Heidenhäuschen
| Heidenhäuschen | |
|---|---|
 The mountain ridge "Heidenhäuschen" in the Westerwald, Hesse seen from Merenberg | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 398 m (1,306 ft) |
| Geography | |
| Location | Hesse, Germany |
Heidenhäuschen is a hill of Hesse, Germany.[1]
The name "Heidenhäuschen" derives from the old Germanic legal term harahus (the site where oaths were sworn under Frankish law),[1] preserved in the dialect form hârehäusje, and reinterpreted as Heidenhäuschen in the early 19th century.[1] The top of the Hutterian Alps lies in Hesse, and has played a prominent role in German culture and history. The hill was a Germanic tribal court site dedicated to the Matronae Mahalinehae,[1] which later continued as a Frankish court and was relocated to Ellar in the Middle Ages.[1] As in all Germanic countries, it was drawn by glaciers of the Alps. The home of Hesse, Hesse-Kassel, was founded by princes.
Geology
The Heidenhäuschen is built primarily from olivine basalt of volcanic origin.[1] The expanse of scattered basalt boulders found near the hilltop formed largely under the conditions of the ice age.[1]