Local Saints and Place-Names in Cornwall

Abstract ‘Why do so many place-names contain the names of unheard-of saints?’ is a question asked by visitors to any Celtic region, including Cornwall. Attempting to answer the question raises important issues concerning differences between Celtic- and English-speaking areas in matters such as settlement-patterns and the conversion to Christianity. It would be impossible to deal fully with these issues within the scope of one article. The aim here is, by examining closely one Celtic area, Cornwall, to draw attention to these differences between Celtic- and English-speaking areas, and to suggest a partial answer to why the differences exist. The topic of saints and placenames has previously been studied by scholars in various disciplines, most thoroughly perhaps in Brittany by Largillière in the 1920s; but his discussion is by now somewhat dated, so the time is right for another look, and for placing the particular problems of one Celtic area before scholars in other fields.