Cockayne

The Land of, or Cockaigne, kok-an, a satirical poem, supposed to have been written by Michael of Kildare during the thirteenth century. It has been said that it is "probably the earliest specimen of modern English poetry which we possess." There is also an old French poem of the same title. The word Cockayne, although of uncertain origin, is probably from an old French word signifying abundance. Cockayne was an imaginary land of idleness and plenty. "The houses were built of cake and barley sugar; the streets paved with pastry; roast geese went slowly down the streets inviting the passers-by to eat them; buttered larks fell in profusion; and the rivers ran wine." It was doubtless intended to ridicule the stories of Avalon, the mythical island in the west. In the sixteenth century the word Lubberland was used with the same significance. The term Land of Cockaigne has been derisively applied to both London and Paris. See Avalon