Thynghowe
Thynghowe was an important Danelaw meeting place, or thing, located in Sherwood Forest, Nottinghamshire, England. It was lost to history until its rediscovery in 2005-6 by local history enthusiasts Lynda Mallett and Stuart Reddish.[1]
The site lies amidst the old oaks of an area known as the Birklands in Sherwood Forest. Experts believe it may also yield clues as to the boundary of the ancient Anglo Saxon kingdoms of Mercia and Northumbria.
English Heritage has recently inspected the site, and has confirmed it was known as "Thynghowe" in 1334 and 1609.[2] It functioned as a place where people came to resolve disputes and settle issues.
Thynghowe is an Old Norse name, although the site may be older than the Danelaw, perhaps even Bronze Age. The word howe is derived from the Old Norse word haugr meaning mound. This often indicates the presence of a prehistoric burial mound.[3] The thyng or thing (Old Norse, Old English and Icelandic: þing; other modern Scandinavian languages: ting) was the governing assembly in Germanic societies (and was introduced into some Celtic societies), made up of the free people of the community and presided over by lawspeakers, meeting in a place called a thingstead.
References
- ↑ Moss, Richard (Apr. 25, 2008). "Amateur Archaeologists Find Ancient 'Thyng' In Sherwood Forest." Culture24.
- ↑ Thynghowe. PastScape, English Heritage.
- ↑ Standard English words which have a Scandinavian Etymology.
Other sources
- Gaunt, Andy (Jun. 30, 2011). A Topographic Earthwork Survey of Thynghowe, Hanger Hill, Nottinghamshire. NCA-016.
- Community archaeology at Thynghowe, Birklands, Sherwood Forest by Lynda Mallett, Stuart Reddish, John Baker, Stuart Brookes and Andy Gaunt.Transactions of the Thoroton Society of Nottinghamshire, Volume 116 (2012)
External links
Coordinates: 53°12′31.71″N 1°6′6.51″W / 53.2088083°N 1.1018083°W
- The News, History, and Archaeology of The Real Sherwood Forest
- Forestry Commission Reference
- Friends of Thynghowe