JUNE. 189 



June is most probably named from Juno, in 

 honour of whom a festival was held at the 

 beginning of the month. 



An old author says " unto June the Saxons 

 gave the name of Weyd-monatli ; because their 

 beasts did weyd in the meadows, that is, go to 

 feed there; and hereof a meadow is called in 

 Teutonic, a weyd ; and of weyd we retain our 

 word wade, which we understand of going 

 through watery places; such as meadows are 

 wont to be." Another author says that weyd 

 is probably derived from weyden (German) to 

 graze, or to pasture. He further adds, they 

 call it Woedmonath, weed month, and also Mede- 

 monath, Mid-somermonath, and Brceck-monath, 

 thought to be from the breaking up of the soil, 

 from braecan (Saxon) ; they also called it Li- 

 da erra. The word Lida, or Litha, signifying 

 in Icelandic, to move, or pass over, may imply 

 the sun's passing over its greatest height; and 

 Lida erra consequently means the first month 

 of the sun's descent. Lida, it is added, has 

 been affirmed to mean smooth air. 



Peas, beans, the Anthoxanthum odoratum, or 

 sweet-scented vernal grass, now diffuse their 

 fragrance. The common jay now frequents 



