THE FOaOTT AT HALLIGEY, TRELOWAEBEN. 255 



from amongst the others those which we require, — so many of 

 them (with different meanings) seeming to have equal claims 

 upon our choice. 



Halig, holy,i8 a late Celtic word (from the Teutonic), and there 

 seems no special reason for connecting it with Halligey. Still, 

 Halig-ge might mean sacred enclosure, although the Cornish word 

 in general use for holy was Sans (from the Latin Sanctus), and 

 this word would probably have been connected with Lan rather 

 than with Ke, or ge. Hal, a moor; Hal, a hill; Hel, a hall: — 

 entered into many Cornish names : — ILaVifge and HaVagij, HeVifge 

 and HeVagy, might be translated enclosed moor, kill, or hall ; 

 either within ordinary hedges, or within the vallum of the 

 ancient fort. 



Bannister has given Hal-age (agos), near, orneighlouring moor 

 or hill (perhaps in allusion to its position with respect to 

 Trelowarren). 



Hell was Anglo-Saxon, and meant a covered or unseen place ; 

 such as a dungeon or the lower regions. It was from *helen, to 

 cover. Hole, hellyer (a coverer, a roofer), helling-stone (a 

 covering or roofing stone), being from the same root. 



HeWy^ge, if compounded of this, would express — the con- 

 cealed hollow within the enclosure, — the covered cave inside the 

 earthwork, — " the entrenched Fogou?'' 



This explanation of Halligey is the most tempting, unless any 

 objection is raised to its Teutonic origin. The ancient artificial 

 caves described by Tacitus were those of the Germans, and some 

 of their words — together with their customs may have spread to 

 the Britons in early days. 



Some ordinary Celtic combination wouldbe preferable, and the 

 Cornish word for the lower regions is not hell but ifarn, clearly 

 derived from the Latin inferna ; the Cornish for hole being tol. 

 In making a final choice of a derivation we must be guided to 

 some extent by the accent on the second syllable of Halligey. 

 This suggests (Singular) Heligen, a willow, a place of willows ; 

 (Plural) Helik or Helig, willows. 



*Bp. Browne's " Articles," p. 78. 



