Page:A Glossary of Words Used In the Neighbourhood of Sheffield - Addy - 1888.djvu/62

 inhabitants of this district were famous for their cutlery at an early period, we may suppose that they early attended to the smelting of metals and to the manufacture of weapons or knives. The knife-dagger found in the urn at Crookes, great as is its age, probably expresses the original form of the old thwitel, with its long tang, its handle of 'Yellow cow horn,' or of the mysterious murrus or murrum. It is interesting to compare the flint knives of the stone age with the finest specimens of the modern cutler's art. When the rain has fallen upon a newly-ploughed field a flint implement may now and then be picked up in this district. I have before me, as I write, a flint knife, with a sharp edge, just found on the high grounds above Ashover, and also a steel pocket-knife, kindly given to me by Mr. William Singleton, of Sheffield, and made by his workmen. As the two objects lie side by side, one sees vividly the enormous difference between them. The flint is rough, sheathless, and haftless. The keen blades of the steel knife are radiant as a mirror, the scales are of irridescent pearl, set with fine gold, the back is also of gold cunningly engraved with 'rosings' and other devices.

Something has been said on the glossary on the words Ecclesall and Ecclesfield. It is possible that each of these words contains the personal name Eigil or Egil. Egil, the brother of Weland, the Vulcan of the North, was, according to Scandinavian mythology, the most famous of archers. Arrows were made in this district in early times. Arrowsmiths are mentioned in the Poll Tax Returns for Ecclesfield in 1379. 'Eigil' says Kemble, 'would among the Anglo-Saxons have borne the form of Ægel, and accordingly we find places compuonded with this name, thus: Æglesbyrig, now Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire,' &c. It may be asked—Why has not the g in Ecclesfield (*Æglesfeld) been softened into y? This does not appear to have been an invariable rule. Thus the word meggons, noted