There have been too few published studies on the etymology of the figure of Wade's "Bel" (whether that refers to his milkmaid wife or the cow) to provide a firm etymological or mythological basis. Wade is firmly rooted in Norse mythology, and there are parallels between Wade's cow/milkmaid wife "Bel" and the milkmaid figure of "Beyla" in Norse mythology, who some authorities have suggested derives etymologically from "baula", meaning cow. There is no published work suggesting such a link, so the origin of the figure remains unproven.