A figure of a giant man carved on an English hillside sparked debate for centuries about the story behind it. However, researchers suggest that the man in question is the classical hero, Hercules.
Giant Man Carved on Hillside Is Hercules
According to a new study, a massive naked figure carved into an English hillside centuries ago depicts the classical hero Hercules and might have benefited medieval troops. In the southwest English county of Dorset, the image is etched into the chalk bedrock of a hillside overlooking the settlement of Cerne Abbas.
The enormous sculpture, called the Cerne Giant, is about 200 feet tall and shows a naked man holding a club in his right hand while extending his left arm.
His facial characteristics are arranged in a teardrop-shaped bald head, and his torso shows an erect penis, nipples, ribs, a belt, and a belly button.
The majority of scientists believe the giant was constructed in prehistoric times. However, the exact date of its carving has been controversial for years.
Other theories that have been put up include the years A.D. 43-40, when ancient Rome dominated Britain, or perhaps the 17th century. However, in the spring of 2020, a group of experts started working to date the monument because there was insufficient proof.
These examinations determined that the figure was carved somewhere in the early Middle Ages between A.D. 700 and A.D. 1110. Researchers Helen Gittos from the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom and Tom Morcom from the University of Oslo in Norway decided to investigate the behemoth further to learn more about its origins in light of these results.
Gittos and Morcom provide a rationale for the initial cutting of the figure in their paper. Some contend that the giant was meant to represent the Greek-Roman demi-god Hercules, also called Heracles, who was renowned for his prowess and daring exploits. He was frequently seen holding a club in addition to a bow.
According to the study, the figure's traits are consistent with representations of Hercules, who was portrayed as a flawed, multifaceted hero simultaneously admired and despised. Gittos and Morcom suggest in the study that the Cerne Giant was likely carved during a great interest in Hercules in the ninth and early tenth centuries.
"People had identified him as Hercules before, but there has still remained a lot of skepticism about it," Gittos said. "One oddity is that it is very unusual for Hercules to be depicted with an upstanding phallus, but there are some examples of this from Roman Britain, and so we think that the inspiration for this precise iconography came from a Romano-British image."
Why Was Hercules' Image Carved Into the Hillside?
According to the authors, the location was reasonable as a unique gathering spot for a West Saxon army, potentially serving as a mustering or rallying point. Along with the Angles, the Saxons were among the principal Germanic groups to settle in lowland Britain following the end of Roman control.
An ealdorman, a high-ranking West Saxon official, was in charge of the Cerne estate from at least the 10th century. On a spur projecting from a ridge with commanding vistas and easy access to important routes, the giant's site is typical of a particular Anglo-Saxon gathering place.
Viking troops were attacking Dorset at the time. The researchers concluded that the giant would have been a perfect gathering place for West Saxon soldiers based on this historical background, the giant's location, and the availability of plentiful fresh water and supplies from the nearby estate.
"Cutting a chalk figure of Hercules as a fighting warrior, with club poised to strike, would have served as a fine rallying point, a backdrop for a call to arms, a sermon in chalk-and, perhaps, as something with which to keep a gathering army busy," the authors wrote.
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