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þa he befran hu is
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again he enquired what was
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- ↑ Ella. As it was customary with the Northern, as well as other Nations, to take Names which had somewhat of good Importance; so that of Ella may deserve particular Observation, since it may be derived from Ellen, or according to the Cimbric Poets, eliun; the Francic Ellan, and Francic Poetical Ellean; by which is understood Courage, Greatness of Soul, Study, Labour, Diligence, Virtue, &c. Of which the Incomparable Author of the immense Treasure of North. Antiq. gives us several Instances, as in the Saxon Paraphr.
Cunnode georne.
Hwilc þæs æþelinges
Ellen wære჻
Full well he knew
What the noble Hero's
Virtue was.
And so in Herbat Sag. c. xii. afl oc eliun, Strength and Courage. For afl, according to Ol. Verel. signifies Strength of Body; eliun, the Virtues of the Mind. Again, in the Francic Harmony, c. xxxvi. Habda im ellen guod thrista gitahti. He had Courage and generous Thoughts. From all which it appears, That Ella had a most generous Signification, intimating all kinds of Virtue, but chiefly those of the Mind. Vid. Grammat. Angl. Sax. p. 128. Ella was the first King of the Deiri, when Ida was the first King of Bernicia; whose Progeny after them enjoy'd the two Kingdoms, some of them separately, and some the whole Northumbrian Kingdom entire, according as their several Claims, or the Chance of War gave them possession. Thus Edwine, Son of this Great King Ella, as Speed calls him, King of the Deirians, was the third King that possess'd the same, the Eight of Bernicia, the second King, but
burrow. But after all, it will not be impossible to reconcile all these Divisions upon the Foot of that account which the Prior of Hexham, as afore cited, gives us of the different Extent of Dominion that different Kings were possessed of, according to their several Rights or Claims of Succession, and the Events of War.
