Gods and graven images : the chalk hill-figures of Britain

An authoritative guide to all the chalk figures cut deep into Britain's landscape. The flowing outlines of the Uffington White Horse, the blatantly male Cerne Giant, the austere Long Man of Wilmington and many other chalk figures are familiar sights, but their origins are enigmatic. Paul Newman shows how hill-figures reveal Britain's darkest past: Druid massacres, conjectured human sacrifice on the Long Man of Wilmington and strange pagan and phallic rites that in milder form survive even today. From the Westbury Horse to the lesser-known Chiltern Crosses, Paul Newman discusses the folklore and creative impulse behind these powerful figures. Using information uncovered in recent excavations, he examines the Red Horse of Tysoe, Tom Lethbridge's controversial excavations at Wandlebury, and resistivity tests at Wilmington and Cerne Abbas. Absorbing, exciting and informative, 'Gods and Graven Images' throws new light on many of our most visible mysteries. List of Illustrations 6 Acknowledgements 9 Hill-Figures by date 10 1. Introduction 15 2. The White Horse of Uffington 19 3. Mighty Queens and Sacred Stallions 42 4. The Westbury Horse 54 5. The Red Horse of Tysoe 62 6. The Cerne Giant 72 7. Trojans of Albion 102 8. The Wandlebury Enigma 119 9. More Lost Gods at Tysoe 131 10. The Long Man of Wilmington 134 11. Fallen Idols 155 12. The Chiltern Crosses 162 13. The Wilder Shores of Archaeology 179 14. A Literary Note: Chesterton and Powys 187 15. Hill-Figures After 1700 192 Bibliography 217 Index 219 Paul Newman. Includes Index. Bibliography: P. [217]-218.