Cultural and Artistic Antecedents : Clairvaux 353 



of theRuvell of 1546 (the ' St.' is of course meaningless) ; Rothwald 

 may be an analogical formation, assimilated ^ to Mousewald (formerly 

 Muswald and Mosswald),^ Torthorvvald, and Tinwald, parishes 

 adjoining that of Ruthwell. Less probable is Chalmers' opinion, 

 that the new name might be derived from Old English rJS, rivulet, 

 and 'd'uld [weald), forest. In any case, the form Rothwald has no 

 further history (except for the reference by Keith, below), and only 

 the first syllable of it is interesting, in its relation to the first element 

 of Ruthwell ; both of these words, however, are of comparatively 

 slight importance, since they lie outside the history of the spoken 

 word, which runs from Ryvel to the modem pronunciation, Rivvel. 



In 1726, Gordon ^ has the form Ruthvel, with the old ending, 

 -vel, continuing the ancient tradition. Keith, in his hst of Scottish 

 parishes,* published in 1755, has a reference from Rivel to Ruthwald, 

 but instead of Ruthwald has RuthweU (the first instance of this 

 form that I have found), and under the latter word adds, ' vul^o 

 Revel.' This goes back to Nicolson's form, while Ruthwell, when 

 compared with Gordon's Ruthvel, seems to have borrowed the w of 

 - wald, remaining a mere literary form, and having no connection with 

 popular speech. A striking testimony to the persistence of the 

 ancient form is afforded by Chalmers in 1824, when he says : ' In 

 vulgar speech, and even in the chartularies, the name of Rithwald 

 or Ruthwell has been abbreviated into R\^al and Ruval.' 



The attempts to etymologize the comparatively modern Ruthwell 

 did not cease with Chalmers. A modern writer makes this state- 

 ment ^ . ' A few miles from Annan and quite close to the shore is the 

 town of Ruthwell, named from a chalybeate spring — the " Rood well " 

 or well of the Cross, which still yields its healing waters under the 

 name of the Brow well.' Hence, it appears, must be drawn the 

 explanation in the current edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica ^ : 

 ' the " rood, or cross well." ' The baselessness of this surmise may 

 be seen if we recall that the Old English rod, cross, must always have 

 retained the d, evolving into modern English rood or rod. 



^ As Duncan conjectures (New Stat. Ace. 4. 218). 



- Neiv Stat. Ace. 4. 442. 



3 I tin. Sept., p. 160. 



* Hist. Cat. of Scottish Bishops, ed. 1824, p. 360. 



^ Lansdale, Scotland Historic and Romantic 1. 318 ; cf. Browne, Theodore 

 and Wilfrith, p. 236 : ' They put a shed over it [the Cross], and the place 

 became known as Roodwell.' 



8 11th ed., 8. 664. 



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