Monument record MDO708 - Cerne Abbas Giant, Cerne Abbas

A turf-cut figure on the south-western end of Giant Hill. Previously thought to be Roman, now of less certain, possibly even post-medieval date. The figure represents a nude man striding left , holding a knotted club in his right hand, left arm outstreched. The nipples and ribs are represented, as is the phallus. The figure has been repaired and recut at various periods, a general repair having taken place in 1887. The feature is visible as an earthwork on aerial photographs and was digitally plotted during the Dorset Upper Cerne and Piddle Valleys AIM project.

The "Cerne Giant" (a) hill-figure is in a good state of preservation, and under the care of the National Trust; (Due to severe erosion of the turf around the monument, the perimeter fence has recently been enlarged to enclose the hill-figure and nearby earthwork (ST 60 SE 40 The public is requested to remain outside the fence). <6> Revised at 1:2500 on MSD.

Changes in the Giant iconography 1764-1980. <7>

The lack of documentary evidence concerning the Giant prior to the mid-c17th suggests either that it was cut in the post-Medieval period, or that it was not visible prior to the mid-C17th, the latter being the core. <8>

A resistivity survey of the Giant in 1980 recovered the outline of a probable lion-skin over the Giants' left arm which would almost entirely link the Giant with hercules. The survey indicated that Sir Flinders Petrie plan of the Giant during the First World War seems to be the most accurate. <9>

The feature is visible as an earthwork on aerial photographs and was digitally plotted during the Dorset Upper Cerne and Piddle Valleys AIM project. <24, 25, 26>

Colley March, H, 1902, The Giant and the Maypole of Cerne. Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, xxii, 101-118 (Article in serial). SDO21046.

Petrie, F, 1926, The Hill Figures of England (Monograph). SDO21047.

Crawford, O G S, 1929, The Giant of Cerne and other Hill Figures. Antiquity iii, 277-282 (Article in serial). SDO21044.

Piggott, S, 1932, The Name of the Giant of Cerne. Antiquity vi, 214-216 (Article in serial). SDO21048.

Piggott, S, 1938, The Hercules Myth - Beginnings and Ends. Antiquity xiii, 323-331 (Article in serial). SDO21049.

Dewar, H S L, 1968, The Giant of Cerne Abbas. West Country Folklore 1, 5-10 (Article in serial). SDO21045.

<1> Hutchins, J, 1774, The History and Antiquities of the County of Dorset. Volume 1. 1st edition (Monograph). SWX2949.

<2> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1902, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Antiquarian Field Club for 1901, 101-118 (Serial). SDO15.

<3> Marples, Morris, 1949, White Horses and Other Hill Figures, 159-179 (Monograph). SDO18873.

<4> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments England, 1952, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume I (West) (Monograph). SDO97.

‘(28) THE CERNE GIANT (Plate 107) is a turf-cut figure on the S.W. end of Giant Hill ¼ m. N. of the church. The figure is outlined by cuttings now about 2 ft. deep. It represents a nude man (height of figure 180 ft.) striding towards the left; he holds a knotted club in the right hand and has the left arm stretched out; the nipples and ribs are boldly represented as is the phallus. The figure, according to Hutchins, had letters or figures between the legs of doubtful significance and date. The figure has been repaired and recut at various periods, a general repair having taken place in 1887. Whether the outstretched left arm originally carried a lion-skin or cloak is now impossible to say; but the general resemblance of the figure to that of a Roman Hercules is sufficient to suggest the probability of a Romano-British origin. There is some evidence that the traditional local name of the god was Helis or Helith. (Gentleman's Magazine (1764), XXXIV; J. Hutchins, History of Dorset (1774); Sir Flinders Petrie, Hill Figures of England (1926); Stuart Piggott, in Antiquity (1932), VI, and (1938), XII; Morris Marples, White Horses and other Hill Figures (1949)).’

<5> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Map 6in, 1962 (Map). SWX1540.

(ST 66650167) The Giant (NR)

<6> Barrett, G, Various, Field Investigators Comments GB, F1 GB 07-JUL-77 (Unpublished document). SDO17369.

<7> Grinsell, L V, 1980, The Cerne Abbas Giant: 1764-1980; Antiquity, 54 (210), 29-33 (Article in serial). SDO18875.

<8> Bettey, J H, 1981, The Cerne Abbas Giant: the documentary evidence; Antiquity, 55 (214), 118-119 (Article in serial). SDO18876.

<9> Royal Archaeological Institute, 1983, Archaeological Journal 140, 29-30 (Serial). SDO16977.

<10> Newman, Paul, 1987, Gods and graven images: the chalk hill-figures of Britain (Monograph). SDO18874.

<11> Castleden, R, 1995, The Cerne Giant Project, Phase 2: Surveys Undertaken in 1995 (Unpublished document). SDO14244.

'4.9 Reconstruction. A sequence of plans of the Cerne Giant can be drawn, showing the figure with various feaures restored or corrected according to what has been learned during Phases 1 and 2. Fig. 33 shows the Cerne Giant as it is in 1995. Fig. 34 shows the figure with the following changes: the navel restored, the shorter phallus, the testicles as closed circles, the chin restored, the slightly lengthened pectorals, the fingertips of the left hand restored, the cloak restored, and the severed head restored.'

<12> Darvill, T, Barker, K, Bender, B and Hutton, R, 1999, The Cerne Giant. An antiquity on trial (Monograph). SDO14156.

<13> Historic England, Historic England Archive, 881855 (Index). SDO14738.

RCHME: Cerne Abbas Giant, Dorset

<14> Historic England, Historic England Archive, AA67/02562 (Index). SDO14738.

VIEW WEST FROM SHERBOURNE ROAD

<15> Historic England, Historic England Archive, AA67/02563 (Index). SDO14738.

VIEW WEST FROM SHERBOURNE ROAD

<16> Historic England, Historic England Archive, AA67/02564 (Index). SDO14738.

VIEW OF HEAD FROM BELOW

<17> Historic England, Historic England Archive, AA67/02565 (Index). SDO14738.

PHALLUS FROM ABOVE

<18> Historic England, Historic England Archive, AA77/02931 (Index). SDO14738.

VIEW OF HILL FIGURE FROM BELOW. POSSIBLY OF HERCULES ORIGIN MAY BE RB

<19> Historic England, Historic England Archive, AF0887712 (Index). SDO14738.

RCHME: File - Cerne Abbas. Sketch map of earthworks on Giants Hill, and also of Field systems and enclosures on Higher Hill and Smacam Down.Contents : Original items - 2 sketch maps, 2 printsCondition : SATISFACTORYBibliographic Reference: 1) Monument (31)2) Monument (33).

<20> Historic England, Historic England Archive, FL00622 (Index). SDO14738.

Cerne Abbey and the Abbas Giant, Cerne Abbas, Dorset. This material has not yet been fully catalogued. Copyright, date, and quantity information for this record may be incomplete or inaccurate.

<21> Historic England, Historic England Archive, P04040 (Index). SDO14738.

VIEW OF GIANT FROM BELOW. Donor: UNKNOWNOriginal negative held by: UNKNOWN

<22> Historic England, Historic England Archive, P04041 (Index). SDO14738.

VIEW FROM BELOW. Photographer: UNKNOWNDonor: UNKNOWNOriginal negative held by: UNKNOWN

<23> National Record of the Historic Environment, 199015 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

<24> Royal Air Force, 11-APR-1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1974 FS 2375 (Aerial Photograph). SDO20736.

<25> Royal Air Force, 20-OCT-1971, RAF/39/3812 V 51 (Aerial Photograph). SDO20899.

<26> Next Perspectives, 21-AUG-2001, Next Perspectives APGB Imagery (Aerial Photograph). SDO19893.

Record last edited

Oct 30 2024 12:27PM