> (The name of) any of three ancient dikes or embankments in Norfolk, raised to keep out fen water.
> and the earliest spellings are
> Pokediche 1293
> Pokedyk 1349
> Pokediche, Pokedyke 1423
> Keith
Could these be "puca-di_c", "the ditch of the 'puca'? Alleging that an evil supernatural being lives in a particular ditch is a known way of discouraging children from playing in or near water and thus risking drowning: compare
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jenny_Greenteeth
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