UP ON THE HILL

There have been a number of ideas put forward to explain the etymology of the name of Baal Hill which lies near Wolsingham in County Durham.
One is that it’s an old way of describing for a pit used for lead smelting. Another is that its derived from the time that the Bishop’s bailiff lived nearby. In Old English, ‘bale’ was a word for a fire or beacon (‘balefire’ or bǣlfȳr was a sacrificial fire), and so perhaps Baal is a corruption of that.
All very good explanations of why the name of this hill has nothing to do a hoarse-voiced demon who ruled over sixty-six legions of lesser demons, and whose name is variously Baal or Bael.
That’s a fanciful thought.
But do take care on a certain day of the year when a walk up Baal Hill might leave you thinking that it is plagued something terrible by flies. It isn’t - usually. But one day a year the flies come from all over the county to form an honour guard for the visit of their lord, and the earth will open and he will walk it.