Thynghowe

Thynghowe was an important Viking Era open-air assembly place or thyng, located at Sherwood Forest, in Nottinghamshire, England. It was lost to history until its rediscovery in 2005 by the husband and wife team Lynda Mallett and Stuart Reddish, who are local history enthusiasts[1]. As a result of continued research, Thynghowe is now included on the English Historic England Archive.[2][3]

Stones at Thynghowe

History

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. In 2011, English Heritage inspected the site, and confirmed it was known as "Thynghowe" in 1334 and 1609.[4] It functioned as a place where people came to resolve disputes and settle issues.

Etymology

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.[5] The thyng or thing (Old Norse, Old English and Icelandic: þing; other modern Scandinavian languages: ting) was historically the governing assembly in Germanic peoples and was introduced into some Celtic societies as well. It was made up of the free people of the community and presided over by lawspeakers.

References
  1. Richard Moss (25 April 2008). "Amateur Archaeologists Find Ancient 'Thyng' In Sherwood Forest". Culture24. Retrieved 17 March 2013.
  2. "Thynghowe and the Forgotten Heritage of Sherwood". thynghowe.blogspot.com.
  3. Archaeologists to probe Sherwood Forest's Thing (BBC)
  4. Thynghowe Archived 2011-07-27 at the Wayback Machine. PastScape, English Heritage.
  5. Standard English words which have a Scandinavian Etymology.

Other sources
  • Olwyn Owen (ed.) (2012) Things in the Viking World (Shetland Amenity Trust) ISBN 978-0956569882

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