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The Externsteine (:ˈɛkstɐnʃtaɪnə) is a distinctive sandstone rock formation located in the Teutoburg Forest, near the town of Horn-Bad Meinberg in the Lippe district of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. The formation is a tor consisting of several tall, narrow columns of rock which rise abruptly from the surrounding wooded hills. In a popular tradition going back to an idea proposed to Hermann Hamelmann in 1564, the Externsteine are identified as a sacred site of the pagan Saxons, and the location of the Irminsul idol reportedly destroyed by Charlemagne; there is however no archaeological evidence that would confirm the site's use during the relevant period. The stones were used as the site of a hermitage in the Middle Ages, and by at least the high medieval period were the site of a Christian chapel. The Externsteine relief is a medieval depiction of the Descent from the Cross. It remains controversial whether the site was already used for Christian worship in the 8th to early 10th centuries. The Externsteine gained prominence when Völkisch and nationalistic scholars took an interest in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This interest peaked under the Nazi regime, when the Externsteine became a focus of NS-propaganda. Today, they remain a popular tourist destination and also continue to attract Neo-Pagans and Neo-Nazis. ==Name== The etymology of the name ''Extern-'' is unclear (''-steine'' meaning "stones"). The Latinized spelling with ''x'' is first recorded in the 16th century, but became common only in the late 19th century. The oldest recorded forms of the name read ''Agistersten'' and ''Eggesterenstein'', both dated 1093. Other forms of the name include ''Egesterenstein'' (12th century), ''Egestersteyn'' (1366), ''Egersteyne'' (1369), ''Egestersten'' (1385), ''Egesternsteyn'' (15th century), ''Eygesternsteyn'' (151), ''Externsteine'' (1533), ''Egesterennstein'' (1583), ''Agisterstein'' (1592).〔H. Beck, J. Udolph, "Externsteine: Namenkundliches" in ''Reallexikon der germanischen Altertumskunde'' vol. 8 (1994), (46–48 ).〕 Hamelmann (1564) gives the Latinized name ''rupes picarum'' ("rock of the magpies"), associating the name with Westphalian word ''Eckster'' "magpie" (Standard German ''Elster''). ''Eckster'' "magpie" is argued to be the actual etymology of the name by Schröder (1964), who also connects other Westphalian toponyms ''Externbrock, Externmühle, Exter, Extern, Exten an der Exter''. Other scholars identify the association with magpies as folk etymology; Plassmann (1961) connects the name with a giant ''Ecke'' or ''Ekka'' of the ''Eckenlied'', a medieval poem of the Theoderic cycle. 〔Plassmann connects the suffix ''-istra'' with the lexeme ''agis'' "serpent", connecting the legend of Theoderic slaying the giant Ekka with the ancient Drachenkampf myth of a hero killing a serpent demon.〕 Bahlow (1962, 1965) connects the name to the hydronym ''Exter''.〔Plassmann (1961), Bahlow (1962, 1965) and Schröder, ''Deutsche Namenskunde'' 2nd ed. (1964) cited after H. Beck, J. Udolph, "Externsteine: Namenkundliches" in ''Reallexikon der germanischen Altertumskunde'' vol. 8 (1994), (46–48 ).〕 More recent linguistic research assigns a much higher probability to a different explanation. The Germanic ''ag'' means "sharp, edged or pointy". In Middle Low German ''Egge'' was used for long rocky ridges. It is found today in ''Eggegebirge'', for example, which lies south of the Teutoburger Forest. That latter area was also known as ''Osning'' (''Osnegge''). Thus, rather than reflecting mythological associations, the physical geology of the stones likely gave rise to their name. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Externsteine」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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