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Silbury
near Marlborough. An artificial mound, 130 feet high, and
covering seven acres of ground. Some say it is where “King Sel” was
buried; others, that it is a corruption of Solis-bury (mound of
the sun); others, that it is Sel-barrow (great tumulus), in honour of
some ancient prince of Britain. The Rev. A. C. Smith is of opinion that
it was erected by the Celts about B.C. 1600. There is a natural hill in
the same vicinity, called St. Martin's Sell or Sill, in which case sill
or sell means seat or throne. These etymologies of Silbury must rest on
the authority of those who have suggested them.
Source: Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, E. Cobham Brewer, 1894 More on Silbury from Infoplease:
- Silbury - Silbury near Marlborough. An artificial mound, 130 feet high, and covering seven acres of ground. ...
- Avebury - Avebury Avebury , village, Wiltshire, S central England. The village, with a medieval church and ...
- Wiltshire - Wiltshire Wiltshire or Wilts,county (1991 pop. 553,300), 1,345 sq mi (3,484 sq km), S central ...
- Mound - Mound The largest artificial mound in Europe is Silbury Hill, near Avebury (Wiltshire). It covers 5 ...
- Dictionary of Phrase and Fable: S - Definitions, origins, and illustrative excerpts for words, phases, and literary allusions starting with "S"
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