The Land of Cockaigne

The Land of Cockaigne

An imaginary land of pleasure, wealth, luxury, and idleness. London is so called, and Boileau applies the word to Paris. This mythical Utopia (spelled also Cokayne and Cocagne) was the subject of many mock-serious poems of the Middle Ages. According to a typical account of the 13th century, the houses were made of barleysugar and cakes, the streets were paved with pastry, and the shops supplied goods without requiring money in payment. James Branch Cabell makes Jurgen visit Cocaigne in his satiric romance Jurgen and describes it as a land of curious delights, presided over by Anaitis.