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Alwine's Frith, Easneye

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Alwine's Frith, Easneye 1 ALWINE’S FRITH, EASNEYE by Ron Dale THE SACRED GROVES OF EASNEYE The word Frith crops up several times at Easneye in land transfer documents of the 12th century. This is an Old English word not easy to explain. The OED gives the modern meaning as synonymous with firth, an inlet in the sea, but we can discount this as a purely modern meaning which has no interest to us. Frith in the Anglo-Saxon sense is an archaic word which has a multi-faceted meaning, carrying many subtleties. There is no single word in modern times to explain it. In its simplest form it means Peace and Freedom, but it means much more. The German word for freedom is friede as reflected in the name Frederick or Friedrich in German (peace-ruler). In Anglo-Saxon days Frith was a place of worship and sanctuary whilst also being a way of life, a religion in the pagan sense. The state of frith was something to achieve in Anglo-Saxon times by the lord of the tribe showing to his kinsmen and all his people, loyalty, hospitality and consideration. It also infers sibling brotherhood. To add to its complexity, it also means a place of sanctuary or asylum where people or animals cannot be hunted or even the wild flowers cannot be picked. (On the Meaning of Frith, Winifred Hodge, Frithweavers Guild) To achieve frith was to achieve peace, security and sanctuary in an almost religious or yogic sense. In the centuries before Christianity was widespread, frith was the religion of pagan Anglo-Saxons. It was common in all Germanic tribes in Europe and a similar system of religion existed in the Viking countries. A frith-yard would usually be sited on a prominent piece of land, often near or on a hilltop but in woodland or more precisely on the edges of a wood. It might be just a square enclosure of trees (a grove) or perhaps a wooden temple. Before we had churchyards the Saxons had their frith-yards. Early Christian churches had frith-stools in them, usually made of stone and carved and these were sanctuary stones where criminals could be saved from their pursuers. This led to churches themselves becoming places of sanctuary, even without the frith-stools. The churches copied some habits of the pagan frith-yards and in one sense the churches replaced them. But Christianity did not replace the kinship and brotherhood of frith. 2 The worship of their gods took place in the frith-yards or sacred groves and some were named after their specific god or after a chieftain or an ancestor. The names of these gods have survived in place names and in our language. Our days of the week are from Anglo-Saxon gods. Twi gives us Tuesday, Woden Wednesday, Thor Thursday and the goddess Freya Friday. Sunday and Monday are, of course the days of the sun and the moon. Within a frith each person was responsible for the well-being of the other members. For example, if a member of a frith committed murder, the others were obliged to help him escape from any pursuers. Conversely, if a frith member was murdered, the other members were obliged to take revenge for his death. Alfwine’s Frith at Easneye may refer to the Saxon thegn (lord) of Earl Harold, Alfwine (or Alwine) of Gotton of the 11th century, mentioned in several places in the Domesday Book and lord of Stanestede in 1066. He was also lord of Hunsdon, Ayot St. Lawrence and other manors. However, Alfwine was not a rare name in Anglo- Saxon days and it is possible that Alwine’s Frith was named after an earlier man of this name. Waltham Abbey charter no. 370 mentions ‘a messuage and a grove named Alfwine’s Frith at Easneye Park and a tenement called The Hide.’ This was circa 1184-1204 and the house there was rented by Sir Simon of Stanstead from lords of the manor, Roger de Wancey and his son Michael for 13 shillings a year. (Early Charters of Waltham Abbey, Ruth Rainsford, Boydell Press). The charter also states that the messuage and the grove called Alfwine’s Frith, the Hide and the grove of the church of Waltham would remain in the hands of Sir Simon. This description of a house which was the home of Sir Simon of Stanstede and a grove belonging to the church of Waltham sounds like the site of the village manor house, but it is described as being at Easneye which is surprising as it was not thought to have any habitation in the 12th century, especially that of the local knight. If I did not know it was located in Easneye Park, I would have believed Alwines Frith to be at the place we call Stanstead Bury today. Searching old documents never fails to give us surprises. In the Victoria County History Page refers to the licence obtained by the abbot of Waltham in 1253 to build two new roads through Easneye Park to replace the two already existing, possibly around the outskirts. He also mentions a further licence to impark Easneye in 1332. Jumping ahead in time Page also records details of the lease given to John Rodes of Stanstead Abbotts for the Lodge in the park with the lands belonging to it, of the Lady Grove, Stanstead Grove alias Almonds Frith and all the woods in the manor of Stanstead Abbotts. Almonds Frith is obviously a distortion of Alfwine’s Frith and the two named groves may be what were earlier referred to just as Frithgrove in the 12th century. Since this date there has not been any reference to the Frith or Grove at Easneye and today unfortunately we have no knowledge where the house, the Hide, the Frith and its groves existed. Most pagans had been Christianised by the 7th century, but paganism refused to die out completely. Church leaders as late as the 10th century were still forbidding worship in woodland groves, in enclosures or the worship of rocks, wells and springs. (Anglo-Saxon Twilight, Heart of Albion Press). The name Alwine’s Frith could be 11th century, but it could be two or three centuries older. Frith-yards were places chosen as friths and could be associated with a god or goddess, a boulder or sacred tree, a spring, pond or well. Within the frith-yard no argument, fighting or anger was allowed. Here the lord met his kinsmen and discussed mutual concerns and worshipped. No excrement was allowed to be deposited within the frith or blood shed. (The Culture of the Teutons, Villhelm Groenbach) Frith was a way of life which resulted in survival and one we cannot experience today. 3 If peace and sanctuary were available in those troubled times, Easneye Wood seems to be a good place to seek it. Other early charters of the late 12th century mention a place named Frithgrove (Fridgravium) which must also be at Easneye and next to or at Alwines Frith. It is recorded as being alongside the demesne lands of the canons of Waltham. Previously we have been unaware of the canons demesne lands being at Easneye as it would be natural to think they were at Stanstead Bury (whatever it was called at this time) at the village centre. The Frith and its groves were sacred places to the Anglo-Saxons and also appear to have attracted the Waltham canons but probably for material reasons rather than spiritual. If Sir Simon and his father, Richard, lived there and the Waltham canons had their demesne lands there, Alfwine’s Frith must have still been a very important place in our village in the 12th century, apparently more important than Stanstead Bury. R.D. .
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