Gramarye

Etymology


Adopted by English author Terence Hanbury White (1906–1964) in his book  (1958; based on shorter works published between 1938 and 1941) as a name for Britain, based on the reference to “’s Isle of Gramarye” in the poem Puck’s Song from Puck of Pook’s Hill (1906) by English author and poet (1865–1936) – the stanza italicized below, which is the last in the poem, appears in White’s book just before the start of the first chapter.

Trackway and Camp and City lost,

Salt Marsh where now is corn;

Old Wars, old Peace, old Arts that cease,

And so was England born!

She is not any common Earth,

Water or wood or air,

But Merlin’s Isle of Gramarye,

Where you and I will fare.

Kipling is likely to have been referring to an isle of magic (see ) rather than using Gramarye as a newly coined name for Britain.

Proper noun

 * 1)  The island of Britain.