Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 11.djvu/164

134 The tradition of the district says that a king was buried here, and also points out the locality from which this stone was procured. On White Lyne Common, about five miles from Bewcastle, is a long ridge of rocks, called the Langbar. About the centre of this ridge a stone is now lying, about fifteen feet in length, the very counterpart of the Bewcastle Obelisk. This stone has evidently been cut into two parts at some period, as the wedge marks distinctly appear, and the western is much fresher than the other sides. The obelisk is of a peculiar rock, a very hard white freestone, thickly marked with spots of grey, precisely such as is found at the Langbar and the adjacent rocks on the south side of the White Lyne River, but in no other part of the country. It is a sandstone of a sharp rough gritty nature, and as a material for sharpening scythes is much in use.

Uncertainty as to the forms of the other letters, prevents me from attempting further explanation of the inscription at present, but I am not without hope that in time I may become better satisfied as to the proper reading.

The inquiry will naturally occur to the reader, what was the origin of the term "Maiden Way." and, before proceeding to another Section, it may be desirable to advert to various conjectures of those who have indulged in etymological speculations on this subject.

Some have supposed that it has had its source in the Saxon macan or machen, to make, and that by a commutation of letters it became ge magden waeg, i.e., a made road, and since well-made roads would probably be very scarce at that period in Britain, this may have been the first road made by the Romans after their arrival in this district, and consequently named, by way of distinction, the made road, which name it afterwards retained. The adoption and permanent retention of the Saxon word waeg certainly gives some countenance to this supposition. Others are of opinion that it has arisen from the Saxon words maeden, maegden, maid or maiden, and give it the Latin appellation. "Via puellarum," a term which has been found in some old Boundary Rolls. There is a tradition in the district that it was made by women carrying the stones in their aprons, but the mere mention of such a legend is enough. Others assign it to a date more ancient than the Saxons, and would derive it from some word cognate with