The Guildhall Giant
The City's oldest guardian · Keeper of the Guildhall
Carved giants have led the Lord Mayor's procession for centuries. The Guildhall's pair burned in the Blitz in 1940 and were carved again in 1953.
The legend
Old tales say giants guarded Britain before London was founded, and carved giants have led the Lord Mayor's procession for centuries. The Guildhall's pair, carved in 1708, burned in the Blitz of December 1940; new figures were carved in 1953 and still stand in the Guildhall, ready to march out again.
“I'd ask him what London looked like at the start.”
Where it comes from
The giants come from a story told by Geoffrey of Monmouth in his History of the Kings of Britain, written around 1136. In it, Brutus, a great-grandson of the Trojan hero Aeneas, landed on the island of Albion. His champion Corineus wrestled the giant Gogmagog and threw him off a cliff into the sea. Corineus was given the west of the island, which became Cornwall, and Brutus founded New Troy, which became London. Historians treat the book as largely invented.
Giant figures appeared in the Lord Mayor's Show by 1554, and in 1605 they were still called Corineus and Gogmagog. The early figures were made of wickerwork and pasteboard, and mice and rats destroyed them. Captain Richard Saunders carved the wooden pair that lasted until the war.
Where to see it
Today's pair, carved by David Evans in limewood and gold leaf, watch over the Great Hall of Guildhall. They were a gift from Sir George Wilkinson, Lord Mayor in 1940. Magog's shield once bore an eagle; it now carries a phoenix, for rebirth after fire. The City runs monthly guided tours of Guildhall, booked in advance. Each November, wicker giants over 2 metres tall, given by the Worshipful Company of Basketmakers in 2007, lead the Lord Mayor's Show.
In the game
Steam hisses. The clock in the giant's chest starts ticking again. The giant rocks back a step. The clock in his chest skips, then ticks on. The giant lowers his spear, and his clock stops at the hour he woke.
Guards a relic: the Crown Jewels Sceptre. The sceptre of the Crown Jewels, kept in the Tower and watched over by the Guildhall Giant. It gives each strike the weight of a crown.
