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<TITLE>RE: Place names?</TITLE>
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<P><FONT SIZE=2>This is great! </FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>With a few more contributions we will have the entire route "decodified".</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>But, I have a different interpretation of "Mansilla de Mulas". The medieval Latin meaning of "mansus" is "farm, place or house". The word mansion came from this one. From the Latin vulgar there is also the meaning of "pacific" or "benign" . All this together including the idea of "hands in the saddle" suggested by John, could lead us to "The place where the mules live" or the place where the mules are tamed", etc. Certainly, as it happens in the majority of old villages (also in new ones), what takes place in certain villages mark their name. Well, we all know that.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT SIZE=2>My apologies for the long intervention. But I am excited by this.</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>Joe </FONT>
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<P><FONT SIZE=2>-----Original Message-----</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>From: Watson, John [<A HREF="mailto:watsonjaTRINITY.VIC.EDU.AU">mailto:watsonjaTRINITY.VIC.EDU.AU</A>]</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>Sent: Wednesday, March 13, 2002 10:47 PM</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>To: GOCAMINOaPETE.URI.EDU</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>Subject: Re: Place names?</FONT>
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<P><FONT SIZE=2>I got most of such information from the Guide book "A Practical Guide for</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>Pilgrims - The Road to Santiago" Millán Bravo Lozano, Editorial Everest</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>S.A., Carretera León-La Coruña, km 5 - LEÓN</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>Other info I found on the camino in local guides - for instance Mansilla de</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>Mulas. Mansilla means "hand(s) on the saddle" and Mulas is "Mules". The town</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>was a famous market for mules.</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>Some are easy, like Villafranca which means house/village of the French,</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>Triacastela (three castles), Alto del Perdon (heights of Pardon) or</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>Villalcazar (house/village of the Moorish Fort).</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>Some have one or two suggestions where nobody really knows the origin.</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>The "squashing" of words together makes the task of the code breaker</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>difficult.</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>It is certainly a fascinating aspect of study.</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>John</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>www.pilgriminspain.net</FONT>
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