Here be Thunor (þunor)

 Here be Thunor (þunor)

Introduction

In this poem I look at places in England whose names trace back to Thunor in Anglo-Saxon times.

Thursley in Surrey made both cannon and shot, forged iron, had iron hammer ponds and has a rocky outcrop on its common named Thor's Stone, the bounds of this parish include the Devils Punch Bowl. This place had an abbot named Thor in 975 and an archdeacon Thor in 1100.

Essex has two such villages and one surviving hundred, there was a second hundred but this has now been incorporated into Hinckford hundred.

One village gave its name to an air field used during the war, another hosted a barracks. There is one village that moved about 1km to the west, the Victorians even moved the church but for some reason left the tower which is now purported to be haunted. If you look it up on the net you will find some blood curdling vidios posted, it seems to have a very unsettling effect on both young and the more mature alike!

þunor wéoh in Old English means ‘Thunor make sacred’.

Here be Thunor (þunor)

Chariot of storms, thunder ride in sky,

Oaken god of strength, on high hill close by.

With hammer and wain, in clashing clouds clad,

Hallower of fields, fertile þunnorad.

 

Domesday Thunreslea, Essex Thundersley,

Site of Saxon church, pledge oaths unto thee.

Thunor's sacred grove, on top of the hill,

Taken by Benfleet, but still has his will.

Domesday Tunreslea, with five hives of bee,

Sits sacred clearing, Essex Thunderley.

Planes thundered over, Thunor's sacred grove,

In Saffron Walden, fighting spells they wove.

Thunor made sacred, this Thurstapell land,

In Domesday Essex, his pillar did stand.

Saxon Stapoll named, after the divine,

Thurstable hundred, had villages nine.

Thunderlow Hundred, Thunor’s sacred mound,

Two small villages, were in Domesday found.

Hinckford this hundred, they came to annex,

Saxon þunor hlæw, in Domesday Essex.

Domesday Tonrinch was, Thundridge Hertfordshire,

It's church they did move, but left tower in fear?

The Victorians took, All Hallows away,

Leaving the tower, possessed by the Fey.

Thursley in Surrey, made cannon and gore,

Saxon Thunreslea's, two clerics named Thor.

To Devils Punch Bowl, and barracks beyond,

Thor's Stone on common, and iron hammer pond.

Barnhorne Sussex had, Þunorslege inside,

This place Thunor’s grove, from time it has died.

Its soldierly camp, from Gerry didst hide,

Thunor's lost barracks, on the other side.

Nine other places, named after Thunor,

Four fields and four groves, one mound perhaps more?

Though eight of those, places cannot be found,

They still ring out to, þunor wéoh Sound.

Copyright Andrew Rea Lammas 2012