ON THE ORIGIN OF THE TERM "SARSEN STONES." 279
Danes have left the lasting impression marked by the existence
and traditional name of the Deneholes of Kent, Essex, and
Durham.
NOTE.
As connected with the former prevalence of Saracenic
traditions in this country the occurrence of the "Saracen's
Head" as an inn sign may be worth notice here. Messrs.
Larwood and Hotten, in their well-known History of Sign-Boards,
make the general remark that only a few of what may be called
historical signs outlive the century which gave them birth. The
long existence of the Saracen's Head is therefore the more note-
worthy. They state that it was formerly very common, and
note that the Saracen's Head, Snow Hill, London, mentioned in
Nicholas Nickleby, is alluded to by Stow as "a fair and large inn for
receipt of travellers, and hath to sign the Sarrazen's Head," But
the name is not one likely to be seen among the inns mentioned
in Murray's Handbook to any county or district, as it obviously
would suggest to the tourist an ancient and primitive inn, rather
than a hotel with all the latest appliances. It is therefore
difficult to ascertain the extent of its survival at the present day.
However, on looking through Bradley's Highways and Byways in
North Wales, I found mention of a Saracen's Head at Cerrig-y-
Druidion in Denbighshire. My cousin, George Graham, a
resident in Carlisle, tells me that there is one in that city, and
that he has seen others in the district, though he cannot exactly
remember where. And from Miller Christy's Trade Signs of
Essex we learn that there are Saracen's Heads at Chelmsford,
Dunmow, Danbury, Thaxted, and Braintree, and that they were
formerly much more common than they are now.