ON THE ORIGIN OF THE TERM " SARSEN STONES. 279 



Danes have left the lasting impression marked by the existence 

 and traditional name of the Deneholes of Kent, Essex, and 

 Durham. 



NOTE, 

 As connected with the former prevalence of Saracenic 

 traditions in this country the occurrence of the " Saracen's 

 Head " as an inn sign may be worth notice here. Messrs* 

 Larwood and Hotten, in their well-known History of Sign- Boards, 

 make the general remark that only a few of what may be called 

 historical signs outlive the century which gave them birth. The 

 long existence of the Saracen's Head is therefore the more note- 

 worthy. They state that it was formerly very common, and 

 note that the Saracen's Head, Snow Hill, London, mentioned in 

 Nicholas Nicklehy, is alluded to by Stow as " a fair and large inn for 

 receipt of travellers, and hath to sign the Sarrazen's Head." But 

 the name is not one likely to be seen among the inns mentioned 

 in Murray's Handbook to any county or district, as it obviously 

 would suggest to the tourist an ancient and primitive inn, rather 

 than a hotel with all the latest appliances. It is therefore 

 difficult to ascertain the extent of its survival at the present day. 

 However, on looking through Bradley's Highivays and Byways in 

 North Wales, I found mention of a Saracen's Head at Cerrig-y- 

 Druidion in Denbighshire. My cousin, George Graham, a 

 resident in Carlisle, tells me that there is one in that city, and 

 that he has seen others in the district, though he cannot exactly 

 remember where. And from Miller Christy's Trade Signs of 

 Essex we learn that there are Saracen's Heads at Chelmsford^ 

 Dunmow, Danbury, Thaxted, and Braintree, and that they were 

 formerly much more common than they are now. 



