To What Extent Can Place-Names Be Used as Evidence for Scandinavian Settlement in Britain - Essay Example

:XXXXXX Mr. XXXXX XXXXX 24th May 2007 To what extent can place s be used as evidence for Scandinavian settlement in Britain (Word count - 2663) The place names of number of sites in Britain give evidence of various Scandinavian settlements in Britain. We find evidences of these sites in various settlements. To study the effects we will largely refer the Domesday Book, works of Sir Frank Stenton, Dr. F. T. Wainright, Ekwall and Kenneth Cameron. The term used to denote the Scandinavian settlement is Grimston-hybrid. This term is used to those place-names in which the first element is a Scandinavian personal name and the second element is old English. The Danish settlement of the territory of Five Boroughs was mainly considered simply and solely for their military character and the settlements were considered as results of the settling of the members of the army. Stenton and many others considered the hybrid names arose when the Danish army divided the land when they chose it for settlement. There was little consideration for the immigration angle. The historical significance of the Grimson-Hybrid, a term which has been given to those place names in which the first element is a Scandinavian personal name and the second element is Old English tus, is interpreted by Sir Frank Stenton and Dr. F. T. Wainright. Stenton pointed out their distribution in Nottignhamshire, their geographical positions, their historical background and suggested that it is unlikely that the villages with such names denoted new settlements of the Danes, but it is possible that they denoted acquirement of English villages by the Danish owner when the Danish Army divided out the land which it has chosen for settlement. But he argued that it does not mean that the English peasantry had been desettled by the Danish lords. He further argued that name of those villages were influenced by the local circumstances like the relative number of Englishmen and Danes lived thereby. Dr. Wainright, while accepting this theory pointed out that they are representative of an early phase of Scandinavian settlement. Wainright also pointed out that these hybrids are very rare in districts where there are concentrations of bys, but are common in the fringes of these settlements. Wainright agreed to an argument put forward by Ekwall that there may have been many Danes where the hybrids occur, but there was also a powerful English element in the local population. Wainright felt that the Crimson-hybrids represented the movement of Danes from their initial settlements into English populated areas and where they met and mingled with them. Wainright argued that linguistically the Danes were strong enough to influence but not strong enough to dominate the English. He cites example of the linguistic balance illustrated by names, which appear with -bi in Domesday Book, but later changed to -ton to substantiate his argument. However Professor Hugh smith suggested that the names of the new Danish owners of those villages replaced those of the disposed English owners. Mr. Kenneth Cameron added one more dimension while agreeing to Stenton's argument that is of choice of site. He gave examples of Dove and Trent, which were on excellent agricultural land. Mr. P. H. Sawyer, challenging the theory of importance of the Grimston-hybrids as evidence for Scandinavian settlement, argued that Men of English descent also borne Scandinavian personal names in England and it can not be construed from the hybrid names that they are evidence of Scandinavian settlement. He was true in this context. In the history of English it is seen that Scandinavian personal names were adopted into general use and their use does not necessarily prove the racial origin of the men and women who bore them. To negate Sawyer's argument, it can be demonstrated that Grimston-hybrids fall into well defined topographical patterns and that they do show correlations to other names in the same areas. It also can be demonstrated that they are not distributed in sporadic way. Kenneth Cameron in his article 'Scandinavian settlement in the territory of the Five Boroughs' has searched the relevant figures of Domesday Grimston-hybrids and found that a total of sixty villages whose names ended with bys and thorps. He pointed out that forty-six different Scandinavian names occur in these sixty Grimston-hybrids. He gives the details as: Barkestone Lei, Barkston L Kest - Barker Foston Db - Fotr Gamston two Nt Gamall Grimston Lei Nt - Grimr Colston two Nt - Kolr Rolleston Lei, Roolton Nt, Rowston L. Kest - Roonlfr, Rolf Thrumpton Nt. Thrumpton Lei - Pormoor He also found the anglicized forms of Asbforn, Esbjorn and Dorlelfr in Osbaston Lei, Osberto Nt, Thurlaston Lei and Toolerton Nt. Two pairs of Doomsday-Grimston-hybrid were found in Notinghamshire and one in Leicestershire. Two further examples of anglicized Scandinavian personal names were found in Dorgsirr in Thurgrton Nt and persteinn inThrussington Lei. It is also found that there are at least nineteen names those were not recorded independently in Domesday Book. It should be noted that some Scandinavian personal names common in England have found as first element in this type of hybrids such as Gamall in Garmston two Nt, but quite a large number of names are absent in Doomsday Book. It points to the fact that Grimston-hybrids, as a group, belonged to a comparative earlier group of Scandinavian settlement. It may point to the fact that the Grimston-hybrids, as a group might have belonged to a comparatively earlier group than to a later stage Scandinavian settlement. As we have seen a small number have anglicized form, it can be construed that their general distribution were on the fringes of areas, where we find concentration of bys in the areas nearer to English-named villages. The phenomenon of Thringstone Lei recorded as Trangesbi in Domesday book and Scofron Nt as Scotely substantiate the argument that local circumstances played important part in deciding whether a place was called a by or a tun. There is incidence of reverse process; for example Bleasby Nt was recorded as Blisetun in 918, but later is known as Bleasby. It is interesting to note that the northernmost in the group of four Thringstone lies to the west of Leicester, Scofton is the northernmost in Nottinghamshire and Bleasby is the isolated -by situated in the Trent valley above Nottingham. A different variation is found in Ravenstone Db, which is now known as Lei, was recorded as Ravenesium and Ravenestorp in Domesday Book. No precise interpretation can be made in this except may be the fact that it is parallel to Blessby. Another aspect pointed out by Kenneth Cameron is the fact that no attention has been paid to the fact that some Grimston-hybrids are recorded a good deal earlier to the Domesday Book. He cites the example of Goverton Nt as recorded as Sofertune in a document dated 958. This is not the only case, there are few more examples like Tolleston Staff referred as Rooulfeston in a thirteen century copy of a charter dated 942. He asserts that there should not be any doubt that English were well established over the whole of this area before Scandinavian rulers appeared. WE have to take into consideration the comparative numbers of English and Danes while doing any assessment of the historical implications of the Grimston-hybrid groups. In the valley of Wreak, where the strength of Danish settlement is testified by a large number of Scandinavian names, there are four hybrids. The pattern is as follows: Thrussington, an anglicized Scandinavian name on the right bank of Wreak. At the head of a tributary valley on a higher ground lies Grimston. At the east towards the source of the R, Eye which is the English name for the upper reaches of the Wreak an interesting pattern is noticed. A -by in Saxby, a -thorp in Garthorpe, two hybrids inCoston and Sproxton and a by in Saltby. Another hybrid, Croxton is found in further north on the edge of an area where English named sites are common. We find three Scandinavian personal names in this area that is not recorded in Domesday Book. It can be inferred that the names of Wreak valley shows a clear intensive Scandinavian settlement in a district, which was not already distinctly developed. Actually it can be said that the pattern in the Wreak valley is a complex one. The East and West of this area are populated by numerous English named villages, whereas Melton and Stapford occupy important sites where the route ways seemed to have crossed the river and the names in -by are found to be thickest. Cameron argues that the pattern of settlement in this area is similar to that north of Leicester. He also suggests that the hybrids in this area represent earlier English villages taken over and partially renamed by the Danes and the -bys represent new settlements. A further pair of hybrids is found in the immediate north of Leicester, namely Thurmaston in the valley of the Soar and Thurcaston in the valley of on of its tributes. Leicester was headquartering of a division of Danes army, but it is surrounded by many English named village. Cameron explains the historical relationship of these places, as Barkby was new settlement, where Thurmaston was an earlier English settlement partially renamed by the Danes. In the south East of Leicester the pattern found is one of less populated Scandinavian names in by and thorp. Grimston-hybrids occur near numerous English named villages. However, Foston, which lies in south of the R. Sence, finds its nearest villages in Kilby and countessthorpe. Kilby is a Scandinavianized form of earlier English name. In Lincolnshire, Boston in south Kesteven is beyond bys and thorps. We find two closer to Lincoln and three more in the fertile Waltham and Brant valleys, beyond the arras where any bys are found. Rowston is between two bys where otherwise no considerable English settlement is found. So we can surmise that Grimston-hybrids occur in various districts where English named sites are common, but are extremely rare in others where names in -by frequently occur. Only in North Nottingham shire and near the Wreak in Leicestershire two groups are associated. In north Nottingham shire they are situated upstream beyond -bys whereas in Leicestershire they are at the fringes of concentrated Danish settlements. It is suggested and pointed out by many including Cameron that local circumstances, in particular population of relative numbers of English and Danes in the neighborhood, played the most important role in deciding whether a village taken over by the Danes become to be known as a -by or a -tun. Cameron suggests that there was a much larger English than Danish elements in the racial complex in the abovementioned districts. He infers the above fact from existence of the large number of hybrids in areas where English named villages are common. English named sites are also commonly seen in the valley of Soar. They are situated on gravel terraces or on compact sand and gravel spreads. The three hybrids near Leicester, namely Wigston magna, Aylestone and Thurmaston shows exactly similar characteristics and they are as similar to their English named counterparts in this respect. It is also found that many English named villages in the valley of the Trent are situated on river gravel terraces or on the slopes above the river on the edge of Keuper Marls. Some are also situated on the alluvium valley at the left bank of the river and along its tributary, the Dove. It should be noted that the pattern followed by Grimston-hybrids are so similar that almost in every case they can hardly be distinguished from the English named villages. In Rolleston, south -west of Newark, we find a typical river gravel terrace settlement, whereas Goverton and Thurgarton are examples of typical settlements on the edge of the marl. Across Trent and the sites of Elston, Carl Colston, Thoroton at the farther east, we find similarities as stated earlier. Close to the Derbyshire boundary situated Toton, above the left bank of the river on the alluvium. Toton's site is comparable to that of nearby Attenborough. We find the sites of Derbyshire hybrids in the valley of the Trent and Dove share the characteristics of neighboring English named villages. Like Elvaston, Thulston lies on a river gravel terrace, whereas Swarkeston and Scropton are on the alluvium. They lie further to the west and are closer to the Trent and Dove respectively. Stenson and Foston are on the gravels as to other sites. The pattern of settlement in the above mentioned districts are fairly clear. The similarity of these sites of the Grimston hybrids in the region to neighboring English-named villages are so close that one can hardly distinguish between them. It compels us to agree with Stenton that these hybrids represent earlier English villages partially renamed by the subsequent Danish occupation. The site of Grimston Lei shares its characteristics of many English-named villages in Leicestershire: it is situated on the largest and compact spread of sand and gravel land, high about the 450' contour, below the roman Road, near the source of one of the many streams which feed the wreak, it is close to an important route way, is at the head of a protected valley with ready water supply. Many English-named villages of Leicestershire are situated in similar positions. Hence it can be safely said that Grimston is identical in origin with these and is an English village taken over and partially renamed by the Danes, though it has a hybrid name. If we go beyond Cadeby west of Leicester, we find a district dominated by English named villages. We find Carlton and Congerston having partially scandinavianized, Bilsrone, Odsrone and Osbaston, hybrids. In the development of the forms of the place names, local conditions, including the percentage of Danes and English population played the most significant role. However Cameron points out to the patterns of settlement in the wreak valley to suggest teat this area had not been exploited much before the arrival of the Danes, though there were some English settlement in various areas near the river. Mr. Kenneth Cameron gives the immigration element in these settlements. He asserts that the Grimston-hybrids are very rare in the settlements settled by the immigrants who entered the country by way of the East Coast, the Humber estuary and the Wash. He points out that there are a dozen of such names in those areas and two thirds of those are in Kesteven. It is found that nearly fifty of those hybrids are situated in more westerly districts. More than half of those are steatite in the valley of Trent and its tributaries. In these areas the names in -by are found to be rare however English-named villages are more. Looking at the above it can be safely assumed that these Grimston-hybrids have resulted from the activities of early and small groups of Danish settlers. and are found beyond the areas have place names in -by are common. It can be said that in general it is the hybrids rather than the names with -by that are more representative of places where Danes took over the earlier English settlements. It is argued by most scholars that the Grimston-hybrids do represent the English villages taken over by the Danes. Conclusion: To answer to what extent can place-names be used as evidence for Scandinavian settlement in Britain we have seen how the place names are created. We have also seen how the place names are changed with the new settlement of Scandinavian population in the existing English villages. We have seen the effect of names in fringe settlements around English-named villages. We have seen that there are various elements of Scandinavian settlements. It is not only during the invasion by Danish army, but earlier immigration also. The term Grimston-hybrid truly refers to Scandinavian settlements. It can be concluded that Grimston-hybrid denotes English villages acquired by Danish at the time when the great Army of the Danes divided out the land for settlement. The transformation of the names is decided by the local circumstances like relative number of English and Danes in the neighborhood. Work cited Cameron Kenneth, Scandinavian Settlement in the territory if the five borrows: the place name evidence Part III, the Grimston-hybrids. Read More