HIS TORT of the SOCIETT. 3S 



The fame word in SuioG. fignifles both a lkull {cranium), 

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

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

 principally, as it would appear, from its exhibiting our Gothic 

 anceftors as fo extremely barbarous, that he confiders the human 

 lkull as receiving the name ofcjkaal from its refemblance to the 

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

 though the Northern nations were greatly addicted to inebriety, 

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

 row a name for their fkulls from their drinking-veflels. The 

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

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

 Germ, fchele, 111. Jkael, SuioG. and Dan. Jkaal. Allied to this is 

 Moefo-Goth. Jkaljos, the tiling of a roof. 



Ihre objects 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 Jkaal is 

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

 the act of drinking in honour of fome diftinguifhed perfonage ; 

 adding, that minne and full are the terms ufed by old Tflandic 

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

 the antiquity of the word. Nothing more could reafonably be 

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

 original and proper lignification, 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 limply and directly fuggeft- 

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

 we be furprifed, although they even preferred the other term 

 full ; not only as the figure is lefs llrong, to fpeak of drinking 

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

 caufe it referred to the eltablifhed cuftom with refpect to this 

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

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



time 



