The origins of England's Cerne Giant have been shrouded in mystery but new research suggests the figure may have helped in the fight against Viking marauders.
  • TheOakTree@beehaw.orgEnglish
    4·
    1 year ago

    His torso, ribs, and schlong look awfully like a cartoon Mandrill… which is hilarious in multiple ways.

    Cannot unsee

  • AutoTL;DR@lemmings.worldBEnglish
    2·
    1 year ago

    This is the best summary I could come up with:

    A giant naked figure carved centuries ago into an English hillside represents the classical hero Hercules, a study has suggested—and may have aided armies in the medieval period.

    Known as the Cerne Giant, the massive figure, which stands almost 200 feet high, depicts a naked man brandishing a club in his right hand, with his left arm outstretched.

    But the authors suggest its location makes “good sense” as a special meeting place, possibly a mustering (or rallying) point, for an army of the West Saxons.

    The location of the giant, on a spur jutting out from a ridge with impressive views and proximity to major routeways, is characteristic of a special type of Anglo-Saxon meeting place.

    “Cutting a chalk figure of Hercules as 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 in the study.

    “The idea that a special assembly site could be marked by such a monumental image is spectacular—and it raises more questions about other chalk figures that survive in the British landscape, their antiquity and purpose,” Gittos told Newsweek.

    The original article contains 908 words, the summary contains 204 words. Saved 78%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!