The mystery surrounding the identity of who the Cerne Abbas giant is meant to be is something that has baffled people for centuries.
Some believed the naked 180ft chalk figure in Dorset was meant to be a lost British god while others even claimed it was a depiction of Oliver Cromwell.
But now, after hundreds of years of debate, academics believe they have the answer to the hillside riddle and declared the figure probably depicts Greek hero Hercules.
Historians suggest the hill the huge chalk carving is located on could have once been a mustering point for Anglo-Saxon troops, with the giant acting as a rallying symbol.
In a paper published in journal Speculum, researchers say the giant was adopted by Christians who claimed it depicted their saint. It also argues the ‘British god’ idea was a myth which arose from a mistranslation.
Historians believe they have now answered the mystery of what Dorset’s Cerne Abbas carving is meant to depict – with academics suggesting it shows Greek hero Hercules
The findings follow a report in 2021 which claimed the giant was cut into the Dorset hillside between 700 and 1100AD.
While the precise purpose of the work will likely remain a mystery, academics claim that their theory is the simplest explanation.
‘We’ve tried to put together the most convincing and coherent narrative,’ said Tom Morcom, of the University of Oslo. ‘It’s how it all fits together and how the giant could have been most likely understood.’
Researchers say there are many references to Hercules in the British Isles during the time the giant was constructed, with texts about him having been written by people with connections to the village of Cerne Abbas itself.
Academics also point to similarities in the design of the mythic hero himself, that suggest the Cerne Abbas is a tribute to Hercules.
The giant’s club, for instance, is Herculean in design. But it is different to the traditional Mediterranean one suggesting a British twist on the hero.
Crucially there are British depictions of a naked Hercules that accord with the phallic and unclothed depiction of the chalk carving. Academics also suppose Hercules’s mantle, or cloak, might well have featured in the original work but was lost over time.
‘The position of his arm is such that it fits so well,’ said Helen Gittos of Brasenose College, Oxford. ‘It seems quite likely.’
Researchers say the carving has many similarities to the Greek figure of Hercules
The location of the giant has all the hallmarks of a military mustering point, historians argue. It is easy to spot, close to several key roads as well as sites that had been attacked by Vikings.
Historians have theorised there might have been a tradition of using depictions like the giant as a military symbol.
For instance, an 11th century source claimed King Harold, who was defeated at Hastings in 1066, flew a banner of a fighting man, possibly inspired by the Cerne Abbas figure.
Other theories, like the suggestion the giant represented Cromwell, have been discounted. This theory followed a re-cutting of the giant during the English Civil War, which supported claimed was meant to mock the Lord Protector – with academics now suggesting this is unlikely.
Another theory came to prominence after the giant was dated, with people claiming it was a depiction of an Anglo-Saxon god called Helith. This too has been discounted by modern theories.
Researchers Morcom and Gittos traced the root of this idea to one text, with the name Helith coming from a 13th-century mistranslation of the Latin word for Elijah, the Old Testament prophet. It seems that Helith never existed.
Despite the latest study claiming to have answered the question about the origins of the giant, researchers admit the true meaning of the Cerne Abbas will remain one that will be open to interpretation for generations to come.
‘Each generation seems to have different motives, right down to the present day,’ said Mr Morcom. ‘This move towards some kind of pagan fertility site or having a maypole on top of it and dancing – these are all means of keeping the giant fresh within the landscape.’