LL-L "Etymology" 2010.02.09 (04) [EN-NL]

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L O W L A N D S - L - 09 February 2010 - Volume 04
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From: Jacqueline Bungenberg de Jong <Dutchmatters at comcast.net>
Subject: LL-L "Etymology" 2010.02.09 (02) [EN-NL]

Re: Gedicht van Guido Gezelle. Bedankt Luc. Dat was lang geleden, maar ik
ruik ze weer…..

Jacqueline

Seattle

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From: heatherrendall at tiscali.co.uk <heatherrendall at tiscali.co.uk>
Subject: LL-L "Etymology" 2010.02.09 (02) [EN-NL]

from Heather Rendall  heatherrendall at tiscali.co.uk

Paul  wrote
The tradtional founders of the Jutish kingdom of Kent were supposed brothers
Hengest and Horsa, possibly actually two versions of the name of the same
man.  Some writers claimed it was a male/female pairing, but that's probably
because people trained in the Classics thought -a was a feminine ending (it
is in Latin).  It's masculine in OE.

I have been fascinated by this pairing ever since I first learnt the German
word 'Hengst'. I could not believe any mother would name BOTH her sons for
the same animal - tho' may be in different guises i.e. Stallion & Horse.

As the Jutes rode under the flag/emblem of the White Horse as Kent still
does and as leaders' names were often totemic in those days, I understand it
to be a mistake or over accuracy on behalf of the Venerable Bede in whose
account they first appear. I would hazard a guess that Bede had two sources
: one Anglian and one Saxon in which the leader's name was given as Hengist
and Horsa respectively. Not wishing to ignore a source, he created a brother
to attach the 2nd name to, and then he had him killed off in the first
battle ( convenient, eh?).

I've just looked up the Oxford Dict of Place Names and found this -
intriguingly.

Henstridge Somerset  - 956 Hengstesrig - ridge where the stallions were
kept. The place is near Horsington and in a charter of 923 Horspol is
mentioned.

Horsington = Horstenetone in the DB = the tun of the horsekeepers or grooms.
Bur there is also a Horsington in Lincolnshire which si supposed to derive
from Horsa's people.

So I bet the leader of the 'people of the white horse' were either known as
Hengist or Horsa - it just depended which language you spoke.

best wishes

Heather

Worcestershire, UK

•

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