Saturday, December 01, 2007
Little known Words from our Pagan past… Part 3
Further thought on my previous comments on the ‘ Downs’ in Part 2.....
Normally here in Great Britain, we think of invaders coming from the South or South-East, as did both the Normans and the Romans, with their large expeditionary forces.
We tend to forget about the many smaller invasions, by the Anglo-Saxons, Jutes, and numerous other North Europeans and Scandinavians.
All of whom came ashore from the North Sea.
If you approach the North Downs from the sea, you will be climbing a long gentle hill, until you are between 500 and 600 feet ( 167 to 200 metres ) above sea level, before you realise it.
Then, suddenly, the ground falls away before you, giving you a fantastic panoramic view of the ‘Rift Valley’ now known as The Weald.
Lo and behold, you’ve reached the ‘ Downs.’
Maybe this is how they got their name?
More to come…
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