104 THE GIANT AND THE MAYPOLE OF CERNE. 



in again ; all the church bells were ringing, and " 3 1 bonfires 

 could be counted from the bridge." 



Attention has been called to a boundary charter, granted in 

 the reign of King John, as containing the oldest recorded 

 mention of the maypole. The words cited are "De Lostock 

 mepul, ubi crux sita fuit, recta linea in anstro, usque ad crucem 

 super le Tunge " from Lostock mepul, where a cross once stood, 

 in a straight line southwards to the cross on the Tonge. " This 

 maypole," it is further said (14), " must have formed one of the 

 land -marks which defined the boundaries, and must, therefore, 

 have been a permanent erection." 



It is true that crosses, and even crucifixes, were often used 

 indeed, are still employed as terminal signs. Thus, in a 

 charter assigned to the year 851, the definition runs ; "ondlang 

 ftaes hearpoftes to ftaem Criste maele. and swa fram ftam Cristes 

 maele ofdunweard ondlang anre ealdre die" : along the high 

 road to the crucifix and from the crucifix down along an old 

 ditch (15). A cross by its sacred character resisted removal, 

 though in the case first cited the cross had vanished. 



Boundary marks less easily disturbed are trees, and they were 

 frequently used for this purpose. 



For example, in a charter of the year 772 occurs the follow- 

 ing : " innon #a scip ac in a gratan aespan in ftaet hreade 

 sloh innon fta fif aecc on fta haran apeltreo" (16) ; to the 

 lopped oak, to the great aspen, to the red sloe, to five-oaks, to 

 the old appletree. The next two extracts, from charters of the 

 respective years 774 and 770, are still more to the point: "and 

 swain smalan aesc in ftonne mapultre" (17): to the little ash 

 and then to the maple. " Of ftam syrftreowe in ftaet ruge 

 mapeltre6w " (18) : from the rowan to the maple. 



(14) E, T. Hampsou, Medii JSvi Kalcndarium, p. 238. 



(15) Kemble's Codex III., 393. 



(16) Kemble's Codex III., 382. 



(17) Kemble's Codex III., 381. 



(18) Kemble's Codex III., 379. 



