^Vhen we come to the names of mountains we find a nomen- 

 clature distinctly Scandinavian, although there are some mountains 

 which still retain their old Celtic names. Southey rescued the 

 Celtic name of Saddleback, Blencathra, which in a few more years 

 would no doubt have been irretrievably lost. This has been 

 explained as meaning "peak of tempests," but I think that the most 

 simple and natural explanation is Blencathair, from cai/iair, chair 

 or seat, thus making it in point of fact, of pretty nearly the same 

 meaning as its other name Saddleback. Another mountain which 

 still retains its old Celtic name is Helvellyn. There have been 

 various fanciful and poetical attemps to connect the name of this 

 mountain with the worship of Bel or Belin ; the etymology I have 

 to propose is much more prosaic, and therefore, I venture to think, 

 more probable. Acting upon the principle I laid down at starting 

 of collating the names in a district, we shall find one other 

 mountain-name in a similar form to Helvellyn, viz., that of Rivelin 

 by the side of Ennerdale water. This is also a mountain-name in 

 Wales, and has been explained as " red mountain," and in a 

 similar manner Helvellyn is probably the " yellow mountain." 

 This is the explanation given in the Journal of the Philological 

 Society by the late Dr. Guest, who, as he was one of the most 

 cautious, was one of the most trustworthy of etymologists. 



But with these and one or two other exceptions the mountain- 

 names are distinctly Scandinavian, the word, fell (O.N. /Jail) not 

 being found in any of the Saxon dialects. We have among others 

 Souter Fell, which may be the same name as Sauda Fell in 

 Iceland, from saudr, sheep, a final r in English being, as I before 

 noted, unrecognizable in pronunciation. The name of Fairfield 

 was supposed by De Quincey to be of a similar origin, and to be 

 a corruption of Fair Fell, from faar, sheep, whence the name of 

 the Faroes, "sheep islands." To this I before took exception, 

 chiefly on the ground that there is no other instance of the change 

 of fell into Jield. But on the whole I am inclined to think that 

 this is hardly a sufl[icient objection, and that this derivation may 

 stand good till some one can suggest a better. Hest Fell 

 corresponds with a Hesten Fell {i/tc Horse Fell, tlic article being 



