2004.jpg|320px|thumb|The [[white cliffs of Dover]].]]
'''Albion''' (Ἀλβίων) is the oldest known name of the island of [[Great Britain]]. Today, it is used romantically to refer to the [[United Kingdom]], especially [[England]] and occasionally [[Scotland]]. It is the basis of the [[Scottish Gaelic]] name for Scotland, ''[[Alba]]''.
==Etymology==
Gallo-Latin ''Albiōn'' ([[Middle Irish]] ''Albbu'') is from a [[Proto-Celtic]] stem ''*Alb-i̯en-''. Together with other [[toponym]]s such as ''[[Alps|Alpes]]'' it may either derive from a [[Proto-Indo-European language|Proto-Indo-European]] root ''*albh-'' "white" (also found in in [[Welsh language|Welsh]] ''elfydd'' meaning "world" and in the Germanic [[Elves]]), or may be of pre-Indo-European origin.<ref>[[IEW]] (1959), s.v. "albho-".</ref>
It is often hypothesised that the [[Roman Empire|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").
==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 "[[Πρεττανικη]]" (Britanic) archipelago is somewhat blurry, and appears to include anything he considers a western island, including ''[[Thule]]''.<ref>G. F. Unger, ''Rhein. Mus.'' xxxviii., 1883, pp. 156-196.</ref>
By the [[1st century AD]], the name refers unequivocally to Great Britain.
The [[Pseudo-Aristotle|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 shall 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. (Scotland)|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 [[James Cook|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 (video game)|Fable]] is set in a fictional land called Albion, which is a [[allegory]] for Britain. The [[Fable 2|sequel]] will also be set in Albion.
*''[[Down in Albion]]'' is a album by British band [[Babyshambles]]: "dreaming of sailing to the fictional land of Arcadia on the "Good ship Albion"".
*[[Ireland|Irish]] [[Black metal]] band [[Primordial (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 (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 remains, sleeping now to rise again.''
*British rock band [[Jethro_Tull_(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 Albion Band]] was a British electric folk band with varying membership but always including [[Ashley Hutchings]], existing from 1972 until 2002.
*[[HMS Albion]] has been the name of several large Royal Navy warships.
==References==
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[[Category:History of the British Isles]]
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