62
THE SAXONS IN ENGLAND.
Lbook i.
is recorded in the poem of Beowulf ɪ, and from him
appear to have been derived the Fitelingas, whose
name survives in Fitling.
The Herelingas or Harlings have also been no-
ticed ; they are connected with the same great
cycle, and are mentioned in the Traveller’s Song,
1. 224. As Harlingen in Friesland retains a record
of the same name, it is possible that it may have
wandered to the coast of Norfolk with the Bata-
vian auxiliaries, numerus Hatavorum, who served
under their own chiefs in Britain. The Swæfas,
a border tribe of the Angles 2, reappear at Swaff-
ham. The Brentings 3 are found again in Brenting-
by. The Scyldings and Scylfings 4, perhaps the most
celebrated of the Northern races, give their names
to Skelding and Shilvington. The Ardings, whose
memorial is retained in Ardingley, Ardington and
Ardingworth, are the Azdingi5, the royal race of
the Visigoths and Vandals: a name which confirms
the tradition of a settlement of Vandals in England.
With these we probably should not confound the
Heardingas,who have left their name to Hardingham
in Norfolk6. The Banings1 over whom Beccaruled7,
are recognized in Banningham; the Hselsings8 in
‘ Lines 1752,1772. 2 Trav. S. 1. 121.
3 Beow. 1. 5610. 1 Ibid. 1. 60, 125, etc.
5 See Zeuss, p. 461 and pp. 73, 74 ; especially his note upon the As-
ting,i, p. 461, where he brings forward a good deal of evidence in favour
of the form Geardingas.
β The Rune poem says that Ing was first known among the East-
danes, and that he was so named by the Heardings. This may refer
to Norfolk : or must we read heardingas, beUatores ? See Anglos.
Runes, Archseolog. xxviii. 327, seq.
■ 7 Trav. S. 1. 37. 8 Ibid. 1. 44.
CH. II.]
THE MARK.
63
Helsington, and in the Swedish Helsingland 1 : the
Myrgings2, perhaps in Merring, and Merrington :
the Hundings 3, perhaps in Hunningham and Hun-
nington: the Hocings 4, in Hucking : the Seringas5
meet us again in Sharington, Sherington and She-
ringham. The Dyringas6, in Thorington and Thor-
rington, are likely to be offshoots of the great Her-
munduric race, the Thyringi or Thoringi, now Thu-
ringians, always neighbours of the Saxons. The
Bleccingas, a race who probably gave name to
Bleckingen in Sweden, are found in Bletchington,
and Bletchingley. In the Gytingas, known to us
from Guiting, we can yet trace the Alamannic tribe
of the Juthungi, or Jutungi. Perhaps in the Scy-
tingas or Scydingas, we may find another Alaman-
nic tribe, the Scudingi7, and in the Dylingas, an
Alpine or Highdutch name, the Tulingi8. The
Wseringas are probably the Norman Vseringjar,
whom we call Varangians. The Wylfingas9, another
celebrated race, well known in Norse tradition, are
recorded in Beowulf10 and the Traveller’s Song11.
These are unquestionably no trivial coincidences ;
they assure us that there lies at the root of our land-
divisions an element of the highest antiquity ; one
too, by which our kinsmanship with the North-
german races is placed beyond dispute. But their
analogy leads us to a wider induction : when we
' Zeuss, p. 544. 2 Trav. S. 1. 45,
3 Ibid. 1. 46.
5 Ibid. 1. 150.
4 Ibid. 1. 57, perhaps the Chauci.
Ibid. 1. 60. 7 Zeuss, p. 584. 8 Ibid. pp. 226, 227.
Cod. Dipl. No. 1135. Wylfinga ford. ‘° Lines 916, 936.
Line 58. They are the Ylfingar of Norse tradition. Helg. Hund.
1.5.