Thynghowe facts for kids
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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. As a result of continued research, Thynghowe is now included on the English Historic England Archive.
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. 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. 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.
Related reading
- Olwyn Owen (ed.) (2012) Things in the Viking World (Shetland Amenity Trust) ISBN: 978-0956569882
