Hellweg

As Hellweg one called in the Middle Ages a great king or highway or a major thoroughfare for long-distance trade, which had to be kept in the width of a lance length of about three meters of permanent vegetation. If only spoken in the literature from Hellweg, ie without explanatory adjective, the Westphalian Hellweg is usually meant.

Name interpretation

After a widespread, current interpretation of the name Hellweg is derived from the Low German word helwech what as much as lights, means wide path. Thus, merchants could be safer from unpleasant surprises and make good progress.

Another interpretation of the name Hellweg as salt route, based on the Greek or Celtic word neck or hold for salt is likely to be true only for a very specific part of the Hellweg.

An older name interpretation is that of a dead path. The Hellweg was by Grimm's dictionary was originally the way in which the bodies were gone. Helvegr is the way to the underworld, where the Westphalian Hellweg, Totenweg corresponds, wrote Wolfgang Golther, a German scholar of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, whose work included the area Germanic mythology. In the syllable Hel reflects, as has been suggested at that time, the name of the North Germanic dead - and hell goddess. It remains unclear what real respect this interpretation of the name should have the street.

Known Hellwege

Among other things, one knows

• The Westphalian Hellweg
• Hellweg before Santforde
• The Sythener Hellweg
• Hellweg under the mountain
• The Hilinciweg