This essay was written as part of a university assignment. I’ve decided to break it up into chucks, as it’s a pretty lengthy post!

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Introduction

In his book Cloven Country, Jeremy Harte dedicates a chapter to describing how the Devil’s hands have shaped the British countryside (Harte, 2022).  He notes that a lot of this attribution is retrospective.  For example, despite “Devil’s Dyke” being a common place name he could find only one (found in Newmarket) which was referenced as such before the 19^th century (Harte, 2022).  In some cases he is able to identify the prior names of earthworks, and comments:

“[..] great embankments were not associated with the Devil but with someone called Grim.  Who he was nobody knows, especially now that his diabolical rival has usurped so many of the earthworks assigned to him” (Harte, 2022). 

In this essay, potential explanations for who this historical “Grim” character could have referred to will be identified and discussed. 

A Grim Magician

Historical records for Buckinghamshire tell us the history of the Grimsdyke passing through the Chiltern Hills (Pickburn, 1858).  The records report that the name is ancient, citing a reference to the site written in Latin and found in “Clutterbuck’s Herts”.  Unfortunately this record is not readily available, making it difficult to ascertain within which year this mention may have first been recorded. 

The people local to the Chiltern Grimsdyke were said at the time to believe that the massive ditch runs all the way around the world, including along the floor of the ocean (Pickburn, 1858).  It is posited that the name Grimsdyke stems from the same source as how other grand earthworks got their names- through assumptions that the supernatural must have been involved in their creation.  This assertion is a key point in Harte’s explanations for how places came to be named for the Devil (Harte, 2022).

The records claim that Grima means “magician” in Saxon, meaning that we may reinterpret the name as “Ditch of the Wizard”.  In support of this the location is said to be a weird or wizard spot, where “upon its bank nothing of good omen happens” (Pickburn, 1858).  Locals tell the story of a Jane Shore who was starved to death on the dyke by King Richard’s orders (Pickburn, 1858).

Perhaps this one event (if it truly happened) was enough to start rumours of the location being cursed.  Considering a location to be a bad omen based upon its associations with a supernatural being is more commonly seen in locations associated with the Devil (although as belief in the occult became taboo, so perhaps did locations associated with it).   

Grim the Giant

In 1858 it was “known” that Grimsdyke in Chiltern was created by a wizard.  Since then, the dyke has also come to be known as Grim’s Ditch, with a new set of folklore.  The story presented by the official website for the Chiltern landscape highlights the creation of the Ditch by a giant named Grim (Chilterns National Landscape, 2024).   Grim the giant was said to only be able to work at night, and failed to finish the ditch before sunrise.  He disappeared in the morning mist, never to be seen again.  This is a common trope seen in tales of the Devil creating earthworks (Harte, 2022).

The website does allude to other folk stories being available on the subject.  However, these are perhaps deliberately not mentioned; the website is keen for visitors to purchase a copy of its eBook, “The Story of Grim’s Ditch” (Chilterns National Landscape, 2024).  It is unfortunate that a website dedicated to sharing information around the location would choose to place it behind a paywall. 

Grim as the sun

In an 1839 book on modes of travel, J. W. Parker describes a location known as Grim’s Dyke, or as Devil’s Dyke by the local people (Parker, 1839).  According to Parker “Grim may be only another form of Grin, or of Gryn, signifying the sun, and here used for the sun as a divinity, or as the object or symbol referred to in divine worship” (Parker, 1839).  He suggests that if the Pagan inhabitants of the area were to refer to the ditch as the Dyke of the Sun, then their Christian successors would surely see this as religious idolatry making it the Dyke of the Devil.  He continues that Grimshaw, with “shaw” meaning wood or grove, would therefore mean The Wood of the Sun (Parker, 1839).  Parker also comments that what was Grim to the Celtic races was Woden/Odin to the Saxons, with a gleam of sunshine being the “smile of Odin”.  The connection between Grim and Woden/Odin will be discussed later within this essay.

Evidence for a connection between the sun and Grim is unfortunately lacking.  The claim is repeated by James McKay in 1888 almost verbatim (McKay, 1888); seemingly he had read the work of Parker.  There are no obvious solar deities with names resembling the word Grim.  Some state that the Greek deity Apollo had the last name of Gryneus (Harpers Dictionary of Classical Antiquities (1898), n.d.), and that Apollo was connected to the sun via his forename of Phoebus (Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d.).  Parker points to Apollo as evidence of the connection (Parker, 1839).  Whilst it seems tangential at best, “dawn” is translated into Swedish as “gryning” (Wiktionary, n.d.).  Perhaps within this one could find a historical linguistic connection between “grim” and “light”.  Later in this essay several other attempts at translating grim and its derivatives into modern English will be seen.

Grim as a dog

In North Yorkshire sits the Kilgrim Birdge.  The tale behind it is that bridges built by the local people were always washed away by floods.  The Devil promised that he would build a flood-defying bridge in exchange for the first to cross the bridge being sacrificed.  Once the bridge had been completed a local shepherd swam across the river, and whistled for his dog named Grim to run across the bridge.  The Devil’s bargain was completed, and the spot was known as Kill Grimbridge (Gutch, 1901). 

Immediately following on from this tale within Eliza Gutch’s compendium is the tale of Kilgram Bridge.  Kilgram Bridge is said to also be known as the Devil’s Bridge as it was built by “The Evil One” in a single night, save one final stone.  It is said that no-one has dared to place that final stone and complete the demonic construction (Gutch, 1901). 

The cited sources of this pair of tales are not readily available.  This makes it difficult to ascertain if the two tales refer to the same bridge by examining details such as mentions of nearby locations.  The conflation has been made online in locations such as Wikipedia (Wikipedia, 2025), but no citation to back this up has been provided. 

The trope of animals crossing bridges instead of humans to trick the devil are commonplace.  A dog was used at the Ponte della Maddalena bridge, also known as the Devil’s Bridge, in Borgo a Mozzano, Italy (Italy Magazine, n.d.).  A cock was used at the Sachsenhausen Bridge in Frankfurt (Payn, 1887).  A dog was used on The Devil’s Bridge near Aberystwyth in Wales (Devils Bridge Waterfalls, n.d.).  Most of the time the bridge ends up being named after the Devil with whom the bargain was struck, rather than after the animal involved. 

Grim as a Church Grim

The name Grim appears within the world of folkloric creatures.  The Church Grim is a creature which is said to protect churchyards from “thieves, vandals, witches, warlocks, and even the Devil himself” (Harper, 2019).  This creature generally takes the form of a large black dog, likely because it is said that a Church Grim can be created by burying a dog alive beneath the northern cornerstone of the church (Harper, 2019). 

Whilst a Church Grim would make for a much more thematically appropriate source for the naming of a dyke (i.e. perhaps it was dug by a supernatural dog), Church Grims as a naming source seem unlikely.  

The Grim Reaper

Despite the obvious naming similarity, the Grim Reaper does not appear to have been seriously conflated with the Grim that earthworks have been named after.  The closest relationship generally discernible stems from the Grim-Odin relationship which will be discussed shortly within this essay; Odin is said to occasionally act as a psychopomp, leading people to infer some relationship between him and the Grim Reaper (Reddit, 2022).  The only place explicitly adding this connection to discussion around a Grim earthworks is a web page entitled “Grim’s Ditch facts for kids” which appears to largely be a mirror of Wikipedia (Kiddle, 2024).

Due to this connection being so tenuous, it seems safe to assume that there is no case to be made for Grim referring to the Grim Reaper. 

Grim as Odin

It has been proposed that Grim as a place name derives from Grim, Grimr or Grímnir as alternative names for Odin- with some claiming that Grimnir means “hooded or masked one” (Fateful Signs, n.d.).  In 1988 Margaret Gelling wrote that “The original connection between Grim and Woden must be regarded as established,” but acknowledges that this does not guarantee that all places named Grim are named after Odin/Woden (Gelling, 1988).  One example she provides is that of Grimspound on Dartmoor, which is too westwardly to have been coined in the pagan period (Gelling, 1988).  

Gelling’s explanation for the names is that the Anglo-Saxons would name prehistoric dykes after Grim simply because they were in awe of their sizes- a proposal we have seen in other locations named for supernatural creatures.  In contrast to this, Sarah Semple notes that dykes known as Grim’s Ditch can commonly be found along county borders- with borders being seen as evil and haunted places, perhaps the association with Grim is related to their functions as a boundary rather than because of their size (Semple, 1998). 

As for why places are named after Odin/Woden’s alternative name rather than standard one, Leonard Neidorf proposes that as Christianity spread and Woden’s name became taboo, Grim became a more suitable euphemism (Neidorf, 2023).  Whilst this does neatly tie up the loose end of “why Grim?” it is hard to prove due to the lack of historical name record keeping in the times where Christianity would have been spreading and seeking to see-off Pagan-influenced names. 

Claims as to the connection between Woden and Grim are directly discussed by F. M. Stenton in 1941 (Stenton, 1941).  He asserts that there is no proof that Woden was known in England as Grim as it was amongst the Norsemen, and that no direct proof is likely to ever be forthcoming.  Despite this he follows by stating that a Professor Ekwall has set out a case showing little doubt that the dyke through Grovely Wood in Wiltshire, known as Grimes dic in the 10^th century, was believed to be the work of Woden- making it probable that this would also be the case in other locations (Stenton, 1941).  Unfortunately the cited report is not readily available, making it difficult to ascertain exactly what evidence was put forth. 

It seems likely that a number of the locations named for Grim would have been named after Odin/Woden, perhaps evolving into the more euphemistic name of Grim as pagan beliefs fell out of fashion.

Grim as the Devil

The practice of naming awe-inspiring locations after Odin is also be applied to the Devil.  Harte notes that many locations which are now named for the Devil were once named after other supernatural beings (Harte, 2022).  As Grim was said to be used as a more modern replacement for naming places after Woden/Odin, perhaps the Devil is the more modern version of naming places for Grim.  Or perhaps, the association stems from retrospective attempts to interpret place names.

In the Diary of Abraham De la Pryme published in 1870, Pryme writes that it is common for works of great character to be ascribed to supernatural influences (Pryme, 1870).  He follows that grim denotes blackness, and inspiring terror.  Therefore, Grimsby is the residence of the Devil.  Grimsthorpe is the village of the Devil.  Grimshaw is the Devil’s woods (Pryme, 1870).  In this situation, Pryme was not following his own logic with this assertion.  He refers to townships, not great and mystifying earthworks.  For a town to have become so grand as to have been created by the devil, surely it would already have acquired a consistently used name?  It seems Pryme has attempted to interpret the meaning of place names solely based upon the name in isolation without considering any other factors. 

Grim being an alternative name for the Devil seems to have become a fact that is a given, not requiring any qualification or citation. Perhaps this is because of similarities in the associated folklore, or perhaps it is simply because of the grim=bad association seen in Pryme’s work.  It can be found in the Wikipedia articles for many places named for Grim.  It can be seen in blog posts attempting to explain the name Grim (Cameron, 2013).  Almost certainly it is a largely modern phenomenon. 

Perhaps the earliest mention of this association can be found in a 1939 article entitled “A Gaggle of Berkshire Gypsies” (Gill, 1939).  To preface his discussions of local Gypsy traditions, he describes the locality.  Near the Vale of White Horse in North Berkshire is the Devil’s Punchbowl and next to it Grim’s Ditch.  Gill comments that Grim’s Ditch would be a nearby place for the Devil to lie in, for Grim “is an old English name for him and his territorial possessions” (Gill, 1939).  A source for this claim is not provided.  Gill goes on to comment that in the 10^th century charter for the area that Grim’s Ditch was named “The Dragon’s Ridge” in the language of the period, suggesting that it was later renamed for Grim (Gill, 1939). 

In 1895, a fairly comprehensive compendium of alternative names for the Devil and his minions was assembled by Charles P. G. Scott (Scott, 1895).  This list contains no reference to Grim being a name for the Devil.  The lack of this association in such a comprehensive list suggests that at the time Grim and Devil may not have been associated. 

There is no clear entry point into “common knowledge” for Grim becoming a name for the Devil.  It is unfortunate that it seems to so commonly be repeated, given its lack of historical context; it is likely born of modern associations with grim being a negative adjective, rather than any folkloric or historical association.       

Grim as a personal name

In 1896, Isaac Taylor published a compendium of placenames to preserve historical names, and to detail the origins of said names (Taylor, 1896).  He notes that in England, personal names are a common source of local names.  As the memories of the person behind the name are often forgotten, so too is the original name.  Place names evolve over time, especially before rigorous record keeping- though Taylor does blame Norman scribes for the corruption of many names (Taylor, 1896).

Taylor highlights the Domesday book as an excellent resource for discovering older versions of place names (Taylor, 1896).  One such example of this he provides is that of Thornthorpe, which was once called Thorgrimr[1].  He cites this as an example of being able to use the Domesday historical record of a place name being recognisable as a familiar Anglo-Saxon or Scandinavian name- assumedly in this case, being Thor and/or Grim.  Another example is Grumbald’s Ash, or Grimboldesasse as it was known in the Hundred Rolls- assumedly meaning Grimdold’s ash [tree] (Taylor, 1896). 

In Danish districts within England, Taylor writes that grave mounds or tumuli can be recognised by the suffix -hoe or -oe, which is seen in Middle English as -howe or -haugr in Old Norse (Taylor, 1896).  Examples of this can be seen in Grimshoe (known as Grimeshowe in the Hundred Rolls[2]).  Assumedly this would mean that the place was originally named as Grim’s grave mound. 

The personal name Grim or Grimr has made its way into a range of British towns.  As such, the term “Grimston hybrids” has been coined to describe places named with a mixture of Anglo-Saxon and Viking words; with -ton being an Anglo-Saxon suffix meaning town, and Grimr being a Viking personal name (British Library, 2006).

Grim the fisherman

The town of Grimsby in the north of England still bears the moniker Grim.  It is locally accepted that the town is named after a fisherman named Grim (This is Grimsby, 2008).  Grim was charged with killing the baby of King Birkabeyn of Denmark.  He could not face doing so, and decided to raise the baby with his wife.  Fearing for the safety of the baby due to its royal heritage, he sailed with his family to England.  Once he arrived, he founded Grimsby (This is Grimsby, 2008).

The tale itself has a complex past.  It appears that it has at various times been lost and found, translated and retranslated, interpreted and reinterpreted (Project Gutenberg, 2010).  Even in 1899, a scholar named Charles W. Whistler was struck by how many different versions were available with varying details (Whistler, 1899).  He suggests that perhaps the existence of Grim as a local historical figure led to him being inserted into differing tales (Whistler, 1899).  In the end he surmises that there is no real need to accurately place the story; it is loved by so many people that really it needs not to be confined as such.  

Perhaps Grim as a personal name could explain places named for Grim which sit outside the areas within which one could expect them to be named for Odin/Woden; a simple name surely would have spread more easily than an entire religious belief system.

The many names of the Antonine Wall

Another famous example Grim as a personal name causing confusion can be found in Grim’s Dyke, also known as the Antonine Wall.  Perhaps this is in part due to the large number of names that the wall has seemingly held over the years. 

In a 1722 chorographical description of Great Britain, the location was said to go by the name of Graham’s Dike[3] (Camden, et al., 1722).  In 1872 the location is referenced as Grymisdyke, named after Gryme, grandfather of King Eugenius (Fordun, et al., 1872).  This source was a modern translation of a Latin text by John of Fordun. Fordun himself died some time in the 14^th century, making this reference much older than Camden et al’s 1722 description.  Fordun reports that Eugenius and his grandfather Gryme ruled from 419 AD.  Different archaeological projects have proposed conflicting dates for the construction of the dyke but generally agree that it occurred during the 2^nd century (The Antonine Wall, n.d.).  This leaves us with a 200 year gap between the construction of the wall and the alleged naming of it.  As Fordun’s references to the wall seem to be the earliest surviving ones, it is likely that the original name has been lost. 

Interestingly, the Wikipedia article for the Antonine Wall describes Eugenius as “the imaginary king Eugenius” (Wikipedia, 2025).  There are records referencing a King Eugenius II who ruled from 419-452 AD (Summerson, 2004), and sketches and paintings of him in existence (National Galleries, n.d.).  The reason for the Wikipedia article describing him as an imaginary king is unclear, as no citation to the claim is provided[4].  Possibly the writer meant “legendary” and instead wrote “imaginary”.  This has not stopped the claim from appearing in a range of other websites dealing with the subject (Prehistoric Britain, 2025) (Ruthven-Stevenson, 2015) (Structurae, n.d.).  This misinformation around the history of the location may cause people to believe that the name origin story is based upon folklore rather than historical events.

A proposed name change

Sometimes, name changes are clearly suggested.  Grim’s Ditch, once known as Grim’s Dyke, sits in the London Borough of Harrow.  The architect of the house built upon it requested that Grim’s Dyke be renamed to Graeme’s Dyke as the original name “gave one the impression of its being dirty” (The Manchester Guardian, 1936).  His request was partially granted in that the name Graeme’s Dyke has been used historically (London Picture Archive, n.d.) (Grim’s Dyke Hotel, 2015).  However, the location is now predominantly known as Grim’s Ditch and the house upon it Grim’s Dyke Hotel. 

As with all other examples here, the source of the name Grim is unclear. 

Conclusions

Historically, the names of locations change over time.  A place may have been called Grim for a period, with differing names before and after.  Names have become more stable due to more rigorous record keeping and unfortunately many historical names from before this practice have been lost.

The connection between Grim and Woden/Odin makes a strong case for the identity of Grim within placenames.  These places shouldn’t literally be interpreted as locations where Woden/Odin himself visited, but often instead as places so mysterious or grand that surely a supernatural must have created them.  Folklore featuring Woden/Odin’s presence at the location may then have been created at later times in attempts to explain the geographical features and names, as can commonly be seen in places named after the Devil.

In the case of towns and cities (and some earthworks) featuring Grim, Grim as a personal name seems more viable.  This would align with the relatively large geographical distribution of locations with the name stretching beyond what would be expected of places named for Woden/Odin.

Attempts at translating Grim in all its forms are common, and likely entirely retrospective.  Examples include:

• Grima is Saxon for Magician (Pickburn, 1858)
• Grima is Old English for goblin, spectre, or mask (British Folklore, n.d.)
• Gryning as Swedish for dawn (Wiktionary, n.d.)
• Grin/gryn meaning sun (Parker, 1839)
• Grim denotes blackness (Pryme, 1870)
• Grimnir meaning hooded or masked one (Fateful Signs, n.d.)

Because of this, it seems unlikely that places would have been named in such a manner.  Instead these translations are likely future antiquarian attempting to find meaning within the name without considering the wider picture.

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[1] Seemingly coming from the Old Norse name Þorgrímr

[2] Hundred Rolls is a collection of census reports taken by the UK Government in the late 13^th century.  They are referred to as Hundred Rolls because many of the returns were made by Hundreds, which was at the time the principal subdivision of a county (The National Archives, n.d.). 

[3] Whilst there are differing expalantions available for the ditch to have been named Graham for a period, there is a precedence that locations named Grim drifted towards Graham and its derivatives over time. For example, the island of Graemsay (pronounced Grem-see) is said to have come from the Old Norse name Grimsey (Orkney Jar, n.d.). 

[4] The original edit to add the claim of Eugenius being imaginary can be found here: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Antonine_Wall&diff=next&oldid=78382481 No source for this claim is given, and the editor behind the claim is now deceased; as such, the reason for this claim may never be known.