2025 Day 152

2025 Dedh Cans Dewdhek ha Dewgens

De Sul, kensa mis Efen
Sunday, 1st June

Travel back in time with Cornish place-names. Those based on “Tre” indicate some sort of habitation or farming activity, but there are wider indications of animal life. We see landscape features, such as “Nans” valley, “Penn” headland, “Goon” downs, combined with names of animals. The rich and powerful loved to hunt. Deer parks were a sign of prestige. We know that Lostwithiel tail of a wooded area was at the edge of one mediaeval deer park, and place-names (some in Old English as well as those in Cornish) suggest the location of others. Some deer parks still exist, often as tourist attractions 

   Place-names record mainly red deer: hedh, stags carow (sing.) > kyrwes (plur.), and some roe deer: roebucks yorgh ~ yorth (sing.) > yergh (plur.). bucks bogh (sing.). The less spectacular hinds ewik (sing.) > ewiges (plur.) also get an occasional mention. Fallow deer are not specifically recorded. A fallow “grey” hind is ewik loos.

 

On lower ground we get:

  

Stags' valley Nans Kyrwes from 

NANKERVIS (Nanskerwes 1284) 

Stag's valley Nans Carow from 

LANCARROW (Nanscarou 1338)

CARRANCARROW (Nankerou 1366)

NANCARROW (Nanskarow 1476)

                KERROWE (Zennor) (Nancarrow 1738) 

Roebucks’ valley Nans Yergh from 

LANJETH (Nansyrgh 1356)  

Hinds' valley Nans Ewigy from

LANSEAGUE (Nansceueguy 1321) 

On higher ground we have

  

Stag’s headland/top Penn Carow from

PENCARROW (Pencarou 1314)  

                     PENARROW POINT (Pencarreu point 1597)

 

Red deer’s downs Goon Hedh from

GUNHEATH (Goenheth 1310) 

                      HENSBARROW DOWNS (Goenheyth 1650) 

Buck's downs Goon Bogh from

CHYBUCCA (Guenbuck 1714) 

Hind's roughland Ros Ewik from

ROSUICK (Rosewyk 1327)