Here be Giants

Introduction

Many features on the landscape were named after giants by the Anglo-Saxons. Those remaining include: 1 Valley, I cave, 1 hole, 1 ford, 2 ravines and 2 lakes.

However some were recorded in antiquity but their locations have become lost. These include: 1 mound, 1 thicket, 1hill, 1 glade, 2 pits, 3 pools.

Many other places named after giants have also been recorded in the centuries following the Saxon era.

The Saxons had three names for giant: Troll, Thyrs and Ent.

Trollers Gill in Yorkshire, is associated with a monstrous black spectral dog named Barguest, who is thought to have inspired Arthur Conan Doyle in writing ‘The Hound of the Baskervilles’.

Here be Giants

Once many giants, lay down in our land,

And ten or so did, against time withstand.

The valley cave hole, and ford doth endure,

Two ravines two Lakes, art also secure.

But mounds the thicket, the hill, and the glade,

All three giant pools, their memories fade.

Seven giant pits, long time hast betrayed,

Those secrete places, art all now mislaid.

Legends of giants, the Troll Thyrs and Ent,

What was their purpose, what was their intent.

Oddly disturbing, those monstrous wights,

Silent sentinels, secured sacred sites?

Thursford in Norfolk, had Great Snoring lord,

In Doomsday village, he wielded his sword.

Largest Yuletide show, in all of our land,

This small village has, a huge helping hand.

Oxfordshire Tusmore, hamlet of Doomsday,

Destroyed by Black Death, was doomed to decay.

Merely giant’s Lake, through time did remain,

A massive wyrm bed, rebuilt it again.

                                                                          

Yorkshire Trollers Gill, the troll’s arse ravine,

Beastly hound Barguest, black sinister scene.

Chilling excursion, beware falling stone,

Hell hole shiver quiver, spine tingle alone.

Copyright Andrew Rea June 2012