The History of Lille

It is unsure of the origin of Lille but the most common theory is the legend of "Lyderic and Phineart."
Around the year 620, the prince of Dijon and his wife were traveling in the soon to be city of Lille. They fell into a trap laid by the lord of the land, Phineart. The prince of Dijon died in the trap, but his wife got away, stumbling across a hermit's hut, she passed away while giving birth. The hermit raised the child, naming him Lyderic. As Lyderic grew up, he learnt about his parents and their causes of death. Lyderic hunted down Phineart and killed him in a duel. The land was passed on to Lyderic. He ruled in 640.

Lille was once called L'isle which came from a Latin word word meaning "island" because it was once marshy.
Lille struggled a lot during World War I and World War II. In World War I, Lille tricked the Germans by convincing them that they had a lot more artillery than was really true. Once the Germans realised they were tricked, they responded by burning more than 2,200 houses and buildings.
In World War, II the Germans invaded Lille forcing many residents to flee.