Читать книгу Old London Town - Will Owen - Страница 7
ОглавлениеGog and Magog
On either side of the west window in the Great Hall of the Guildhall stand two gigantic figures known to the multitude as Gog and Magog respectively; but to the more erudite, such as you and I, dear reader, the one is Gogmagog and the other Corineus.
The story of these giants dates back to the earliest days.
This is one story—it is not altogether convincing, but I give it for what it is worth. The Emperor Diocletian of Troy had thirty-three wicked daughters who murdered their respective husbands, and being banished by their indignant father, arrived in Britain, where they married demons and had giants for their sons.
So far so good.
One of these giant sons was Albion, who ruled over Britain until the arrival of Brutus of Troy, who attempted to wrest the kingdom from him.
Brutus was at first unsuccessful but triumphed later, and Albion was slain in a hand-to-hand conflict, and at the same time Albion's two giant brothers, Gog and Magog, were captured.
That, as I say, is one story; but there is another to the effect that Corineus, the brother of Brutus, was the slayer of Albion, and that it is his effigy in Trojan armour that appears facing Gogmagog—the conqueror and the conquered.
