Introduction

The study of place names with pagan religious significance is a favourite old chestnut in place-name research, which has seen much abuse over the years. Not wanting to muddy the waters further, since I am no expert myself, I am simply providing a gazetteer of the names suggested by other people along with various alternative interpretations, if any. The county of Sussex is not greatly blessed with place names of this type and like everywhere else in England, has little in the way archaeological remains relating to Pagan Saxon religious practices. The lack of suitable names is somewhat strange, as Sussex, along with the Isle of Wight are considered to be the last places Christianised in England, whilst Kent to the east is better endowed, yet was one of the first places to be Christianised. The element Hālig (Holy) is not discussed here, even though there are cases in Sussex, because of the elements probable connection with Christian rather than pagan sites (Smith 1956 Vol. 1 p.244). The gods and godesses discussed here are of the Germanic rather than Scandinavian variety since Norse settlers had little or no impact on Sussex and its placenames. To show at a glance how 'safe' an interpretation is, a symbol will appear after the name which will either be a thumbs up () for a reasonably safe name or a thumbs down () for a dodgy name. There are only three of the former but a slew of the latter.

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Early Christian Sussex

Whilst there are some signs of Christianity in late Roman times, this seems to have been wiped out with the invasion of the Saxons. It is often thought that Christianity didn't return to Sussex until St. Wilfid, Bishop of York, came to Sussex in 678 after being thrown out of Northumbria. However Bede records some Irish monks living in the area of Bosham before the arrival of Wilfrid (Brandon 1978 p.169).

Folklore Concerning Pagan Saxons

The Pagan god Thor is a character in a story about a group of barrows on Treyford Hill called the 'Devil's Jumps' (SU825173). This piece of lore also, rather unsurprisingly, involves the Devil. The story goes thus :

"In the old days, the god Thor was fond of sitting on the top of Treyford Hill for a rest. One day the Devil came by, and seeing the five barrows, he took it into his head to amuse himself leaping through the air from one to another. All this thumping and jumping disturbed Thor, who woke up in a temper, and shouted: 'Go Away!'.

But Old Nick only laughed and jeered at him. 'Poor old Thor!' he said. 'Don't you wish you could jump like me? But your too old to be jumping about', said he.

The words were no sooner out of his mouth than Thor upped with a huge stone and hurled it straight at him. It got him full in the midriff, just as he was in the middle of his finest jump. So the old Devil, he gave a great yell, and he took himself off double quick. And he has never been seen there from that day to this, though of course the mounds are still there." (Simpson 1973 p.61)

The Archaeological Record

One possible site has been put forward recently as a Saxon shrine in Sussex. Chris Butler's excavations near Friars Oak, Hassocks revealed a square post-hole building which was interpreted as a shrine (Butler 2000 p.20). The building was roughly 3 metres square with an entrance on the south side and contained a floor area containing daub and evidence of burning, including the remains of burnt planks, which suggests the building was burnt down at some point. A divide of burnt material across the floor split the building in two, with the entrance being into the western side, with access into the other side through a gap in the partition. The post-holes surrounding the burnt floor area show no sign of burning. Pottery dated the building to around the beginning of the seventh century. The building interpretation as a shrine is down to the small size of the structure, which is too small for habitation, and its similarity to buildings found in Saxon burial grounds.

Distribution Map

Hearg

The Old English Hearg means a heathen temple on a hill, of which Sussex possesses several possibilities. The best treatment of this element concerning Sussex is by Richard Coates (1980 p.309). Coates lists several possibilities, none of which he gives as certain, but some of the more probable are listed below. As well as the names given below for which locations are broadly known, there are other example, such as Haregedon (1203 FF), the personal name Harewedon (1332 SR) found in the Stedham and Ringmer area and also various names given for an unknown site, Chusehar, Chisharwe & Cheseharegh (1330 Ipm) (Mawer & Stenton 1929 p.165).

Harrow Hill  
Early Forms :

• None!

Notes:
The most famous of the hearg sites is Harrow Hill near Worthing in West Sussex (TQ082100). The name was first recorded in 1813 on the Ordnance Survey maps, though it was known by some local people as Harry Hill (Curwen & Curwen 1922 p.29), and also note that the name The Harrow Ways was given to "a fairly level section of the Broadwater to Arundel road which stretches 1700 feet from the Fox Inn westwards towards Hammerpot, in the parish of Angmering". The hilltop site provides no archaeological evidence of a Saxon shrine of any sort, but there are plenty of earlier remains. The most notable are a collection of Neolithic flint mines and a small hillfort from the Late Bronze-Age / Early Iron Age. The excavations of the hillfort have some interest here as they show the remains of earlier ritual practices. There was no sign of huts or occupation within the fort, but the skulls of between 50 and 100 ox were found in a few small cuttings, with little sign of other types of bone (Holleyman 1937 p.250). Whether the name given to the hill is for an unrelated use of the site by the Saxons or holds some memory about the Saxon use of the site is uncertain, though the Curwens (1922 p.28) notes that many teeth were found just under the turf, which may suggest the latter.

Mount Harry  
Early Forms :

• Harewedon (1332 SR?)
• Mountharry (1610)

Notes:


Mount Harry in the parish of Hamsey near Lewes (TQ382122) is another possible derivation from this element, though Coates (1980 p.310) is unsure if the 1332 subsidy roll entry for Harrow Down refers to this hill. The hill itself is covered with little but the odd tumulus.

The Harrows  
Early Forms :

• None!

Notes:
This name occurs on some OS maps in the parish of Harting, which is on the border with Hampshire. There are no early forms and little is known about it.

Stonherie  
From : Stān (stone) and Hearg (temple)
Early Forms :

• No modern form, old form as above (1256)

Notes:
This name occurs on the Clapham/Findon boundary (Wilson 1942 p.44) but no remains of this 'stone temple' have been found. The Romano-British shrine at Muntham Court lies fairly near the border in Findon, but it was constructed of wood rather than stone (Burstow & Holleyman 1957 p.102).

Ōs, Ēs, Ēsa

The Old English Ōs or Ēs refers to a god of some sort, with Ēsa being the plural form (Smith 1956 Vol. 1 p.159). The use of these elements is difficult to interpret as they are so short, and Gelling (1987) makes no mention of the element at all in her study on Pagan place names.

Easewrithe  
From : Ēsa (of the gods) and Wrið (thicket)
Early Forms :

• Isiwirde, Isiwiridi & Eswende (1086 DB)
• Eisewriða (1161 PR)
• Eysewrith (1245 FF,1361 IpmR)
• Esewryth (1248 Ass)
• Esewrithe (1262 Ass, 1283 Lewes, 1283,1302 Ipm)
• West Esewrithe (1283 Ipm)
• Westesewryth(e) (1316 FA, 1332 SR, 1336 Ch)

Notes:
The Hundred name of Easewrithe is thought to derive from this element, but though some writers recognised the first element Esa, they thought it related to a personal name (Mawer & Stenton 1929 p.146), with the interpretation given here only coming later on (Rubin 1951 p.135,Smith 1956 Vol. 1 p.159). The hundred is now split into two, East and West, but the site that is said to have named the hundred is in Sullington where in 1296 (SR) and 1338 (Ass) there is mention of one 'Robert de Esewryth' (Mawer & Stenton 1929 p.146).

Easebourne  
From : Ēsa (of the gods) and Burna (spring or stream)
Early Forms :

• Eseburne (1086 DB, 1188 PR, 1316 FA, 1346 Ipm)
• Isenburna (1105 France, 1165 PR)
• Hesseburn (1185 PR)
• Eselburna (1186 PR)
• Estburn (1219 Fees)
• Esebourne (1322 Ipm)
• Estborne (1404 Cicestr)
• Eastborn (1447 Inq aqd)
• Esbourn (1500 Ipm)
• Estborne (1595 Hope)

Notes:
Easebourne is the name of a village (SU895225), parish and Hundred in West Sussex. The 'stream' referred to may be the River Rother which passes just to the south-west of the village, but is probably the small stream that passes through the village and leads south-west into the Rother. Again, Mawer & Stenton (1929 p.17) give the first element as the personal name Esa, but Rubin (1951 p.135) gives it as the element in discussion here.

Wēoh / Wīg

The Old English Wēoh or Wīg means an idol or a shrine (Smith 1956 Vol. 2p.254), with the latter form considered to have appeared later than the former.

Patchway  
From : Pæccel (Pers. Name) and Wīg (shrine)
Early Forms :

• Petteleswige (765 BCS 197,Barker 1947 p.88)
• Peccheleswia (12th C. Lewes)
• Piceleswia (1121 AC)
• Pac(c)heleswy(e) (1263 FF,1279 AD A 15527,1279 Lewes,1342,1389 Ct)
• Patteswye (1557 Rental)
• Pattiswye (1787 SAC 37,1842-3 TA)
• Patchwye (LRMB)

Notes:
The modern form is now a field name (Mawer & Stenton 1930 p.310) on the boundary of the parishes of Patcham and Stanmer. The personal name of Pæccel or Peccel attached to this 'shrine' is thought to be the same as that in Patching. Though no remains of such a shrine have been found, it has been suggested that some Romano-British buildings just to the north at Rocky Clump are the remains of a shrine remembered in this name (Gorton & Yeates 1988 p.9). Though this idea is generally discredited due to lack of archaeological evidence, more recent excavations have turned up two pits, one containing an ox skull laid on a bed of winkle and mussel shells, the other a sheep skull on a bed of oyster shells (Funnell 2000 p.1). Similar deposits have been found in the Romano-British shrine building at Muntham Court (Burstow & Holleyman 1957 p.102) but also in more mundane circumstances where a similar deposit was found in an Early Iron-Age grain storage pit at Findon Park (Fox & Wolseley 1928 p.449).

Whyly  
From : Wīg or Wēoh (shrine) and lēah (wood or clearing)
Early Forms :

• Willee (1246 Ch)
• Wylegh (1296 SR)
• Wylee (1451 Pens)
• Whiligh (1823 G)

Notes:
This spot in the parish of East Hoathly is shown on modern Ordnance Survey maps as Old Whyly. While Mawer & Stenton (1930 p.401) suggest this as deriving from the element in discussion, Gelling (1987 p.111) says it as likely to have derived from Welig (willow). The early forms are not conclusive.

Whiligh  
From : Wīg or Wēoh (shrine) and lēah (wood or clearing)
Early Forms :

• Wiglege (1018 O.S. Facs iii. 39)
• Wylegh (1279 Ass, 1333 FF)
• Willegh (1366 BM)

Notes:
The modern Whiligh and Little Whiligh lie in the parish of Ticehurst near the boundary with Wadhurst in East Sussex. Mawer & Stenton (1930 p.454) give the same derivation for this name as that of Whyly above. However the old forms are more sound and Gelling (1987 p.111) gives it the thumbs up.

Þórr / Þunor

Þunor (Thunor) is the Saxon equivalent of the Scandinavian Þórr (Thor) and from the place name evidence, seems to have been worshipped only in Saxon areas (Smith 1956 Vol. 2 p.217). It has been generally thought that places containing the word thunder related to this teutonic god, and while this may be the case with some names, others show this not to be the case, such as with Thunders Hill (TQ552132) in the parish of Chiddingly, which is the site of a house occupied by a family by the name of Thunder (Lower 1862 p.232).

Thunorslege  
From : Þunor and Lēah (wood or clearing)
Early Forms :

• No modern form, given as Þunorslege in A-S Charter dated 772 (Barker 1947 p.92)
• Thornneslond (?? 1380 LibE)

Notes:
This sacred grove of Thunor is located somewhere on the bounds of Barnhorne manor (TQ707077) near Bexhill (Gelling 1987 p.107), given to Bishop Oswald by King Offa of Mercia in 772. According to the charter, the grove is located along a stream that leads to the salt marshes Barker 1947 p.94). This is very uncertain as the coastline and marshes have changed dramatically over time, but is possible that this is 'Coles Stream' and 'Crooked Ditch'. The Thornneslond entry above is a name found somewhere in the same parish, and is probably quite unrelated, but is presented here as a possible later form of the name.

Thundersbarrow  
From : Þunor and Burh (Fortified place) or Beorg (Barrow)
Early Forms :

• Thunder Borough (Edwards 1801 Plate. 8)

Notes:
Thundersbarrow Hill lies within the Downs north of Shoreham in West Sussex. The features that probably give the hill its name lie on the southern summit of the hill (TQ229084) and include a Barrow and an enclosed settlement. Though the current form would indicate the site has been named after the barrow, which is the generally accepted view, the word borough recorded in 1801 could derive from either a barrow or a fortified place, both of which are present on the hill. Only earlier forms will decide which word the second element of the name is derived from, along with whether the site is named after Thunor at all. It should also be noted here that some lynchets on the south side of the hill are known as Thunders Steps (Gurd & Jacobs 1924 p.83). Coates (1980 p.316) considers the name possibly relates to Thunor pending the discovery of earlier forms. The enclosure, when excavated, produced dating evidence from the early Iron-Age to the Romano-British period (Curwen & Curwen 1930 p.258,Burstow 1942 p.192).

Frig / Friga / Frigg

The Goddess Friga is the Germanic equivalent of the Scandinavian Freyja, and has also given us the name of the fifth day of the week, Friday (Frīg-dæg). Places associated with the goddess are few and far between in England as a whole, though the word Friday appears to be quite common. While this may be taken as an indication of a site sacred to the goddess, having the day in a place-name probably indicates a different meaning. Smith (1956 Vol. 1 p.187) suggests that because Friday was sometimes a day of fasting, that the word in a place-name could be taken to mean unproductive land, and also suggests a connection with shunned or out of the way places. Certainly there are some 'Friday Streets' that have been found on boundaries, away from settlements (Coates 1982 p.277), and cases where they apparently refer to a small group of houses away from the main settlement (Mawer & Stenton 1930 p.446). Both of these apply to a Friday Street near Langney, East Sussex (TQ621037). There are further examples near Cuckfield (Mawer & Stenton 1930 p.266, and Horsham (Mawer & Stenton 1929 p.229). A Friday's East (frigedæges) lies on the same boundary as Patchway near Stanmer (Barker 1947 p.86). While not accepting these names as Pagan in origin, I am including here one further case in detail, more for its situation and folkloric connections than a sound set of early forms.

Friday's Church & Friday's Well  
Early Forms :

• No Early Forms!

Notes:
On Barpham Hill (TQ086099) on the South Downs west of Findon in West Sussex, there are two features named Friday's Church and Friday's Well. The first of these actually represents a group of barrows, now ploughed out, while the second is a clay lined depression, once a pond but now dry. The name in this case is not known before 1896 (Collyer 1986 p.181) and was later suggested to be a derivation from the name of the deity (Curwen & Curwen 1922 p.27). Of several barrows or possible barrows on the hill, it is said of one of them (it is uncertain which) that 'Queen Fridias is buried here' (Barr-Hamilton 1980 p.171. Folklore has given us another possible reason for the name of the place, according to one shepherd, "We call it Friday's Church because the Romans were supposed to have had a temple there, but the Ordnance map gives it as Wepham Down" (Sharp 1929 p.588). Interestingly, Roman coins and large quantities of Romano-British pottery were found associated with cremations put into two of the Bronze-Age barrows in the Romano-British period, though more pot was found than would have been associated with the cremations themselves (Barr-Hamilton 1980 p.177). On the meaning of 'church' in the name, Coates (1982a p.277,1982b p.298) gives a possible derivation from the Old Welsh Crūc (hill/barrow/mound), though British names are rare in Sussex. Another possibility is the site was associated with Good Friday games, similar to those seen at the Hove Barrow (Simpson 1973 p.112).

Óðin / Wōden

The Germanic god Wōden corresponds to the Scandinavian Óðin and is represented by two very suspect cases in Sussex, both with the same modern form of the name, Wootton. Mawer & Stenton (1930 p.300,p.412) give the derivation of both from Wūdu (wood) rather than from the name of the god.

Wootton Farm  
From : Wūdu (wood) or Wōden (the god) and Tūn (Farmstead)
Early Forms :

• Wudutun (896 t. EdwConf. (12th) KCD)
• Odintune, Odetune (1086 DB)
• Wodeton (1272 RH)
• Wdetun (1212 Fees 72)
• Wudeton (1242 Fees 689)

Notes:
Wootton Farm (TQ380151) lies just to the east of East Chiltington in the parish of that name in East Sussex. While the earliest form certainly represents Wūdu (Mawer & Stenton 1930 p.300), the second entry from the Domesday Book, which represents a manor, is odd in the fact that it looses the W in from and changes either to the element representing the god or the suffix -ingtūn before reverting back in 1272 to the original form. The author entertains the idea that the Domesday reference is for a separate place, though this is quite unlikely, especially as a more intermediate form, Wodinton (Mawer 1934 p.22), was found after the publication of the original survey and the DB reference, if representing the god, would appear to use the Óðin element, which is Scandinavian rather than Germanic.

Wootton House  
From : Wūdu (wood) or Wōden (the god) and -ingtūn (Farmstead)
Early Forms :

• Lodintone (1086 DB)
• Wudetona (1174 PR)
• Wodeton (1242 Fees)
• Wudington (c.1205 Hailsham)
• Wodinton (1252 Ch)
• Woditon (1324 Pat)
• Wutton juxta Fokyngton (1458 IpmR)

Notes:
Another manor house, this time in the parish of Folkington (TQ565052). Unfortunately the possibly interesting Wodinton from 1252 is even less plausible than the other example of Wootton as the -ingtūn suffix is fairly uniform here, leaving it pretty certain that this name derives from Wūdu (wood), despite the earliest from from the Domesday Book, which may have suffered a similar corruption to the first case of Wooton above. The name is included here for completeness only.

Pagan Place-Name Distribution

Unsurprisingly, the Hearg names are restricted to the Downland area, where these hilltop temple sites are most likely to be situated. Further from this, there does seem to be a concentration on the Downs and the low weald, which may reflect the Saxon settlement pattern in this area of England. The situation of many of these sites on boundaries of various sorts may be significant, or may just be down to the recording of these names in charters and other documents dealing with the recording of boundaries. The existence of the Ōs and Wēoh elements predominantly in the Weald may represent an alternative to the use of Hearg in the Downland areas, though there are not enough examples here to be certain. The locations of these place names near evidence of Romano-British ritual may also be significant, as has been shown in other counties. Any mention of the god Tig or Tīw in Sussex is conspicuous in its absence and Wodin is not well represented either. The principle god represented here, if all of the names given are indeed correct, is Thunor, and this is echoed in the neighbouring counties of Surrey, which has Thunderfield near the border of Sussex along with Thursley, and Hampshire, which has Thunreslea also quite near the Sussex border (Gelling 1997 p.160). The three reasonably safe names in Sussex and the possible shrine site are confined to East Sussex, perhaps due to the existence of the See of Selsey in West Sussex which would have had a greater Christianising influence on the area than in East Sussex.

Going back to Romano-British times, East Sussex was then a bit of a cultural backwater, lacking the Romanising influence of a large town like Chichester, perhaps due to the Atrebatic tribal boundary ending at the Adur. As well as the stone built temples of the Romano-British period being restricted to the area west of the Adur, this is also true of the evidence for Romano-British Christianity in the county. Whilst the prevailing view has until recently been that the Saxons wiped out any Romano-British culture in Sussex, this view is now changing and the different cultural backdrops may have had an impact on the different strengths of Saxon paganism in Sussex.