York – A City Known by Many Other Names
York has a long and celebrated history – during its almost two millennia as a large settlement it has been known by a variety of different names by its many rulers before becoming universally known as York.
There is evidence of settlement in the York area stretching back almost 6,000 years. But it was the Roman Ninth Legion, under the control of Governor Qunitus Petilius Cerealis that was credited as formally establishing the city of Eboracum at the confluence of the Rivers Foss and Ouse in 43 AD.
The fifty acre fort soon became the most important city in the north of England; the command point for all Roman operations. During its heyday as a Roman Colonia it witnessed the death of Emperor Septimus Severus in 207 and was also the location for the crowning of Emperor Constantine the Great by his own troops in 306.
Following the collapse of Roman rule in the 5th century, Eboracum continued to thrive as the spiritual capital of the Anglo-Saxon Deira sub-kingdom of Northumbria. During this period the Roman name of Eboracum morphed into Eoforwic; the name by which it was known until 866 AD when the Vikings under the joint leadership of Halfdan and Ivar the Boneless conquered the city. Ten years later the renamed city of Jorvik became the capital of the Viking kingdom of the same name.
Indeed, the Viking influence is still strong in the modern-day city of York, with the suffix of ‘gate’ derived from ‘gata’, meaning way or road, still in widespread use. Goodramgate, Micklegate, Coppergate and Stonegate are major 21st century York thoroughfares that were named during the era of Viking control.
Stonegate was originally the Roman stone road that went directly through the heart of the city and is still one of the biggest attractions for modern-day visitors to York, offering some unique boutique shopping and it is also home to one of the oldest original York hotels. Still in operation but only as a pub, Ye Olde Starre Inn dates back to the English Civil War, retaining many historic features and is said to be haunted by several ghosts, including rather bizarrely a pair of cats!
William the Conqueror wasted little time in getting to Jorvik after winning the Battle of Hastings however, the Viking name of Jorvik was not changed by the Frenchman but later became corrupted during the Middle Ages; morphing first into Yerk and then finally into York by the time of the Tudors.
Today, visitors marvel at York Minster, the cathedral started in the 12th century but not completed for 200 years; the narrow streets and the wealth of history hidden within this medieval-walled city, now firmly known as plain old York!
Adam Singleton writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content.
