Gigantotomy
Encyclopedia
Gigantotomy is the art of carving
human-shaped hill figure
s, gigantic figures visible in chalk
or other light-coloured material.Bergamar, Kate (1997). Discovering Hill Figures. Pub. Shire. ISBN 0-7478-0345-5. Located in upland areas of England
, they are traditionally created by removing a layer of soil
and turf
so that the underlying layer of bright chalk is visible as a type of geoglyph
designed to be seen from afar as a human figure. More recently, gigantotomers have applied other techniques to make the figures visible, including simply paint
ing atop the grass for a similar, though far more temporary, effect.
While presumed to be of prehistoric
origin, surviving examples may have been created only within the last four hundred years. Of these giants only two survive: one near the village of Cerne Abbas
, to the north of Dorchester, in Dorset
and one at Wilmington, Long Man
civil parish
in the Wealden
District of East Sussex
. Examples located at Oxford
, Cambridge
, and on Plymouth Hoe
can no longer be seen with the naked eye.
, also referred to as the "Rude Man" or the "Rude Giant", is a hill figure of a giant naked man 180 ft (54.9 m) high, 167 ft (50.9 m) wide figure is carved into the side of a steep hill, and is best viewed from the opposite side of the valley or from the air. The carving is formed by a trench
12 in (30.5 cm) wide, and about the same depth, which has been cut through grass and earth into the underlying chalk
. In his right hand the giant holds a knobbled club
120 ft (36.6 m) in length.
Its history cannot be traced back further than the late 17th century, making an origin during the Celtic
, Roman
or even Early Medieval periods difficult to prove. Above and to the right of the Giant's head is an earthwork
known as the "Trendle", or "Frying Pan". Medieval
writings refer to this location as "Trendle Hill", but make no mention of the giant, leading to the conclusion that it was probably only carved about 400 years ago. In contrast, the Uffington White Horse
— an unquestionably prehistoric
hill figure on the Berkshire Downs — was noticed and recorded by medieval authors.
In 2008, overgrowth forced a re-chalking of the giant, with 17 tonnes of new chalk being poured in and tamped down by hand.
is a located on one of the steep slopes of Windover Hill, six miles (9.6 km) northwest of Eastbourne
. The figure is 227 feet (69 m) tall and designed to look in proportion when viewed from below. The earliest record was made by the surveyor John Rowley in the year 1710. This 18th-century drawing suggests that the original figure was a shadow or indentation in the grass with facial features, rather than just a solid outline of a human figure. The staffs were not depicted as a rake and scythe as was once thought, and the head was a helmet shape. Sir William Borrow's drawing of 1766 shows the figure holding a rake and a scythe, both shorter than the staves.
Before 1874, the Long Man was only visible after a light fall of snow in certain light conditions. In that year an antiquarian marked out the outline with yellow bricks cemented together. Though it is claimed that the restoration process distorted the position of the feet and removed the Long Man's genitalia, there is no historical or archaeological evidence which supports that claim. Archaeological work done by the University of Reading
suggests that the figure dates from the 16th or 17th century AD.
(or Goemagot and Corineus) had for a long time been cut into the turf of Plymouth Hoe exposing the white limestone beneath. An early and explicit reference was made to them by Richard Carew in 1602. At one time these figures were periodically re-cut and cleaned but no trace of them remains today.
claimed to have discovered a group of three hidden chalk carvings in the Gog Magog Hills about three miles south of Cambridge
. He described these figures buried under the surface of the hills as representing a sun god, a moon goddess and a war god. This alleged discovery was described at length in his book Gogmagog: The Buried gods but is not widely accepted.
in Firle
, Sussex
is a nearly-lost hill figure whose existence can be seen by infrared photography
. Now looking more like a small ear of corn
or a strange weapon than a human figure, there is a legend suggesting that a giant called Gill was once cut on this same hill and that he was considered an adversary of the Long Man of Wilmington not far away. According to one story, the giant on Firle Beacon threw his hammer at the Wilmington giant and killed him, and that the figure on the hillside marks the place where his body fell.
As a publicity stunt for the opening of The Simpsons Movie
on 16 July 2007, a giant Homer Simpson
brandishing a doughnut
was outlined in water-based biodegradable
paint to the left of the Cerne Abbas giant. This act angered local neopagans
, who pledged to perform rain magic to wash the figure away. One specific headline: "Simpsons upset Pagans", producer Al Jean said he thought "This is the last religion we can possibly upset. Now we've got all of 'em".
Petroglyph
Petroglyphs are pictogram and logogram images created by removing part of a rock surface by incising, picking, carving, and abrading. Outside North America, scholars often use terms such as "carving", "engraving", or other descriptions of the technique to refer to such images...
human-shaped hill figure
Hill figure
A hill figure is a large visual representation created by cutting into a steep hillside and revealing the underlying geology. It is a type of geoglyph usually designed to be seen from afar rather than above. In some cases trenches are dug and rubble made from material brighter than the natural...
s, gigantic figures visible in chalk
Chalk
Chalk is a soft, white, porous sedimentary rock, a form of limestone composed of the mineral calcite. Calcite is calcium carbonate or CaCO3. It forms under reasonably deep marine conditions from the gradual accumulation of minute calcite plates shed from micro-organisms called coccolithophores....
or other light-coloured material.Bergamar, Kate (1997). Discovering Hill Figures. Pub. Shire. ISBN 0-7478-0345-5. Located in upland areas of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, they are traditionally created by removing a layer of soil
Soil
Soil is a natural body consisting of layers of mineral constituents of variable thicknesses, which differ from the parent materials in their morphological, physical, chemical, and mineralogical characteristics...
and turf
Lawn
A lawn is an area of aesthetic and recreational land planted with grasses or other durable plants, which usually are maintained at a low and consistent height. Low ornamental meadows in natural landscaping styles are a contemporary option of a lawn...
so that the underlying layer of bright chalk is visible as a type of geoglyph
Geoglyph
A geoglyph is a large design or motif produced on the ground and typically formed by clastic rocks or similarly durable elements of the geography, such as stones, stone fragments, gravel, or earth...
designed to be seen from afar as a human figure. More recently, gigantotomers have applied other techniques to make the figures visible, including simply paint
Paint
Paint is any liquid, liquefiable, or mastic composition which after application to a substrate in a thin layer is converted to an opaque solid film. One may also consider the digital mimicry thereof...
ing atop the grass for a similar, though far more temporary, effect.
While presumed to be of prehistoric
Prehistory
Prehistory is the span of time before recorded history. Prehistory can refer to the period of human existence before the availability of those written records with which recorded history begins. More broadly, it refers to all the time preceding human existence and the invention of writing...
origin, surviving examples may have been created only within the last four hundred years. Of these giants only two survive: one near the village of Cerne Abbas
Cerne Abbas
Cerne Abbas is a village located in the valley of the River Cerne, between steep chalk downland in central Dorset, England. The village is located just to the east of the A352 road north of Dorchester. There was a population of 732 at the 2001 census, a figure which has fallen from 780 in 1998.In...
, to the north of Dorchester, in Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
and one at Wilmington, Long Man
Long Man
Long Man is a civil parish in the Wealden District of East Sussex, England which includes the villages of Wilmington, Milton Street and Folkington. The parish is named after the Long Man of Wilmington, a chalk figure, which is located within the parish....
civil parish
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
in the Wealden
Wealden
For the stone, see Wealden GroupWealden is a local government district in East Sussex, England: its name comes from the Weald, the area of high land which occupies the centre of its area.-History:...
District of East Sussex
East Sussex
East Sussex is a county in South East England. It is bordered by the counties of Kent, Surrey and West Sussex, and to the south by the English Channel.-History:...
. Examples located at Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
, Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
, and on Plymouth Hoe
Plymouth Hoe
Plymouth Hoe, referred to locally as the Hoe, is a large south facing open public space in the English coastal city of Plymouth. The Hoe is adjacent to and above the low limestone cliffs that form the seafront and it commands views of Plymouth Sound, Drake's Island, and across the Hamoaze to Mount...
can no longer be seen with the naked eye.
Cerne Abbas giant
The Cerne Abbas giantCerne Abbas giant
The Cerne Abbas Giant, also referred to as the Rude Man or the Rude Giant, is a hill figure of a giant naked man on a hillside near the village of Cerne Abbas, to the north of Dorchester, in Dorset, England. The high, wide figure is carved into the side of a steep hill, and is best viewed from...
, also referred to as the "Rude Man" or the "Rude Giant", is a hill figure of a giant naked man 180 ft (54.9 m) high, 167 ft (50.9 m) wide figure is carved into the side of a steep hill, and is best viewed from the opposite side of the valley or from the air. The carving is formed by a trench
Trench
A trench is a type of excavation or depression in the ground. Trenches are generally defined by being deeper than they are wide , and by being narrow compared to their length ....
12 in (30.5 cm) wide, and about the same depth, which has been cut through grass and earth into the underlying chalk
Chalk
Chalk is a soft, white, porous sedimentary rock, a form of limestone composed of the mineral calcite. Calcite is calcium carbonate or CaCO3. It forms under reasonably deep marine conditions from the gradual accumulation of minute calcite plates shed from micro-organisms called coccolithophores....
. In his right hand the giant holds a knobbled club
Club (weapon)
A club is among the simplest of all weapons. A club is essentially a short staff, or stick, usually made of wood, and wielded as a weapon since prehistoric times....
120 ft (36.6 m) in length.
Its history cannot be traced back further than the late 17th century, making an origin during the Celtic
British Iron Age
The British Iron Age is a conventional name used in the archaeology of Great Britain, referring to the prehistoric and protohistoric phases of the Iron-Age culture of the main island and the smaller islands, typically excluding prehistoric Ireland, and which had an independent Iron Age culture of...
, Roman
Roman Britain
Roman Britain was the part of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire from AD 43 until ca. AD 410.The Romans referred to the imperial province as Britannia, which eventually comprised all of the island of Great Britain south of the fluid frontier with Caledonia...
or even Early Medieval periods difficult to prove. Above and to the right of the Giant's head is an earthwork
Earthworks (archaeology)
In archaeology, earthwork is a general term to describe artificial changes in land level. Earthworks are often known colloquially as 'lumps and bumps'. Earthworks can themselves be archaeological features or they can show features beneath the surface...
known as the "Trendle", or "Frying Pan". Medieval
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
writings refer to this location as "Trendle Hill", but make no mention of the giant, leading to the conclusion that it was probably only carved about 400 years ago. In contrast, the Uffington White Horse
Uffington White Horse
The Uffington White Horse is a highly stylised prehistoric hill figure, 110 m long , formed from deep trenches filled with crushed white chalk...
— an unquestionably prehistoric
Prehistory
Prehistory is the span of time before recorded history. Prehistory can refer to the period of human existence before the availability of those written records with which recorded history begins. More broadly, it refers to all the time preceding human existence and the invention of writing...
hill figure on the Berkshire Downs — was noticed and recorded by medieval authors.
In 2008, overgrowth forced a re-chalking of the giant, with 17 tonnes of new chalk being poured in and tamped down by hand.
Long Man of Wilmington
The Long Man of WilmingtonLong Man of Wilmington
The Long Man of Wilmington is a hill figure located in Wilmington, East Sussex, England on the steep slopes of Windover Hill, northwest of Eastbourne. The Long Man is tall and designed to look in proportion when viewed from below....
is a located on one of the steep slopes of Windover Hill, six miles (9.6 km) northwest of Eastbourne
Eastbourne
Eastbourne is a large town and borough in East Sussex, on the south coast of England between Brighton and Hastings. The town is situated at the eastern end of the chalk South Downs alongside the high cliff at Beachy Head...
. The figure is 227 feet (69 m) tall and designed to look in proportion when viewed from below. The earliest record was made by the surveyor John Rowley in the year 1710. This 18th-century drawing suggests that the original figure was a shadow or indentation in the grass with facial features, rather than just a solid outline of a human figure. The staffs were not depicted as a rake and scythe as was once thought, and the head was a helmet shape. Sir William Borrow's drawing of 1766 shows the figure holding a rake and a scythe, both shorter than the staves.
Before 1874, the Long Man was only visible after a light fall of snow in certain light conditions. In that year an antiquarian marked out the outline with yellow bricks cemented together. Though it is claimed that the restoration process distorted the position of the feet and removed the Long Man's genitalia, there is no historical or archaeological evidence which supports that claim. Archaeological work done by the University of Reading
University of Reading
The University of Reading is a university in the English town of Reading, Berkshire. The University was established in 1892 as University College, Reading and received its Royal Charter in 1926. It is based on several campuses in, and around, the town of Reading.The University has a long tradition...
suggests that the figure dates from the 16th or 17th century AD.
Plymouth Hoe giants
Until the early 17th century large outline images of the two giants, perhaps Gog and MagogGog and Magog
Gog and Magog are names that appear primarily in various Jewish, Christian and Muslim scriptures, as well as numerous subsequent references in other works. Their context can be either genealogical or eschatological and apocalyptic, as in Ezekiel and Revelation...
(or Goemagot and Corineus) had for a long time been cut into the turf of Plymouth Hoe exposing the white limestone beneath. An early and explicit reference was made to them by Richard Carew in 1602. At one time these figures were periodically re-cut and cleaned but no trace of them remains today.
Gog Magog Hills
The dowser and archaeologist Thomas Charles LethbridgeThomas Charles Lethbridge
Thomas Charles Lethbridge was a British explorer, archaeologist and parapsychologist. According to the historian Ronald Hutton, Lethbridge's "status as a scholar never really rose above that of an unusually lively local antiquary" for he had a "contempt for professionalism in all fields" and...
claimed to have discovered a group of three hidden chalk carvings in the Gog Magog Hills about three miles south of Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
. He described these figures buried under the surface of the hills as representing a sun god, a moon goddess and a war god. This alleged discovery was described at length in his book Gogmagog: The Buried gods but is not widely accepted.
Firle Corn
Firle CornFirle Corn
Firle Corn in Firle, East Sussex is a nearly lost hill figure whose existence can be seen by infrared photography. It looks like a small ear of corn found high up on the north east slope of Firle Beacon, but what it actually depicts is still undetermined...
in Firle
Firle
For the suburb of Adelaide, South Australia, see Firle, South Australia.Firle is a village and civil parish in the Lewes District of East Sussex, England. Firle refers to an old-English/Anglo-Saxon word fierol meaning overgrown with oak...
, Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
is a nearly-lost hill figure whose existence can be seen by infrared photography
Infrared photography
In infrared photography, the film or image sensor used is sensitive to infrared light. The part of the spectrum used is referred to as near-infrared to distinguish it from far-infrared, which is the domain of thermal imaging. Wavelengths used for photography range from about 700 nm to about...
. Now looking more like a small ear of corn
Maize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
or a strange weapon than a human figure, there is a legend suggesting that a giant called Gill was once cut on this same hill and that he was considered an adversary of the Long Man of Wilmington not far away. According to one story, the giant on Firle Beacon threw his hammer at the Wilmington giant and killed him, and that the figure on the hillside marks the place where his body fell.
Homer Simpson
The Simpsons Movie
The Simpsons Movie is a 2007 American animated comedy film based on the animated television series The Simpsons. The film was directed by David Silverman, and stars the regular television cast of Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith, Hank Azaria, Harry Shearer, Tress...
on 16 July 2007, a giant Homer Simpson
Homer Simpson
Homer Jay Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons and the patriarch of the eponymous family. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and first appeared on television, along with the rest of his family, in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
brandishing a doughnut
Doughnut
A doughnut or donut is a fried dough food and is popular in many countries and prepared in various forms as a sweet snack that can be homemade or purchased in bakeries, supermarkets, food stalls, and franchised specialty outlets...
was outlined in water-based biodegradable
Biodegradation
Biodegradation or biotic degradation or biotic decomposition is the chemical dissolution of materials by bacteria or other biological means...
paint to the left of the Cerne Abbas giant. This act angered local neopagans
Neopaganism
Neopaganism is an umbrella term used to identify a wide variety of modern religious movements, particularly those influenced by or claiming to be derived from the various pagan beliefs of pre-modern Europe...
, who pledged to perform rain magic to wash the figure away. One specific headline: "Simpsons upset Pagans", producer Al Jean said he thought "This is the last religion we can possibly upset. Now we've got all of 'em".
See also
- LeucippotomyLeucippotomyLeucippotomy is the art of carving white horses in chalk upland areas, particularly as practised in southern England. The practice is apparently of prehistoric origin; the Uffington White Horse, near The Ridgeway, has been dated to between 1400 and 600 BC. The Uffington White Horse is the most...
, the creation of horse hill figures - Osmington White HorseOsmington White HorseThe Osmington White Horse is a hill figure sculpted in 1808 into the limestone Osmington hill just north of Weymouth called the South Dorset Downs, within the parish of Osmington....
, an image of George III mounted