In October 2020, I wrote an article for
Ancient Origins about the Amazon public relations team that marketed the Borat film. They were accused by the National Trust of “wilfully defacing” this historic English monument, located near the village of Cerne Abbas in Dorset.
English folklore suggests the Cerne Abbas Giant represents an ancient Celtic fertility god and local traditions say frolicking on the hillside always results in pregnancy. However, archaeologists say the first written reference to the giant dates to 1694 AD.
Mixed Theories About The Long Man Chalk Figure
Returning to the Long Man of Wilmington, Professor
John North suggested it was created by “a Neolithic astral religion around 3480 BC,” at which time he claimed the figure represented the constellation Orion s movement across the ridge above it.
The Straits Times
Video of Parisians' relief as France avoids third lockdown
VIDEO: REUTERS
https://str.sg/JKHM
They can read the article in full after signing up for a free account.
Share link:
Or share via:
Sign up or log in to read this article in full
Sign up
All done! This article is now fully available for you
Read now
Get unlimited access to all stories at $0.99/month for the first 3 months.
Get unlimited access to all stories at $0.99/month for the first 3 months.
including the ST News Tablet worth $398.
Let s go!
Spin the wheel for ST Read and Win now.
By Reuters Staff
1 Min Read
LONDON (Reuters) - British police are searching for the vandal or vandals who painted a COVID-19 face mask on the figure of a mysterious giant carved into a hillside in southern England.
The Long Man of Wilmington, a 235-foot high chalk outline holding a white stick in each hand, is protected by law as an ancient monument. Its exact origins are disputed but many archaeologists date it to the Anglo-Saxon or medieval periods.
“Whilst this damage may have been perpetrated for humour or some other reason, the actions that have been taken are unacceptable,” said Tom Carter, a sergeant with Sussex Police.
Vandals have painted a covid mark onto a mysterious and historic 325ft chalk hill figure, prompting a police investigation into the criminal damage .
The contemporary addition to the protected archaeological site, on the slopes of Windover Hill near Wilmington, East Sussex, was discovered on Tuesday, Sussex, Police said.
The monument s origins are mysterious and have puzzled experts for decades. It is Europe s largest portrayal of the human form and is at least 311 years old, dating back to around 1710.
Shockingly, the addition of Personal Protective Equipment is not the first time the local landmark has been altered, with environmentalists writing on it five years ago and a phallus appearing in 2010.
Updated / Saturday, 30 Jan 2021
16:30
The exact origins are disputed but many archaeologists date it to the Anglo-Saxon or medieval periods
British police are searching for the vandal, or vandals, who painted a Covid-19 face mask on the figure of a mysterious giant carved into a hillside in southern England.
The Long Man of Wilmington, a 235ft-high chalk outline holding a white stick in each hand, is protected by law as an ancient monument.
Its exact origins are disputed but many archaeologists date it to the Anglo-Saxon or medieval periods. Whilst this damage may have been perpetrated for humour or some other reason, the actions that have been taken are unacceptable, said Tom Carter, a sergeant with Sussex Police.