HIS TORT of the SOCIEfT. y^ 



The fame word in SuioG. fignifies both a fkuU [cranium), 

 and a drinking-veflel. This obfervation is equally applicable to 

 Germ, fchale. But Ihre is fo unfavourable to this derivation, 

 principally, as it v?ould appear, from its exhibiting our Gothic 

 anceftors as fo extremely barbarous, that he confiders the human 

 IkuU as receiving the name ofjkn^l from its refemblance to the 

 patera or bowl. This is furely to invert the natural order. Al- 

 though the Northern nations were greatly addi(fted to inebriety, 

 yet we can fcarcely fuppofe that they found it neceflary to bor- 

 row a name for their Ikulls from their drinking-veffels. The 

 ikuU itfelf feems to have received this defignation from its re- 

 femblance to a fjel^, in Ang. Sax. fceala, fcala, Belg. fchaele^ 

 Gtvva./chele, l{l.Jiae/, SuioG. and Dzn. Jiaal. Allied to this is 

 Moefo-Goth. 7^(?/;'oj, the tiling of a roof. 



Ihre objefls to this etymon, not only on the ground of the 

 inhumanity of the cuftom fuppofed to be alluded to ; but efpe- 

 cially, he fays, becaufe he does not find that the word y^^<^/ is 

 ufed by ancient writers, as denoting a memorial potation, or 

 the a6l of drinking in honour of fome dirtinguiihed perfonage ; 

 adding, that mime and full are the terms ufed by old lilandic 

 authors. Even fuppofing this to be true, it will not difprove 

 the antiquity of the word. Nothing more could jeafonably be 

 inferred, than that fkaal, in more early ages, had retained its 

 original and proper fignification, as it is ufed in the other fenfe 

 only by a ftrong metonymy. It was natural to prefer minne j 

 for, as literally fignifying memory, it fimply and diredly fuggeft- 

 ed the reafon of this particular mode of drinking. Nor need 

 we be furprifed, although they even preferred the other term 

 full J not only as the figure is lefs ftrong, to fpeak of drinking 

 the f II of a cup, than of drinking the cup itfelf; but alfo be- 

 caufe it referred to the eftablifhed cuftom with refped to this 

 draught, that the xup muft he full and be completely evacuated. 

 This is only to fuppofe the Iflandic word to have been for fome 



time 



