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From: "stephen buckley" Subject: Etymology/Swedish wells
> Although the greatest body of material about pre-Christian beliefs in
> Britain comes from Ireland and Wales, I'm curious about evidence from
> Scandinavia, because conversion was comparatively late, and there do seem to
> be some analogies with Celtic ideas in what was recorded -- but I've found
> it very hard to get information in English. Any recommendations, anyone?
>
Hello all,
I think it's time for me to jump in with some hints from Scandinavia now! As an ethnologist & librarian living in Sweden I can confirm that information on Scandinavian wells in English is very scarce. In fact, information is scarce even in Swedish!
One person who have written in English is Berta Stjernquist, Professor em. Institute of Archaeology, Lund University Sandgatan 1, SE-223 50 LUND, Sweden Fax (0)46-222 42 14 ([log in to unmask]). She was born in 1918.
In 1997 she published the book:
The Roekillorna spring : spring-cults in Scandinavian prehistory / by Berta Stjernquist.
Stockholm : Almqvist & Wiksell International, 1997, 153, [3] pages. : ill. ISBN 91-630-6241-0
"The central aim of her project is to elucidate the structure and function of spring-cults. In the 1960s Stjernquist excavated Roekillorna, a spring with finds from Stone Age to Iron Age, and has since then critically studied the spring-cult as a function of the prehistoric community."
The bibliography in that book includes the following articles by Stjernquist:
1964: "New light on Spring-Cults in Scandinavian Prehistory". In: Archaeology 17:3, New York.
1987: "Spring-Cults in Scandinavian Prehistory". In: Gifts to the Gods / editors: T. Linders & G. Nordquist. Uppsala.
And there is also a more recent article by Stjernquist, from 1998: "The basic perception of the religious activities at cult-sites such as springs, lakes and rivers", in: The world-view of prehistoric man / arranged by the Royal Academy of Letters, History and Antiquities along with the Foundation Natur och Kultur ; editors: Lars Larsson and Berta Stjernquist. - Stockholm : Kungl. Vitterhets-, historie- och antikvitetsakad., 1998. - (Konferenser / Kungl. Vitterhets-, historie- och antikvitetsakademien, 0348-1433 ; 40). - Pages [158]-178 : ill.
About the etymology of Swedish wells: The main word is KÄLLA (in Norwegian and Danish: KILDE), from the word KALL (cold). The word BRUNN is used for spas and resorts developed from an original "källa", but the word was in use long before our first health resort was opened in Sweden in 1678 (Medevi brunn). The word BRUNN is derived from an IE root, with the meaning 'boil'. We also have the verb VÄLLA, which means 'boil or bubble up', and some placenames beginning with VÄLL- can possibly be explained with the fact that those places were originally wells used by the people there.
In Sweden we have several accounts on the history of Swedish spas and resorts ("brunnar"), but very little research on wells used by ordinary people. Most of those places are forgotten today, since they had no proud name, no beautiful situation and no legends. Many also disappeared where agriculture changed the landscape dramatically. But we do have a few hundred remembered by the reason that they early became named after saints (or in some cases royalty), or by the fact that they were so popular that they caused people to hold markets there or the religious leadership to build a Christian church over a prechristian cult site!
Water running to the north was considered extra powerful, since that water could take the 'bad' from you and bring it back to the north, where evil was thougtht to have its residence. Many wells were especially good for curing eyes or removing curses, and some for easing childbirth. Many wells were used as late as one hundred years ago, but when they lost their attraction and power one explanation presented was that uncaring summer tourists from Stockholm had destroyed them! The wells were considered most powerful in June, especially on the day of John the Baptist by the end of June. In the middle and northern parts of Sweden the "peak" was at the beginning of June, with full moon and all nature preparing for summer and harvest.
Enough for now!
Carl-Henrik
Carl-Henrik Berg
Bolevägen 56
SE-931 63 SKELLEFTEA
mailto:[log in to unmask]
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