The Cerne Giant

by Darvill, Timothy; Barker, Katherine; Bender, Barbara; Hutton, Ronald

• ISBN13: 9781900188944
• ISBN10: 1900188945
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1999-01-01
• Publisher: Oxbow Books Ltd

Summary

Prehistoric war-god, seventeenth century marvel, or living monument? In 1996, a 'trial' was held in Cerne Abbas Village Hall to discuss the origin of the Giant - prehistoric/Romano-British, medieval/post-medieval, or significant for the very fact that he exists, regardless of age. This is the book of the trial: after a preliminary briefing, the witnesses for the three cases present their evidence which ranges from detailed factual information about the archaeology and history of the monument through to its folklore and continuing role as the inspiration for all sorts of activity from local poetry to national advertising. An epilogue contains the jury's decision and an account of the trial's filming for regional BBC programme.

Table of Contents

Preface	v
List of contributors	xii
PART I - Introducing the Cerne Giant	1	(26)
The Cerne Giant: a place in space	2	(5)
Jeffrey Chartrand
The Cerne Giant: an English hill-figure	7	(11)
Timothy Darvill
Owning and managing a Giant	18	(9)
William Keithley
Martin Papworth
David Thackray
PART II - The case for an ancient Giant	27	(42)
A prehistoric warrior-god?	29	(40)
Timothy Darvill
Including evidence from:
In defence of antiquity	31	(8)
Paul Newman
The Uffington Horse and its aritiquity	39	(4)
David Miles
Iconography and the identity of the Giant	43	(8)
Rodney Castleden
The Cerne Valley in prehistoric and Roman times	51	(6)
Bill Putnam
The 1996 geophysical survey of the Giant	57	(12)
John Gale
PART III - The case for a post-medieval Giant	69	(56)
A seventeenth-century marvel?	70	(55)
Ronald Hutton
Including evidence from:
Churchwardens and the other God	71	(4)
Vivian Vale
The Cerne Giant revisited	75	(13)
Joseph Bettey
Medieval Giants: Bible, history, heritage and landscape	88	(20)
Katherine Barker
Evans Eighteenth-century descriptions of the Cerne Abbas Giant	108	(17)
David Morgan
PART IV - The case for a living Giant	125	(36)
A living Giant	126	(35)
Barbara Bender
Including evidence from:
Making and re-making the Cerne Giant	129	(7)
Rodney Legg
Memory, tradition, and the Giant	136	(4)
Tom Williamson
The Long Man of Wilmington and the Cerne Giant: some points of comparison	140	(8)
Martin Brown
Rituals and celebrations at the Giant	148	(4)
Hilary Jones
Staying power	152	(3)
Sue Clifford
Further to the Cerne Giant mystery	155	(1)
James Turner
The Giant thinks aloud in a cartoon bubble	156	(1)
Sandra Tappenden
Boys will be Cerne Giants	157	(4)
Jan Farquharson
PART V - Epilogue	161	(1)
The Giant on trial and the assessors' report	162	(4)
Katherine Barker
Timothy Darvill
Making `The Trial of the Cerne Abbas Giant'	166
Hamish Beeston