I am missing my camera now as the torrential rain of last night is finished and the sun shines. Looked for a cheap one online and think I have found one but it needs some thinking about.
It was beautiful this morning, sun shining, and I walked down to Lidl to get a few things. Across the road from the house, through a car park and then down the steps to the canal. All along the side against the walls wild flowers jostle along with tamed varieties. Fireweed pokes its head up amongst Lady's mantle and perennial geraniums. A tall six foot lovage plant sprouts gaily away, I always found the taste of this celery like plant too strong but it is a handsome giant.
I meet a couple of dog walkers and we dance round the large puddle under the bridge, a panting walker overtakes me excusing herself that she is on a fitness walk. I smile inwardly, walking slowly has always been a pleasure in my life. I am not getting from one point to another but mentally snapshotting the things I see about me.
On the canal side, there are oxeye daisies lining the path and meadowsweet is emerging as well. On the far side there is a line of canal boats, looks like they are all unoccupied, they do not have the little flower gardens and mess of stuff on top as they did in Bath and Bradford-on-Avon. Neat and tidy but uninteresting! I see my first butterfly on a buddleia bush and hear a cock crow hidden in the trees.
When I descend the stairs to Lidl looking up and I see the high ridge of the valley and wonder why the inhabitants of Todmorden did not worry about living at the bottom of a valley.
And as for local naming, two of the nearby villages. 'Wal' is interesting because it means a foreigner, Bath has similar in Walcot Street.
Toponymy
Walsden's name is of Anglo-Saxon origin meaning "Valley of Foreigner" or "Valley of he who is Foreign". Foreign refers to the Celtic Britons who lived in West Yorkshire at the time of the Anglo Saxon Petty Kingdoms. Thus, it has the same root as Wales and as Wallonia in Belgium. It has been said in the past that it comes from "Wolves' Den", this is dismissed as a folk etymology
The name Todmorden first appears in 1641. The town had earlier been called Tottemerden, Totmardene, Totmereden or Totmerden. The generally accepted meaning of the name is Totta's boundary-valley, probably a reference to the valley running north-west from the town.[5] Alternative suggestions have been proposed, such as the speculation "maybe fancifully" that the name derives from two words for death: tod and mor (as in mort), meaning "death-death-wood", or that the name meant "marshy den of the fox", from the Old English. From an original ''tod'' (the saxon name for fox) and ''moor''/''moore'' ( a common toponym termination) could have been derivated a significant Deanery of the Moor of the Foxes. From this latest, perhaps the malapropism Todmorden.
Mankinhole: The name "Mankin" is believed to have Celtic origins, with the OED recording its first meaning as "fierce wild man". The surname Mankin is found in parish records of the township of Langfield and the parish of Halifax. One theory is that the name derives from an area of caverns, inhabited by mankins. A second theory is that the name means "Mancan's Hollow", with Mancan being an Irish surname, suggesting Irish-Viking settlers
Info taken from Wikipedia
I remember the tale of Saint Beuno about 'foreigners' whilst walking with his followers on one side of a Welsh river overheard a Saxon voice calling his hounds on the other side... 'let us leave this place for the nation of this man I heard setting on his hounds has a strange language which is abominable'
"mentally snapshotting the things I see about me." An apt description of the way we observe and mentally file away images to be reviewed and put into words. You've made a visual of your morning walk without the camera.
ReplyDeleteIts interesting to learn something about the origins of place or family names. As I research the French Canadian side of my family I realize how many surnames were Americanized and lost.
And we in Britain find the place-names of America so English in some places Sharon. But as your new garden grows I notice you record by photos as well, always easy to pick up the plants robustness when you look back at the last year.
DeleteEchoes of what once was in the names of places and in the curving of lanes. Sometimes it is hard to imagine but the echoes remain. Like Morning's Minion I also noted the usefulness of the term "mentally snapshotting".
ReplyDeleteThe wolves don't remain of course. It teaches us that the old world was far more visual and dramatic and why churches were painted with visual representations, people did not read. The language evolved the landscape.
DeleteYou sound to have settled in well and to already be going around doing your mental snapshotting for our future enjoyment. So pleased it has all gone so smoothly.
ReplyDeleteI think taking an interest in the world around us is perhaps a life-saver Pat, it allows us peace from the constant musing on one's life. Which sadly I do on my blog ;)
DeleteGuy Underwood believed that the word or name, 'Dodman' came from the same root as 'totter', as in 'Totterdown' in Bristol and many other places beside. The carving of the man with two staves in the chalk hill was a depiction of a dodman, who travelled from high point to high point above the dense woodland in ancient times, sighting other high points using two sticks to triangulate for navigation. The tradition of walkers using two sticks originates from this ancient practice. The dodman would 'totter' from side to side as he got a bearing on the objective, hence the insult.
ReplyDeleteGuy Underwood seems to have had fresh ideas on the subject of the archaeology around him Tom. The Romans were very good at sighting between two points to build their straight roads. The Long Man of Wilmington has many stories attributed to him, perhaps the 'pilgrim' story is the best one, as he winds his way along with the help of two sticks.
DeleteIt is very odd for me not to have my camera. It is like my left hand. I look for it when I leave a place when I find I did not bring it.
ReplyDeleteThe problem of choice is, that the camera I like is excellent in the sun but not so good when the day is grey Tabor. I am useless with the technical side of camera and just want a point and snap with 'auto'.
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