340 HORSE-SHOES AND HORSE-SHOEING. 



posed to be in a cav^e, cairn, or cromlech, such as that 

 on the promontory of Alesia. 



The early Saxons believed that a cromlech in Berk- 

 shire was a workshop of the mythic smith ; the monument 

 at Ashbury, in the Vale of White Horse, was called 

 ' Weland's Smiththan,' or smithy, which in time became 

 corrupted to Wayland Smith's cave. The great defeat 

 given by Alfred to the Danish invaders, is said, by Mr 

 Gough, to have taken place near Ashdown, in Berkshire. 

 The burial-place of Baereg, the Danish chief, wdio was 

 slain in this fight, is distinguished by a parcel of stones, 

 less than a mile from the hill, set on edge, enclosing a 

 piece of ground somevN^hat raised. On the east side of 

 the southern extremity, stand three squarish flat stones, 

 of about four or five feet over either way, supporting a 

 fourth, and now called by the vulgar, Wayland Smith, 

 from an idle tradition about an invisible smith replacing 

 lost horse-shoes there. ' ' The popular belief still clings 

 to this wild legend,' adds Sir Walter Scott, ' which, con- 

 nected as it is with the site of a Danish (?) sepulchre, 

 may have arisen from some legend concerning the northern 

 Duergars, who resided in the rocks, and were cunning 

 workers in steel and iron. It was believed that Wayland 

 Smith's fee was sixpence, and that, unlike other workmen, 

 he was offended if more was offered. This monument 

 must be very ancient, for it has been kindly pointed out 

 to me that it is referred to in an ancient Saxon charter, 

 as a landmark.' ^ 



With regard to placing a piece of money on the 



' Camden. Britannia, vol. i. p. 221. Edit. Gough. 

 ' Scoii. Kenilworth. Note B. 



