ld English place names relating to the Gods including Penda's Oak and The pool of Tiw among others.
The village of Cofton Hackett lies about halfway between Birmingham city centre and Worcester.
The Hackett part of the name comes from a medieval landowner but, in the 9th-century, it was still known as plain ‘Cofton’ when the Bishop of Worcester leased the estate to King Berhtwulf of Mercia. This was in 849 (the probable year of Alfred the Great’s birth).
In the 9th-century, the Cofton boundary took in ‘Penda’s Oak tree’ Penda was the last pagan king of Mercia and this Oak was probably associated with the God Thor. Carrying on past Penda's Oak was ‘tyes mere’, the pool of the God Tiw.
That pool no longer exists, but landscape historian Della Hooke suggests it was very close to another early boundary between tribal groups, this one dedicated to Tiw in his role God of war. Lakeside offerings to Tiw are known from Sweden, and similar offerings may once have taken place here - right on the edge of the Lickey Hills.
There are two other places near this lost Tiw’s pool that hint at pagan Anglo-Saxon sites south of the Birmingham conurbation. One of these is Arrowfield Top, which was called ‘Harewmede’ in about 1300 and probably derives from ‘hearg’ (a communal heathen sanctuary sited on a hill). The other pagan place name is Weoley (from ‘weoh’ or sanctuary).
The first photo shows the view over Cotton Hackett. The pools are disappointingly man-made. (From Wikipedia.)
Then there’s a 6th-century pendant from Sweden which shows the God Tiw in a well-known scene from Norse mythology - just as Fenris the wolf bites off his hand!
Some of the text and pictures are from 'Place names of Britain' group here on fb.
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