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Swallowhead Springs

The Swallowhead

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moss M
moss Nov 12, 2006 09:41:47
Replying to Littlestone

"which 'swallow' word does the Swallowhead take its name from? Dames assumes it's the verb, and weaves that into the sexual symbolism...."

Well for a more prosaic meaning and turning to a saxon (swallow comes from the german according to my dictionary) definition;-
Swelgan - suck in, absorb
Heafod - head or source
It seems to me that the saxons have the edge on Dames romanticising ;) considering they fortified Silbury Hill at some point and settled in the area.

L Littlestone
Littlestone Nov 12, 2006 11:21:45
Replying to moss

There's also the term 'swallow-hole' which is a variant of 'sink-hole'. A sink hole is, "...a cavity in limestone etc. into which a stream etc. disappears..." (OERD). Dames says something similar but the problem is that there's nothing going into the Swallowhead - the spring when it's flowing is coming out; that seems to be quite an important difference.

Swallow (v) in Old English and up to about 1000 was written swelgan, then up to about 1380 it was written swolowen.
Swallow (n) in Old English and before 800 was written swealwe, then around 1300 swalu.

In other words, if there's a 14th century map or reference somewhere that shows the Swallowhead Spring written either as Swolowen Head or as Swalu Head, it might settle the matter one way or t'other (I'll go and get me anorak now :-)