Most original figures are horses, and giants. They are white, because they are carved through the grass into natural white-chalk hills, which mostly occur in the South of England. Sometimes the outlines were also filled with chalk to brighten them. There are around 24 old figures across the country in total, apparently. And of course others have been lost with time (some more recently discovered with infrared photography).
FYI in modern times, the hill-carving technique is occasionally used for branding and publicity stunts too. So if you happen to see a giant white Kiwi, or Homer Simpson - be warned, these are not old English monuments!
Why?
It seems the original figures were probably Celtic (an ancient pagan culture, which was in the UK from many years BC). Horses were definitely worshipped by the Celts, and the very early chalk figures were possibly images of their gods. Later horses might have been Saxon and political, as these invaders' war banners depicted the white horse. Over time, some figures were re-cut to make them look more contemporary, and parts were lost or changed. Other figures are relatively new (16th -19th century) and it seems were made to emulate the famous figures seen elsewhere in the country.
Here are four of the good ones - just in case anyone out there is visiting England!
1. The Uffington White Horse in Oxfordshire still has something close to its original, Celtic shape. It is probably over 3000 years old, and the oldest chalk figure with a relatively traceable history! It is situated near the ancient, Iron Age, Uffington Castle. The horse is 360ft (110m) long.
2. The Cerne Abbas Giant in Dorset, is over 180 ft (55m) tall. His entire history is unknown; some theories say he depicts, or was re-appropriated as Hercules during Roman occupation, to reflect their own culture, and possibly also as Priapus (a Greek fertility god). Others that he was even a more recent parody of Oliver Cromwell. He's also situated near a famous, Iron Age, site, which perhaps suggests far more ancient origins. Generally, however, (and perhaps not surprisingly!) he is considered to be a fertility god. Even today, there is a view held by some that if couples spend 'snuggle time' there, their marriages will be blessed with children!
3. The Westbury White Horse, in Wiltshire, also has an unclear history. Tradition says it relates to King Alfred's nearby victory in 878 AD, but there's no actual record of the figure until 1742. It seems several horses were cut and re-cut into this same hillside over time, so he probably didn't always look like this. The horse is 170ft (52m) long.
4. The Long Man of Wilmington, East Sussex, holds two staffs, which reminds me of Scotland's Burryman*. The Long Man is 235ft (72m) tall, but again, his exact history is hard to trace. Theories suggest he might be either neolithic (a LONG time ago!), or much more recent (16th or 17th century AD) when he might have even been a satirical figure. Some also believe he has fertility connections. Today he's made of whitened bricks, put in place in the 19th century, as the original figure was apparently quite faint. Some experts suggest that the figure originally wore a war-helmet, and so the staffs might have been weapons. Nobody knows for sure. But he's an impressive sight, either way :)
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