The History of Gog and Magog, the Champions of London by Robin Goodfellow. A children’s book, it was written by John Galt and published in 1819 by J Souter of London. Galt wrote under several pseudonyms, especially his text books and children's books.
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| Guildhall, London - source |
While many people will associate the name Gog of the land of Magog with the Bible in Ezekiel, Chapter 38, there were many other ancient myths and legends about the characters. Gog and Magog’s mythical association with London dates back to the writings of Geoffrey of Monmouth which seem to have inspired John Galt’s tale for children, as well as other works. Gog and Magog were said to have been legendary giants, who lived in a castle on the site of London’s Guildhall.
Two large statues of Gog and Magog are displayed in the Guildhall in London and are paraded each year in the Lord Mayor’s Show. The present statues date 1953, from but statues of these characters have been connected with London for many centuries. The first wooden carvings were destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666 and were replaced. Later representations were destroyed in the Blitz during WWII. Read more about the Guildhall carvings here.
John Galt weaves the legendary characters into a tale about giants, princesses, battles to save the city, with a little bit of the history of London thrown in for good measure. Galt’s tale ends –
“The renowned, the munificent, the courageous, Gog, and Magog, are gone. But their spirit will never die, it will enter into the hearts of all good citizens.”
There was probably a reason why Galt wrote this tale under the name of Robin Goodfellow. That name has an interesting history in British folklore, being linked with a mischievous spirit. Shakespeare used the name in A Midsummer Night’s Dream for Puck. In 1628 a tract was published called The Mad Pranks and Merry Jests of Robin Goodfellow.
