Cerne Abbas Giant - Dorset - England. The Cerne Abbas Giant is a hill figure near the village of Cerne Abbas in Dorset, England. Made by a turf-cut outline filled with chalk, it depicts a large man, typically described as a giant wielding a club. The figure is listed as a scheduled monument in the United Kingdom and the site where he stands is owned by the National Trust. The figure has been the subject of much study and speculation, but its origin and age are unclear. It is often thought of as an ancient construction, though the earliest mention of it dates to the late 17th century. Early antiquarians associated it, on little evidence, with a Saxon deity, while other scholars sought to identify it with a Celtic British figure or the Roman Hercules, or some syncretization of the two. Archaeological evidence that parts of the drawing have been lost over time strengthen the Hercules identification. However the lack of earlier descriptions leads modern scholars to conclude that it may date from the 17th century, and perhaps originated as political satire. Regardless of its age, the Cerne Abbas Giant has become an important part of local culture and folklore, which often associates it with fertility. It is one of England's best known hill figures and is a major visitor attraction in the region. In 1920, the giant and the 1 acre (4,000 m2) site where he stands was donated to the National Trust by its then land-owners, Alexander and George Pitt-Rivers, and it is now listed as a Scheduled Monument. During World War II the giant was camouflaged with brushwood by the Home Guard in order to prevent use as a landmark for enemy aircraft. A 1617 land survey of Cerne Abbas makes no mention of the Giant, suggesting that it may not have been there at the time or perhaps overgrown. Whatever its origin, the giant has become an important part of the culture and folklore of Dorset. Some folk stories indicate that the image is an outline of the corpse of a real giant. Like several other chalk figures carved into the English countryside, the Cerne Abbas Giant is often thought of as an ancient creation. However, as with many of the other figures, its history cannot be traced back further than the late 17th century, making an origin during the Celtic, Roman or even Early Medieval periods difficult to demonstrate. Medieval sources refer to the hill on which the giant is located as Trendle Hill - possibly in reference to the nearby landmark known as the Trendle. Joseph Bettey noted that none of the earlier sources for the area, including a detailed 1617 land survey, refer to the giant, suggesting that it may not have been there at the time. In contrast, the Uffington White Horse has been shown to be 3,000 years old, and there are references to it, across the ages. All images are either in the Public Domain or on Google images labeled for reuse. All music is credited to with kind permission to Kevin MacLeod and his website incompetech - Royalty free music - http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/ Text by wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cerne_Abbas_Giant Subscribe to my channel and don't forget to Share. Be sure to subscribe on the link below. Thanks. http://www.youtube.com/user/wayney1233?sub_confirmation=1 Nick.

• published: 09 Mar 2015
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