Historical Country Names - Nations Online Project Historical Country Names keywords: geography, historical country names, former country names, history, place name changes, historical maps List of formerly used country names and names of countries which have ceased to exist. Name changes of countries, dependencies, geographical and other regions of particular geopolitical interest. Today Abyssinia The Ethiopian Empire spans a geographical area of today Ethiopia, Eritrea , and Djibouti ,and included parts of Northern Somalia , Southern Egypt , Eastern Sudan , Yemen and Western Saudi Arabia . Abyssinia was an empire that existed for more than 800 years, from circa 1137 (beginning of Zagwe Dynasty) until 1974 when the Ethiopian monarchy was overthrown in a coup d'etat. Afars and Issas Territory formerly known as French Somaliland, the French colony was renamed to the French Territory of Afars and Issas (1967 - 1977),the territory became independent in 1977, known today as Djibouti. formerly a British protectorate became independent in 1966 as the Kingdom of Lesotho.

formerly a British protectorate became independent in 1966 as Republic of Botswana. Democratic Republic of the Congo Benadir a coastal region of Somalia; covering most of the Indian Ocean coast of the country, from the Gulf of Aden to the Juba River, formerly part of Italian Somaliland. Biafra, Republic of (named after the Bight of Biafra) today part of Bophuthatswana - nominal republic and homeland for Tswana-speaking people, 1949 reincorporated into British Bechuanaland (region) incorporated into the Cape Colony (1895) British East Africa or East Africa Protectorate British protectorate from 1890 until 1920 Kenya , Tanzania , Uganda , and parts of Somalia (Jubaland) Cape Colony, 1795-1797 British colony, 1803-1806 colony of the Batavian Republic (Netherlands), since 1910 part of Central African Republic Kenya Colony The Colony and Protectorate of Kenya was part of the British Empire in Africa. It was established when the former East Africa Protectorate was transformed into a British crown colony in 1920.

Ciskei (Republic of Ciskei)- homeland for Xhosa-speaking people, 1994 reincorporated into Dahomey ; (the Republic of Dahomey; in French: République du Dahomey), was a former French colony andpart of French West Africa until independence in 1960, in 1975 the Republic of Dahomeychanged its name in Benin. Dan Ho Me was an ancient Kingdom located in the south of today Benin. French Guinea was a French protectorate in West Africa, after independence from France in 1958 it became today Mali French West Africa was a federation of eight French colonial territories in Africa: Mauritania, Senegambia and Niger, French Sudan , French Guinea , Côte d'Ivoire, Upper Volta and Dahomey . Mauritania , The Gambia , Senegal , Niger , Mali , Guinea , Côte d'Ivoire , Burkina Faso and Benin.

German East Africa (German: Deutsch-Ostafrika) a German colony from 1885 until 1919 which included Burundi, Rwanda and Tanganyika (the mainland part of present Tanzania), an area almost three times the size of Germany today. German East Africa colony ended with the defeat of Imperial Germany in World War I. With the Treaty of Versailles the territory was divided between Britain (Tanganyika.), Belgium (Ruanda-Urundi), and Portugal (to become part of Mozambique). Hausaland, consisted of seven independent city-states: Biram, Daura, Gobir, Kano, Katsina, Rano, and Zaria.

Italian East Africa (former name for Italian possessions in eastern Africa) Kaffraria, former name for Transkei Katanga - 1960, Belgium granted independence to the Congolese province of the Mali Federation, was a country in West Africa 1959-1960, formed by a union between Malawi Portuguese East Africa (Província Ultramarina de Moçambique) Mozambique or Portuguese East Africa (officially the State of East Africa) for almost 500 years a Portuguese Colony, 1498–1975.

See also: Portugal Sahara Occidental, Spanish name for Senegambia (region; former name of the confederation of Senegal and Gambia) Songhay (Songhai), in the 16th century a major empire of the Western Sudan, in the region of South-West Africa (SWA, German: Deutsch-Südwestafrika), a German colony from 1884-1915 Spanish West Africa (former name for Ifni and Spanish Sahara) Stellaland, Republic of; annexed by the Boers later British Bechuanaland, incorporated into the Cape Colony (1895) Tanganyika Territory, united with the islands Zansibar and Pemba it became Togoland (British Togoland), since 1957 part of Transkei (former Kaffraria and one of ten "black homelands" and nominal republic, in Southeast of ) Transvaal or ZAR - Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek; today the Province Limpopo of Ubangi-Shari (Oubangui-Chari) a former French territory in central Africa, whith independence on 13 August 1960 the country became the

 Central African Republic Union of South Africa The Union of South Africa was formed on 31 May 1910 as a parliamentary union of the four self-governing British colonies: the Cape of Good Hope Province (Cape Province; previously Cape Colony), Natal Province (Natal Colony), the Orange Free State Province (Oranje Vrij Staat/Orange River Colony) and the Transvaal Province (Zuid Afrikaansche Republiek/Transvaal Colony).

The Union came to an end in 1961with a new constitution and became the "Republic of South Africa". Zaire, changed its name in 1997 to Zanzibar (island, east off the coast of Tanzania) a former protectorate of Britain. Zanzibar gained independence in1963 united with Tanganyika, today it is a semi-autonomous part of Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek (ZAR) or Transvaal colony; today the Limpopo province of Abkhazia (Region name is still in use) Bactria (Bakhtria) historical region of Greater Iran, located between the Hindu Kush mountain range and the Amu Darya (Amu river). The region was the birthplace of Zoroastrianism (Mazdaism) and later, also hosted Buddhism before becoming Muslim after the 7th century. The Cultural Landscape and Archaeological Remains of the Bamiyan Valley are a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Afghanistan with the remains of two huge standing Buddha statues which were destroyed by the Taliban in 2001.

Circassia was located east of the Black Sea and west of the Caspian Sea in the Caucasus region, it was the mountainous territory of the Circassians (Adyghe), it was wiped from the map in the late 19th century whenRussia conqueredthe Caucasus region. All Circassians were displacedfrom their homeland. Historians refer to the displacement of the Adyghe people by the Russian Empire to "the inventing of the strategy of modern ethnic cleansing and genocide". Circassia was situated north of today Georgia in the southern half of Russia's Krasnodar Krai, south of Kuban River,as well as in the Beshtau, an isolated mountainous region in Stavropol Krai, and in todays Russian Republics of Adygea, Karachay–Cherkessia, Kabardino-Balkaria, and North Ossetia–Alania, in south west Russia . East Turkestan; Eastern Turkestan; Chinese Turkestan Part of western China (Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region ) Kashmir (region) is the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent.

Until the mid-19th century, the term Kashmir geographically denoted only the Vale of Kashmir, the valley between the GreatHimalayas (in northeast) and the Pir Panjal mountain range (in southwest). Today the term Kashmir refers to a larger area that includes the Indian-administered state of Jammu and Kashmir (including the Kashmir valley and Jammu and Ladakh), the Pakistani-administered Gilgit-Baltistan and the Azad Kashmir provinces, and the Chinese-administered regions of Aksai Chin and Trans-Karakoram Tract. state during the Middle and Late Bronze Ages, it is the ancient name of Cyprus Dilmun, mentioned in ancient texts as a trade partner of Mesopotamia, although the exact location of Dilmun is unclear, it is associated with Bahrain , the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia , Qatar , Oman and nearby coast of Iran in the Persian Gulf. Galilee, Galilea is a large region in northern Israel which overlaps with much of the administrative North District of the country.

See: Map of Israel Judea, Judäa,(region) Hebrew: יהודה was the name of the mountainous southern part of the historic Land of Israel from the 8th century BC (Assyrian rule) to the 2nd century AD, when Roman Judea was renamed Syria Palaestina following the Jewish Bar Kokhba revolt. Muscat and Oman, Sultanate of Muscat and Oman until 1970 North Yemen or Yemen Arab Republic was a country from 1962 to 1990 in the western part of what is now Yemen. Ottoman Empire the Turkish empire, established in northern Anatolia by Osman I (Osman Gazi Khan) at the end of the 13th century and expanded by his successors to include all of Asia Minor and much of southeastern Europe. After setbacks caused by the invasion of the Mongol ruler Tamerlane (Timur) in 1402, the Ottomans captured Constantinople (today Istanbul) in 1453, and the empire reached its zenith under Suleiman the Magnificent (ruled 1520 to 1566).

At the height of its power, in the 16th and 17th centuries, the Ottoman Empire controlled territory in southeastern Europe, southwestern Asia, and North Africa. It had greatly declined by the 19th century and collapsed after World War I. also known as the Trucial States, Trucial Oman, and the Trucial Shaykdoms Tylos, was referredby the Greeks to today Bahrain United Arab Republic (UAR) The United Arab Republic or U.A.R., was a union between Egypt and Syria. The union began in 1958 and existed until 1961, when Syria seceded from the union. Egypt continued to be known officially as the "United Arab Republic" until 1971. The President was Gamal Abdel Nasser. During most of its existence (1958–1961) it was a member of the United Arab States, a confederation with North Yemen.

Egypt , Syria , Yemen Yemen Arab Republic (YAR) The Yemen Arab Republic, also known as North Yemen, was a country from 1962 to 1990 in the western part of what is now Yemen, its predecessor was the Mutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen (1918–1962), also known as the Kingdom of Yemen, its capital was at Taiz (Ta'izz). Yemen __Eastern Asia Cathay, (English) Cathay is the Anglicized version of "Catai" the name used for northern China, and an alternative name for: Choson, Chosen the Korean peninsula today split into Republic of Korea (South Korea) and Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) Formosa (island) Dutch Formosa, period of a colonial Dutch government (1624–1662), the Dutch East India Company established its presence on Formosa to trade with China and Japan and to prevent Portuguese and Spanish trade and colonial activities in East Asia. Spanish Formosa, a Spanish colony established in the north of of the island (1626–1642).

Taiwan Great Korean Empire was the name of the Korean empire that existed on theKorean Peninsula, from the Proclamation of the Korean Empire in October 1897 to the Annexation of Korea by Japan in 1910. The Great Korean Empire was an absolute monarchy with a constitution. Republic of Korea (South Korea) and Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) Kingdom of Tungning (1662 - 1683) The kingdom was founded by Koxinga (official name: Zheng Chenggong),on the island of Formosa. Koxinga was born in Hirado, Japan to Zheng Zhilong, a Ming dynasty admiral-pirate-merchant, and his Japanese wife. The Kingdom of Tungning was run by the Zheng family, supporting the Ming Dynasty in mainland China which was replaced by the Manchu-ruled Qing Dynasty in 1644. Koxinga wanted to use the island as a base of operations to train its Ming military forces and recapture the mainland from the Manchus. Hedied in 1662 six month after the conquest of Formosa.

His son Zheng Jing ruled the next 20 years from its court at Tainan. Annam, Anam (1883-1954) French protectorate in Central Vietnam Ayutthaya, Kingdom of; (Siam) covered Thailand , half of Cambodia , most of Laos and large areas of present day Myanmar (Burma) Bengal, region in the northeast of South Asia today divided between Bangladesh (formerly East Pakistan), and the India n federal stateWest Bengal. Balochistan or Baluchistan a region on in the Iranian Plateau in Southwest Asia, named after the local Baloch tribes of Persian origin. part of the region is now the province Balochistan in Pakistan , other areas of the region were part of today's Iran and Afghanistan . Baluchistan States Union existed between1952 and1955 in southwest British North Borneo, former British protectorate and crown colony, occupies the northern tip of the island of Borneo.

Burma, changed its name in 1989 to Ceylon in 1972 thename of the country was changed to "Free, Sovereign and Independent Republic of Sri Lanka", in 1978 the name was changed to "Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka" Map of Sri Lanka Dutch East Indies (Netherlands East Indies) was the Dutch colony that became modern Indonesia following World War II. It was formed from the nationalized colonies of the former Dutch East India Company that came under the administration of the Netherlands in 1800. Indonesia East Pakistan, a former province of Pakistan. East Pakistan was created from Bengal Province based on the 'Mountbatten Plan' in what was then British India in 1947. Eastern Bengal was given to the Dominion of Pakistan and became a province of Pakistan by the name East Bengal. East Bengal was renamed East Pakistan in 1956 and later became the country of Bangladesh after the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971, which took place after the General Elections of 1970.

British West Indies - the colonies of the British in the Caribbean: today the term refers to the British Caribbean overseas territories which are: Anguilla , Bermuda , British Virgin Islands , Cayman Islands, Montserrat , Turks and Caicos Islands. Danish West Indies or "Danish Antilles", were a colony of Denmark - Norway in the Caribbean. They were sold to the United States in 1916 in the Treaty of the Danish West Indies and became the United States Virgin Islands in 1917. US Virgin Islands French West Indies, the French overseas departments Guadeloupe and Martinique , as well as the French Caribbean Départments d'Outre Mer, include the Guadeloupe dependencies of the French part of the island St. Martin and the islands Saint-Barthélemy, Les Saintes, Marie-Galante and La Désirade.

Haiti, the Arawaks name for the island of Hispaniola New Spain (Nueva España) colonial territories of the Spanish Empire in North and Central America, including Somers Islands is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean better kown as New Spain (Nueva España) colonial territories of the Spanish Empire in North and Central America, including Mexico , Guatemala , Belize , El Salvador , Honduras , Nicaragua , Costa Rica and parts of South-West USA New Netherland, or Nieuw-Nederland in Dutch, was the 17th-century colonial province of the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands on the East Coast of North America. The settled areas are now part of the Mid-Atlantic States of New York, New Jersey, Delaware, and Connecticut, with small outposts in Pennsylvania and Rhode Island. The provincial capital, New Amsterdam, was located at the southern tip of the island of Manhattan on upper New York Bay. Today British Guiana was a British colony on the northern coast of South America, what is now the independent nation of Guyana. Capital was Georgetown . Guyana Dutch Guiana (Netherlands Guyana) Dutch colonization of the Guianas began in the beginning of the 17th century.

The colonies of Essequibo and Demerara (Demerary), Surinam, and Berbice were Dutch settlements, trading posts and plantations in the coastal areas ofthe north eastern part of South America, a region which is known as the Guianas, today divided into the countries of Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, and the north eastern part of Brazil. Capital city was Fort Zeelandia ( Paramaribo ) Venezuela , Guyana , Suriname , French Guiana , and the Amapá province of Brazil. Gran Colombia (1819-1830), the former republic consisted ofthe territories of present-day Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela, Panama, northern Peru and northwest Brazil. Inini, an inland territory of French Guiana, its capital was Saint-Élie. New Holland (2), Nieuw Holland, or also known as Dutch Brazil, was a former dutch colony on the northeast coast of Brazil 1630 - 1654. Capital city was Mauritsstad, today part of the city of Recife .

Province of Pernambuco, Brazil Terra de Santa Cruz , in the early 16th century when the Portoguese realized it was not an island but part of a continent they were about to conquer, they renamed it from 'Ilha de Vera Cruz' (Island of the True Cross) to Terra de Santa Cruz (Land of the Holy Cross). Today the region is known as Brazil. Map of Moldova Pridnestrovia (Transnistria) formerly part of the Soviet Union ( Russia ), today a breakaway state of Moldova also known as Transnistria, which claims territory between the Dniester river and the eastern border of Moldova with Ukraine . It declared independence in 1990 but is unrecognised by any United Nations member state. Transnistria is one of four post-Soviet "frozen conflict" zones. (see: Nagorno-Karabakh, Abkhazia, and South Ossetia) After the dissolution of the USSR, tensions between the newly created Moldova and the de facto sovereign state of Pridnestrovia escalated into a military conflict. Unlike the rest of Moldova Pridnestrovia had not wanted to separate from the Soviet Union.

Because of the Russian military contingent present in Transnistria, the European Court of Human Rights considers Transnistria "under the effective authority or at least decisive influence of Russia". Map of Moldova Prussia, Preussen a former kingdom of the German Empire.Originally a small country on the south eastern shores of the Baltic Sea, under Frederick the Great it became a major European power covering much of modern northeast Germany and Poland. Capital city was Königsberg (today Kaliningrad, Russia), later Berlin . (region; former name for Carpatho-Ukraine) Map of Ukraine Silesia, (in German: Schlesien) historical region of Central Europe located mostly in Poland, with smaller parts in the Czech Republic and Germany, its largest city and capital was Wrocław(Breslau). Poland , the Czech Republic and Germany . Soviet Union (1922 - 1991) short form of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), a former federation of Communist republics occupying the northern half of Asia and part of eastern Europe, capital city was Moscow . 12 constituent republics emerged from the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 as independent post-Soviet states.

Armenia , Azerbaijan , Belarus , Estonia , Georgia , Kazakhstan , Kyrgyzstan , Latvia , Lithuania , Moldova , Russian Federation (Russia) , Tajikistan , Turkmenistan , Ukraine , Uzbekistan Scotland, the former independent kingdom is today one of four constituent nations which form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, capital city is Edinburgh Albion | Merlin Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia [src] Albion is a landmass that constitutes the island currently known as Great Britain . Once, the land of Albion was united in an age of peace, during which all of its inhabitants followed the Old Religion . Now there are many kingdoms within Albion, between which peace is exceedingly rare. Their rulers are currently Queen Guinevere Pendragon , Queen of Camelot ; Lord Bayard , King of Mercia ; Queen Annis , Queen of Caerleon ; Lord Godwyn, King of Gawant and Lot (formerly Cenred ), King of Essetir and many more . Around the reign of Uther Pendragon , followers of the Old Religion were rare in Albion, and magic was banned from Camelot.

During this time of division and hostility, Kilgharrah, the Great Dragon, prophesied that together, Merlin and Arthur would reunite all the kingdoms of the land back into Albion, and revive the Old Religion to coexist in peace with the New Religion. Contents Samotheans - First Inhabitants of Britain The Samotheans - First Inhabitants of Britain According to an ancient account that has been preserved in Holinshed's Chronicle, the earliest inhabitants of the island which is now called Britain were the Samotheans. Their first king was called Samothes, and he is believed to have been Meshech, the sixth son of Japheth. Note: This history uses source material of questionable origin, known as "pseudo-Berosus". See the Lost Works of Berosus . The Samothean Kings Holinshed's Chronicle ( 1 ) is a large six-volume work, written during the Tudor period. It contains a comprehensive history of England, Scotland and Ireland, from the earliest times to shortly before the publication date (first edition 1578, second edition in 1587).

Volume I describes a succession of Samothean kings, ruling over an empire until they were invaded by a giant called Albion. They were liberated by another powerful figure called Hercules, and then the succession of kings continued until the arrival of Brutus the Trojan. The island of Britain was first called Samothea, until Albion came and re-named it after himself. When Albion was defeated, it did not revert to Samothea, but retained the name of Albion, until Brutus arrived and called it Britain. The succession of kings was as follows: Samothes Pictus Brutus (invaded and set up a new succession of kings) The Samothean kings ruled over more than just the island of Samothea. Their kingdom included a large part of Europe from the Rhine to the Pyrennes, an area known as Gallia. Samothes is said to be the founder of Celtica, as if the Celts and Gauls were in different parts of the same empire, although they are known to have spread out all over Europe and they are the same race. Holinshed's Chronicle gives more than one possible date for the arrival of the first inhabitants of Samothea.

In one place it says that they arrived 200 years after the Flood. In another place (in Volume VI, Ireland) it gives the date of the Flood as 1650 AM (Anno Mundi - Year of the World from Creation). Going back to Volume I we have the arrival of Samothes in 1910 AM which is 260 years after the Flood. Without getting bogged down with the detail, we get the impression that the dispersion was not a gradual process. People travelled large distances in a very short time (probably to get away from Nimrod who had become a tyrant). There are other issues to be resolved, which I will return to later: Josephus ( 2 ) says that the Gauls are descended from Gomer, the eldest son of Japheth. Davis ( 3 ), using a number of sources, says that they arrived in Britain about 300 years after the Flood. If the Celts and Gauls are the same people, as is commonly thought, this is at variance with the Samothean history which associates the Celts with Meshech.

Samothes (Meshech) is thought to have been so named because he was the "Saturn" or original founder of the kingdom, although this is a pagan practice of which he would disapprove. Samothes to Bardus - The First Five Kings The first five kings of Samothea maintained the true religion that they had learned from Noah and Japheth. They are each described as follows: Samothes was a man of great learning, and he taught about astronomy, moral values and politics. He founded a sect of philosophers called the Samothei, who were skilful in the law of God and man. He delivered his knowledge in Phoenician letters, from which the Greek alphabet is derived. Magus was a man of great learning, like his father Samothes, and the Magi of Persia derived their name after him. Sarronius, otherwise known as Sarron, founded public places of learning, to encourage people to study and not to indulge in uncivilised behaviour. He was the founder of a group of philosophers called the Sarronides, who were able to offer sacrifices. Sarron believed that sacrifices should only be made by people who were skilled in divine mysteries.

Druiyus, otherwise called Druis, was the founder of the Druids. At first, this was the true religion taught by his predecessors, but after his death the Druids fell into pagan superstitions. Bardus was a poet and musician, and from him we get the word "Bard". He established an order of poets or heralds called "Bardi", and they were held in such high esteem that if two armies were engaged in battle, and the Bardi walked among them, the battle would stop until they had gone. After Bardus, the Celts departed from the strict ordinances of their former kings and fell into idleness and decadence, so that they were quickly subdued by the giant Albion. The Egyptian Family Feud Ham was the youngest of Noah's three sons, and he had four sons: Cush, who had six sons, including the notorious Nimrod who was the founder of the worst features of idolatry and paganism, and instigated the rebellion at Babylon. After the dispersion, the descendants of Cush inhabited Ethiopia. Mizraim, who succeeded his father Ham as king of Egypt. Put, who inhabited the North African coastal region to the west of Egypt.

Caanan, whose descendants occupied the land on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean, until they were driven out by the Israelites. One of his sons, called Heth, founded the Hittite empire in Turkey and Carthage, but they were eventually defeated by the Romans and totally wiped out. Mizraim had seven sons, known as Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim, Pathruhim, Casluhim and Caphtorim. Two of these are of interest in this study: Naphtuhim was considered to be Neptune and was given the surname Marioticus because his dominions were among the islands of the Mediterranean sea. Lehabim was considered to be Hercules and was given the surname Lybicus. The Egyptians adopted the practice of deifying their kings, just as the Babylonians had deified Nimrod. The same practice was passed on to the Greeks and Romans and to all the pagan world, until it was subdued by Christianity. There were no unique characters called Neptune or Hercules, instead there could be any number of them, depending on how the pagans deified their kings.

In the case of these two sons of Mizraim, they were called Neptune Marioticus and Hercules Lybicus. Their father Mizraim was also deified, and was called Osiris. Neptune, the son of Osiris, sailed the seas with his 33 giant sons, leaving each of them in a different place to overthrow the kingdoms that already existed and bring the world under their own tyrannical rule. The sons that feature in this story are: Albion, who invaded the island of Samothea with an army descended from Cush. Bergion, who invaded the island to the west of Samothea. It became known as Hibernia and is now called Ireland. Lestrigo, who invaded Italy. The king(s) from whom the Lomnimi or Geriones of Spain derived their name. Osiris was opposed to their ambitions, so the giants held a judicial council, with the support of their father Neptune, and put him to death. This event was a cause of great lamentation that was regularly observed in the religion of ancient Egypt, and the practice was passed on to the Greeks and Romans who lamented the death of Bacchus.

It is also thought that Nimrod met a violent death. He may have been torn to pieces by wild beasts, but nobody seems to know for sure. Hercules Lybicus was infuriated by the murder of his father Osiris and set out to kill the giant sons of Neptune wherever they could be found. He went to Spain and defeated the Lomnimi or Geriones, then he passed through Gallia on his way to Italy, to do battle with Lestrigo. When Albion and Bergion heard that he was on his way to Italy, they set off to defend their brother Lestrigo, and fought against Hercules on the banks of the Rhine (it seems that Hercules must have gone further north to meet Albion and Bergion). The battle was going badly for Hercules, and his army had used up all their weapons, but Hercules called on them to pick up stones which were available in abundance and throw them at the enemy. This way they killed both Albion and Bergion, and most of their army, so that the remainder were put to flight and the battle was won. After that, Hercules went throughout Gallia, overthrowing tyrants in every place.

It is thought that Hercules came to the island of Albion, arriving at a headland which Ptolomie calls Promontorium Herculis, now known as Hartland Point in north Devon. Holinshed gives a succession of Celtic kings who reigned after the defeat of Albion, beginning with the reinstatement of Celtes, although very little is said about these kings and there is doubt about what sort of rule they had. There are accounts of complete disorder as the other giants continued in a state of lawlessness. Tysilio's Chronicle ( 4 ) says that when Brutus arrived, the island was empty except for a few giants. Whatever may be the case, we can be sure that the island retained the name of Albion until Brutus arrived and called it Britain. The Samotheans gained a hollow liberation at the hand of Hercules. He did not fight his battles out of love for the Celts or other oppressed people. He simply wanted to avenge the death of his father Osiris. The Samotheans had been invaded by an Egyptian giant, from a family that was divided against itself, and they were liberated by a member of the same family.

As already mentioned, the Samotheans had fallen because they had departed from the true religion of Noah and turned to paganism. When Albion came in 1721 BC (according to a rough calculation), the paganism got worse and continued after his death. It got no better when Brutus came, because Brutus himself was a pagan, and was not subdued until the arrival of Christianity in the first century AD. No wonder the Britons embraced Christianity with enthusiasm, after the long dark night of paganism that had oppressed them for 18 centuries. Note: Holinshed gives some contradictory accounts of the Egyptian genealogy, in which Hercules is sometimes the uncle of the giants and sometimes their cousin. I don't know how this has occurred, but we should reflect on the fact that in our own language, the terms "uncle" and "nephew" only exist in the line that includes first cousins. Otherwise we talk about "second cousins once removed" etc. It's possible that an uncle or nephew might have been considered a type of cousin, but that's a matter for people who are skilled in ancient languages and is beyond my competence. What Is A Giant?

There used to be some big people in ancient times, and Holinshed gives some examples of medieval archeology where the bones of giants were found, but none of them remain today because they are so ancient and have all disintegrated. Perhaps if some of them had become fossilised, there might be some evidence for us to see, but they have avoided the rapid flood conditions required for fossilisation. The early patriarchs were thought to have been big, including Noah himself, but they are not generally referred to as a giants. The term "Gigantes" does not just describe someone's physical size. It means "sons of the earth", and from this word we get "Aborigenes" or "indigenous", meaning born and bred out of the earth that they inhabited. This creates a problem for the so-called giant sons of Neptune, who went around inhabiting the lands that belonged to other people, although if they were born at sea they might have been considered indigenous to the place where they landed. But that's just speculation. The real answer is that nothing is simple in ancient history and mythology. It's unlikely that Holinshed would have known much of the creation science that is being discussed today.

In the pre-Flood climate, there were different physical conditions including higher air pressure and possibly even a higher speed of light. This meant that biological processes were more efficient, making it possible for very large animals such as dinosaurs to walk around with ease, and large birds could fly in the heavens. The post-flood climate favoured smaller creatures, and the very large ones became extinct through natural selection, although they were fearsome beasts while they still existed. The same thing could have happened to the human population. The early patriarchs were big, because they inherited their genes from their pre-flood ancestors. Then in the process of time, as the conditions favoured people of smaller stature, the number of small people began to increase. However, there were still some big people around, and if they were of evil intent they could inflict terror on the rest of the population. Ancestor Worship The practice of ancestor worship began with the Babylonians and Egyptians, and spread to the Greeks and Romans. Nimrod was the first person to make himself a king and rule over other people, and he was also worshipped as a god. Many nations of the ancient world adopted the practice of deifying their kings, acording to a simple genealogy.

The first king to establish his rule in any part of the world was called "Saturn". His son and successor would be called "Jupiter" and his grandsons or nephews who reigned in the third place would be called "Hercules". Thus Nimrod was the Saturn of Babylon, and Ham was the Saturn of Egypt. Mizraim was the Jupiter of Egypt, although he was called Osiris. Their wives were also deified, so that the wife of Saturn was Rhea, and the wife of Jupiter was Juno, Isis or Io. Even Noah and his wife were deified, so that Noah was called Heaven, Oxygus, Sun, or Pater Deorum, and his wife was called Terra (the Earth), Vesta, Aretia, Moone, or Mater Deorum. Holinshed refers to a belief that the real name of Noah's wife was Tydia, and hence we get Terra.

The practice of deifying kings, and even the early patriarchs, explains the whole Greek mythology: Uranus (Sky or Heaven) married Gaia (Earth) and they had a number of children, but for some reason Uranos hated them and tried to kill them, but Gaia tried to save them. Possibly this could be an allusion to the Flood, as if Noah was getting blamed for it because he had preached about it for many years. The ark was made from trees that grew from the earth, so Gaia is credited with saving a few people. Cronos (Saturn) is a surviving son of Uranus and Gaia. He rebelled against his father and overthrew him, cutting off his genitals and throwing them into the sea. This is very likely to be an allusion to Ham, who looked at Noah when he was drunk and naked in his tent, and told his brothers about it. There is a Jewish tradition, recorded in the Midrash Rabbah ( 5 ), that Ham didn't just look at Noah, he castrated him to prevent him from having a fourth son.

In response, Noah cursed Caanan, the fourth son of Ham, who is thought to have seen him naked in the first place. Clearly, the castration of Noah is just a fable that doesn't match up with the Biblical account. It's inconcievable that such an event could have been missed out of the Bible if it actually happened. However, the very existence of such a fable is sufficient to match up Cronos with Ham, and Uranus with Noah. Rhea, the wife of Cronos, was the goddess of fortresses. This is clearly associated with Semiramis, the wife of Nimrod who built the tower of Babel, and it suggests that she played a major role in the construction of the tower and the city. The three sons of Cronos and Rhea were: - Zeus (Jupiter), god of the sky, with a thunderbolt in his hand. - Poseidon (Neptune), god of the sea. - Hades (Pluto, Orcus, Dis), god of the underworld. The sons of Zeus were Hephastus (Vulcan) and Heracles (Hercules). Poseidon (Neptune) had many offspring.

Hades was married to Persephone, and he had a concubine called Minthe who turned into a plant, but he doesn't appear to have any offspring. Clearly, you could make almost anything out of Greek mythology because it's so complex, but it seems to be based on the deification of ancestors and kings, starting with Noah and his wife. Different names were used by different nations, so that the Osiris of Egypt became the Zeus of Greece and the Jupiter of Rome, but in every nation there was Saturn, Jupiter and Hercules in some form or other. The name Jupiter probably suited the Romans (Latins) as a way of remembering and possibly deifying their ancestor Japheth. If this is what happened, it would be the ideal type of cultural transformation that would be needed to transport the idolatry of Egypt to all the nations that descended from Japheth. The deification of kings has sown much confusion in the study of ancient history. We find that Saturn, Jupiter and Hercules are everywhere, but we cannot always find the names of the kings that they represent.

For example, we find Hercules all over Europe, and Holinshed gives us the surname Lybicus, but we cannot be sure if all his exploits are done by one person, or by many people who have been deified as Hercules. Fighting for Heaven The custom arose in Egypt, that whenever a worthy or famous king died, a star would be assigned to his name, so that he would always be remembered. In ancient Egypt they built pyramids, arranged according to the constellations, for example the three pyramids of Giza represent Orion's belt. The king would be buried in his pyramid so that he would be transported to his chosen star. The custom was exported to other countries, including the island of Albion. It is thought that Albion the giant, together with his other giants, erected some of the megaliths and standing stones, and the practice was continued after Brutus arrived. In the process of time, it wasn't possible to find enough stars for all the kings (although they certainly could have done if they had today's modern telescopes). Instead, they thought of other places where their kings and fighting men could go, and the Greeks and Romans called it Elysium.

It was a place of paradise, full of green fields. A place of honour in the afterlife was not automatically given to a king. He had to earn it by doing something valiant. Consequently, kings and princes were always trying to outdo each other, invading and conquering other countries to try and prove their valour. Honours were awarded, not just to the king himself, but to all his fighting men, so that a commander would encourage his troops by telling them that if they do not see the end of the battle, they will wake up in Elysium. Many unnecessary wars have been fought, and much blood has been spilt, because people have thought that if they fight and kill, they will go to some kind of heaven, but the whole abominable practice has its roots in paganism. It becomes even more lamentable when we consider that in ancient times there were just a few people spreading out over the whole earth, and there was nothing to fight for other than heaven. Albion was only the fourth generation after Noah. The genealogy was Noah, Ham, Mizraim, Naphtuhim, Albion.

The so-called Samothean "kingdom", descended from Noah, Japheth and Meshech wasn't anything like a kingdom as we know it today. It was just a few families on an almost deserted island. Albion could have enjoyed the good life in his native Egypt, with plenty of space to do whatever he wanted, but no, he had to sail all the way to Samothea and overthrow a peaceful kingdom. His motivation was his grudge against Shem and Japheth, because of Noah's curse against Caanan the son of Ham. He thought that by going to war against the sons of Japheth, he could invalidate the curse and become a star in heaven. Gallic Gomer or Samothean Meshech? Earlier in this article, I asked two questions, about why Meshech was called Samathos, and were the original inhabitants of Britain descended from Gomer or Meshech? The two questions have to be answered together, because the descendants of Gomer and Meshech appear to have co-existed alongside each other in different places.

Josephus ( 2 ) the first-century Jewish historian, describes the nations and tribes that are descended from Noah, both in his own time and in previous ages. He says the descendants of Gomer used to be called Gomerites, but in his own time they were called Galatians or Galls. The descendants of Meshech used to be called Mosocheni or Mazaca, but in his own time they were called Cappadocians. He also refers to a city called Mazaca, which undoubtedly means Moscow. Looking at the historic maps in Thompson's Chain Reference Bible ( 6 ), we find that in the apostolic age, the Galatians and Cappadocians used to live in two separate provinces directly alongside each other in Asia Minor, south of what is now known as the Black Sea. They had been there for a long time, and on the map of the ancient world they are simply called "Gomer" and "Meshech". There was also the nation of Gallia which occupied the area now known as France and Belgium as far as the Rhine, also in existence since ancient times.

It is not at all inconcievable that the descendants of Meshech lived alongside Gallia in neighbouring "Britannia". However, the most surprising aspect of this study is that a large area including White Russia, Ukraine, and the western part of Russia as far as the Urals, was called Sarmatia, both in ancient times and in the apostolic age. This is precisely the area with Moscow at its centre, so we have the historic association between Meshech and Sarmatia. In ancient times we also find Gomer to the north of the Black Sea, occupying the area south of Sarmatia, so again we have the descendants of Gomer and Meshech alongside each other. It seems very likely that Gomer and Meshech were two friendly tribes that travelled together and occupied neighbouring areas, and for a considerable time thay retained their distinct identity and avoided intermarriage. The descendants of Meshech were called Celts, and the descendants of Gomer were called Gauls, but eventually they became indistinguishable and were known as Celtic Gauls. Somehow, in the history of the Britons (now known as the Welsh), Gomer has been remembered but Meshech has been forgotten.

To answer the question about why Meshech was called Samathos, we have to find what the word means, rather than simply calling him Saturn according to the pagan mythology that he would have rejected. Really, we have to get a linguist to work on it, but to make a start, I have found the word "Summarius", in Archeologica Britannica ( 7 ), which means the "chief" or "principal", and would be an appropriate title for the first king and spiritual leader of a new nation. Authenticity of Berosus After discussing the Samothean history at great length, Holinshed casts doubt on it with the following words (which I quote in the original Tudor English): Vpon these considerations I haue no doubt to deliuer vnto the reader, the opinion of those that thinke this land to haue bene inhabited before the arriuall here of Brute, trusting it may be taken in good part, sith we haue but shewed the conjectures of others, till time that some sufficient learned man shall take vpon him to decipher the doubts of all these matters.

Neuerthelesse, I thinke good to aduertise the reader that these stories of Samothes, Magus, Sarron, Druis, and Bardus, doo relie onelie vpon the authoritie of Berosus, whom most diligent antiquaries doo reject as a fabulous and counterfet author, and Vacerius hath laboured to prooue the same by a speciall treatise latelie published at Rome. When Holinshed refers to "Berosus" in this way, he actually means "pseudo-Berosus", as described in the Lost Works of Berosus . References 1. Holinshed's Chronicles of England, Scotland and Ireland, 6 volumes, Raphael Holinshed and others, 1587 edition. Reprinted 1807 for J. Johnson and others, London. Facsimile reprint 1965 by AMS Press Inc, New York, NY 10003. 2. Josephus Antiquities, I,VI,1 3.

The History of the Welsh Baptists, from the Year Sixty-Three to the Year One Thousand Seven Hundred and Seventy, by Jonathan Davis (c.1786-1846), Pittsburgh: D.M. Hogan, 1835, 204p. Re-published in 1976 by The Baptist, Rt. 1, Aberdeen, Miss. 39730. Re-published again in 1982 by Church History Research & Archives, 220 Graystone Drive, Gallatin, Tennessee 37066. Tel: (615) 452-0341 or 452-7027. Note: The term "Baptist", used by Davis and his contemporaries, is taken to mean anyone who practices the baptism of believers by immersion, and is not restricted to the Baptist denomination. 4. Chronicle of the Kings of Britain. Translated by Peter Roberts in 1811 from the Welsh copy attributed to Tysilio . Facsimile reprint by Llanerch Publishers. ISBN 1-86143-111-2. 5.

Midrash Rabbah - Genesis XXXVI:7 . Soncino Classics Collection, Judaic Classics Library CD-ROM, 1995, Davka Corporation, Chicago, USA. 6. The New Chain Reference Bible, compiled and edited by Frank Charles Thompson, 1964, B.B. Kirkbride, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. 7. Archeologica Britannica, Volume 1, Glossography, Edward Lhuyd, Irish University Press, Shannon, 1971, SBN 7165-0031-0. Tit. II, A Comparative Vocabulary of the Original Languages of Britain and Ireland. Updated February 2002

Question: Albion is the oldest known name for which nation?
Answer: Great Britain