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HAVER.

(For the Mirror.)

“Haver” is a common word in the northern counties for oats; as “haver bread,” for oaten bread; perhaps properly “aven,” from “avena,” Latin for oats.

Query.—­Is not “haversack,” or, Gallice, “havre-sac,” a bag to carry a soldier’s bread and provisions, derived from the same word?

W.T.H.

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ANCIENT POWER OF THE HARO, OR HAROL.

(For the Mirror.)

Clamour de haro is a cry or formula of invoking the assistance of justice against the violence of some offender, who, upon hearing of the word haro, is obliged to desist, on pain of being severely punished for his outrage, and to go with the party before the judge.  The word is commonly derived of ha and roul, as being supposed an invocation of the sovereign power, to assist the weak against the strong, on occasion of Raoul, first duke of Normandy, about the year 912, who rendered himself venerable to his subjects, by the severity of his justice; so that they called on him, even after his death, when they suffered any oppression.  Some derive it from Harola, king of Denmark, who, in the year 826, was made grand conservator of justice at Mentz.  Others from the Danish a a rau, help me, a cry raised by the Normans in flying from a king of Denmark, named Roux, who made himself duke of Normandy.  The haro had anciently such vast power, that a poor man of the city of Caen, named Asselin, in virtue thereof, arrested the corpse of William the Conqueror, in the middle of the funeral procession, till such time as his son Henry had paid the value of the land in question, which was that whereon the chapel was built wherein he was interred.

P.T.W.

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THE GREAT TUN OF KONIGSTEIN.

(For the Mirror.)

One of the greatest curiosities in the neighbourhood of Dresden is the Great Tun, erected at Fort Konigstein by General Kyaw, the height of which is 17 Dresden ells, and its diameter at the bung 12 ells.  This vast vessel, which is always replenished with excellent wine, is capable of containing 3,709 hogsheads; and on its head is a plate with a Latin inscription, to the following purport:—­

“Welcome, traveller, and admire this monument, dedicated to festivity, in order to exhilarate the mind with a glass, in the year 1725, by Frederick Augustus, king of Poland and elector of Saxony, the father of his country, the Titus of the age, the delight of mankind.  Therefore, drink to the health of the sovereign, the country, the electoral family, and Baron Kyaw, governor of Konigstein; and if thou art able, according to the dignity of this cask, the most capacious of all casks, drink to the prosperity of the whole universe—­and so farewell.”