of early colonies of people of more than one race, and of later settlements of Northmen. Such old place-names in Dorset as Godmaneston,[1] Goderiston,[2] and Goderthorn Hundred,[2] point to settlers who were Goths, as also does the custom of partible inheritance of the Kentish type among sons, and failing sons, among daughters, that survived at Wareham and Portland. The dialects spoken by the Northern people, whether Goths, Danes, Norse, or Swedes, were some form of the old Norrena,[3] and we may consider it certain that if there were Wends settled among people of any of these races in Dorset and Wilts they would not call them Wends, but by the name by which they were known in their own language—viz., Windr, Winthr, or Wintr.
There is ancient evidence that Scandinavians used the word Winthr or Windr for Wends. The words of an old writer on early Northern history on this subject are: ‘Wandali quos nos materna lingua vocamus Windir.’[4] Another Northern writer mentions the Western Slavs as ‘Slavi occidentales, or Vestr Vinthr,’ and the Eastern Slavs as the ‘Slavi orientales, or Austr Vinthr.’[5]
For this explanation of the origin of the Winter place-names in these counties to be probable, or even possible, it is necessary to prove the settlement in them of people who spoke a Norrena dialect. The ancient topographical names, some of which are now lost, in both these counties supply this proof.
In Dorset we find Swanage, Purbeck, Shapwick, Ore, Witherston, Butterwike, Wichampton, East Holm, West Holm, Byrport (now Bridport), Candel (which may be compared with Candleshoe Wapentake in Lincolnshire), Ringstede, Farnham, Gillingham, Grimston, Swindun,
15—2
