Editing Externsteine (section)

==Name==
The etymology of the name ''Extern-'' is unclear, in older texts it is written as ”Estern” or Eastern (''-steine'' meaning "stones" or "rocks"). 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).<ref>H. Beck, J. Udolph, "Externsteine: Namenkundliches" in  ''[[Reallexikon der germanischen Altertumskunde]]'' vol. 8 (1994), [https://books.google.com/books?id=T9OoB-_eZEIC&dq=externsteine%20picarum&pg=PA46 46&ndash;48].</ref>

Hamelmann (1564) gives the Latinized name ''rupes picarum'' ("[[:wikt:rupes#Latin|rock]] of the [[:wikt:pica#Latin|magpies]]"), associating the name with  [[Westphalian language|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 (Weser)|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  [[Dietrich von Bern|Theoderic cycle]].
<ref>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.</ref>
Bahlow (1962, 1965) connects the name to the [[hydronym]] ''[[Exter (Weser)|Exter]]''.<ref>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), [https://books.google.com/books?id=T9OoB-_eZEIC&dq=externsteine%20picarum&pg=PA46 46&ndash;48].</ref>

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 Teutoburg 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.<ref name="Booklet">{{cite book|last1=Treude|first1=Elke|last2=Zelle|first2=Michael|title=Externsteine (German)|publisher=Lippischer Heimatbund|year=2012|isbn=978-3-941726-18-5}}</ref>{{rp|11–12}}