‘London’ calling
WE all live in this incredible, buzzing, energising city called London.
But what does the name London actually mean and where on earth does it come from?
It’s actually a question that has bugged and bothered experts, historians and Londoners alike for centuries.
Londinium
Of course most of us think of Londinium, the Latinised name given to London after the Romans first decided to set up a stronghold here on the muddy banks of the River Thames sometime after AD43 – that’s almost 2,000 years ago.
Their formidable armies had just swept across the south of England putting the British tribes to the sword and they immediately realised how strategically important the location was, right next to the mighty River Thames. They realised straight away it was a place from where Britain could be commanded. Their settlement which was about the size of Hyde Park, was built just where the river was narrow enough to be bridged.
Prehistoric London
But actually London is probably much much older than that. Humans have been hunting, if not settling in the region of London for half a million years, so we should be looking much further back than the Romans. Prehistoric hunting camps have been found by archaeologists on Hampstead Heath and a Neolithic pot was discovered here. Flint tools have been found in Southwark dating right back to the Mesolithic period Middle Stone Age. This is way back in the mists of time some 11,000 years ago. There were probably no settlements at this time, but there’s enough evidence to suggest groups of people were living and hunting and possibly beginning to set up farms in the Thames Valley.
Bronze Age
The earliest proper settlements in London may well date to the Bronze Age, 2,000 years or so before the Romans arrived. The remains of a Bronze Age bridge were found in 1993 on the Thames’ southern foreshore, upstream from Vauxhall Bridge.
It seems this bridge either crossed the Thames, or went to a now lost island in the river. The timbers have been dated as far back as 1750 BC and 1285 BC.
So there were definitely settlements to the south of the river at this time.
A Trojan Prince
The medieval writer, Geoffry of Monmouth said London was founded around 1,000 BC by Brutus or Troy, a prince who was descended from the rulers of the great ancient city of Troy in Turkey.
His legend tells that he sailed to Britain and defeated a giant called Gogmagog before setting up the city which he called ‘Caer Troia’ or ‘New Troy’. The idea of Lon- don being spawned from such a famous ancient city, linked to the legends of Achilles and Odysseus would be incredible, but sadly Geoffry of Monmouth seems to have enjoyed embellishing his history with a fair chunk of imagination.
Celtic centre
A very good explanation of the origins of the name is given by author Peter Ackroyd, the man who has written so many incredible books about the city including an absolutely must-read biography.
As Mr Ackroyd so clearly explains, it’s often thought the name was of Celtic origin which means it is much older than the Romans The Celts were settled in Britain for at least 1,000 years before the Romans ever got here. But even if it is Celtic, the actual meaning of the word is still not clear.
It could be from the Celtic ‘Lindun’ – ‘Dun’ meaning stronghold or fort, and ‘Lin’ meaning ‘by the lake’.
Or it could be ‘Lendon’, meaning ‘long hill’ – we know the Celts worshipped natural features like hills and streams and even buried their dead under mounds.
It might be ‘Lund’ from the ancient British word for marsh. This would certainly fit its low-lying location by the muddy banks of the Thames – which in those days were a lot more marshy than they are now.
Or it could even come from the Celtic word ‘Londos’ or ‘fierce’, which might have been a description of the Celtic tribesmen who lived here.
Others believe the name comes from a certain King Lud, a man who Celtic mythology suggests ruled in the first century AD. He was supposed to have been a great king who laid out the city proper for the first time and is said to be buried by Ludgate. It seems to make sense. But this version was also written by the somewhat suspect Geoffrey of Monmouth.
Roman Letters
The earliest written mention of London was found in a letter which was only discovered in 2016. It was dated between AD 65–80 and it reads simply ‘Londinio Mogontio’ meaning “In London, to Mogontius”.
Down the ages many other etymologist, historians and even fantasists have speculated the name comes from places as far and wide as France, Germany and even Liguria in northern Italy.
Some philologists now suggest the name comes from Indo-European roots which basically means it has its origins in some of the earliest civilisations in the world. This explanation suggests it comes ‘plowonida’, meaning ‘fast-flowing river’.
What is certain though is that whatever its name, it has been pronounced and written down in hundreds of different ways throughout the centuries,
It has been Caer Lud, Lundin, Londunis, Lundino, Lundinun, Londinium, Lundein or Lundyn and many many more.
The truth of course, and perhaps we should all just admit it, is that we just don’t know. What we do know though is it’s a great sounding name for.
As Peter Ackroyd points out, the name London with its two consecutive ‘o’ sounds can be thought of as sounding a bit like thunder rolling through the sky, a bit like a drum role. It sounds mighty, strong, great and maybe a bit scary. And maybe that’s the point.