Swallowhead Springs 5
Image by texlahoma
Swallowhead Springs

Swallowhead Springs, Avebury

tiompan T
tiompan Dec 7, 2012 14:50:43
Replying to tjj

tjj wrote:
Sanctuary wrote:
Viewed from the air or a map, the Swallowhead Springs take the form of a Swallow's head, so that presumably is where the name came from...or does it? http://www.avebury-web.co.uk/avebury_map.html

If they were named prior to there being flight by aircraft or balloon then how did the name come about because you wouldn't gather it looked like a Swallow's head at ground level would you.

Thoughts?

I often find myself referring to the very first book I ever bought about Avebury - The Secrets of the Avebury Stones by Terence Meaden. His theory is that Swallowhead is phonetically similar to Suilohead and may come from the same root as the Goddess name Sul.
That seems more like an idea based on wishful thinking than etymology . Are there any examples in Celtic /Germanic languages with a change from oo - w ? Wherereas the Fergusson suggestion , old German swal, meaning swell or whirpool is not only more likely it 's at least etymologically sound .

M moss
moss Dec 7, 2012 15:04:35
Replying to tiompan

tiompan wrote:
That seems more like an idea based on wishful thinking than etymology . Are there any examples in Celtic /Germanic languages with a change from oo - w ? Wherereas the Fergusson suggestion , old German swal, meaning swell or whirpool is not only more likely it 's at least etymologically sound .
Interestingly there is another legend along the Kennet, somewhere outside Marlborough at a place named Werg....


"The strangely named hamlet of Werg was a community of nine dwellings on the River Kennet."One of the many pools on the river, as it wove its way through the water meadows was "Nicker Pool", where it is said the water spirits played. When the climatic conditions are right, the whirling wraiths can still be seen, so that the local name had good cause to be established."

T tjj
tjj Dec 7, 2012 18:51:04
Replying to tiompan

tiompan wrote:
tjj wrote:
Sanctuary wrote:
Viewed from the air or a map, the Swallowhead Springs take the form of a Swallow's head, so that presumably is where the name came from...or does it? http://www.avebury-web.co.uk/avebury_map.html

If they were named prior to there being flight by aircraft or balloon then how did the name come about because you wouldn't gather it looked like a Swallow's head at ground level would you.

Thoughts?

I often find myself referring to the very first book I ever bought about Avebury - The Secrets of the Avebury Stones by Terence Meaden. His theory is that Swallowhead is phonetically similar to Suilohead and may come from the same root as the Goddess name Sul.
That seems more like an idea based on wishful thinking than etymology . Are there any examples in Celtic /Germanic languages with a change from oo - w ? Wherereas the Fergusson suggestion , old German swal, meaning swell or whirpool is not only more likely it 's at least etymologically sound .
Yes, I agree with you (and Rhiannon) I read your earlier post and responded to it after I made this one. There is a lot of personal and archaeologically unprovable theory in Terence Meaden's book but I remain rather fond of it. His knowledge of Avebury is without question.

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