I learned today that it’s not “Britannia rules the waves” but “Britannia, rule the waves.” It’s an aspirational exhortation, not a declarative statement of fact. (Also, a handy piece of pedantry to one-up know-it-alls.)
Comments
Log in with your Bluesky account to leave a comment
Having been in the school choir, which interestingly involved touring France and getting drunk for the first time as 13 year old, a solemn occasion, it was always "rules". I wonder when that changed into popular (I'll take your word for it incorrect) use? Presumably 18th/19th century?
I got the titbit from Mount’s review of Rogers’ new book on the Royal Navy in the LRB and have since checked it out on Wikipedia. The orig. 1740-65 lyrics are definitely “rule the waves.” Possibly changed after Trafalgar or Gilbert&Sullivan to reflect the truth that the waves were being ruled.
Though Wikipedia has a copy of the 1890s lyrics and they say, “rule the waves.” So the change could be from the 1914 era, or alternatively, even in the 1750s people said, “rules the waves.”
Comments