Long Man of Wilmington
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The Long Man of Wilmington is located in Wilmington, East Sussex,United Kingdom on the steep slopes of Windover Hill. ( ), six miles (9.6 km) northwest of Eastbourne and is one of the two human hill figures in England. The other human figure is the Cerne Abbas Giant in Cerne Abbas, north of Dorchester. The Long Man is 227 feet (69 metres) tall, designed to look proportional when viewed from below.
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[edit] Origins
The origin of the Long Man remains hazy. Originally, the earliest record of the carving was in a drawing done by William Burrell when he visited Wilmington Priory, nestling under Windover Hill. However, an earlier record was found made by the surveyor John Rowley in the year 1710. The 18th century drawing suggested 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 then the staves[1].
Before 1874, the Long Man was only visible after a light fall of snow in certain light conditions (such as in early morning or evening). In that year Reverand W de St Croix [2] marked out the outline with yellow bricks cemented together [3] 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 the latter claim).
Archaeological work done by University of Reading suggests that the figure dates from the sixteenth or seventeenth century AD.
[edit] 20th and 21st centuries
In 1925, the site of the Long Man was given to the Sussex Archaeological Trust (now the Sussex Archaeological Society) by the Duke of Devonshire. During the Second World War it was painted green to avoid it being used as a landmark by German aircraft.
In 1993 a book, 'The Druid Way' by Sussex author Philip Carr-Gomm, drew attention to the spiritual and psychological significance of the Long Man as a sacred site for the modern world.
[edit] Modern users
The Long Man plays host to Druid rituals on the Sunday closest to the each of the eight Neo-Pagan Sabbats through the year, the most noticeable of these being Beltaine (May Day) and Lughnasadh (Lammas) where many Pagans and non-Pagans gather to give thanks to nature and/or their deities.
The Anderida Gorsedd, facilitated by Damh the Bard and Cerri Lee , are the current regulars at the Long Man and have been for many years. As many as 112 people have attended these rituals for the Wheel of the year and handfastings, and the numbers grow regularly as time goes on. [1]
At Beltaine, the Long Man Morris Men can be found dancing there. [4]
On 2 July 2007, the Long Man of Wilmington was used in a stunt for Trinny Woodall and Susannah Constantine's fashion show Undress the Nation, which caused a deal of controversy. The stunt involved Trinny, Susannah and 100 women giving the Long Man a temporary female form by adding pigtails, breasts and hips. The Long Man was not permanently changed or affected, according to the owners. However the conduct of ITV at the site has been called into question. The stunt prompted 22 Pagans to protest at the historical site during filming and the owners, Sussex Archaeological Society, have since apologised for any offence caused to any "individuals or groups" by the filming.[5] The site is thought of as sacred by the Council of British Druid Orders, who said the stunt would "dishonour an ancient Pagan site of worship".[6] Protestors gathered as they thought it offensive to spiritual beliefs and because it is a sacred site. A statement made by ITV stated that they were given permission for the event by Sussex Archaeological society and that they took "the utmost care... to protect this historical site".[7] A petition was issued for the Prime Minister to demand that the footage not to be broadcast, which required at least 200 signatures. The footage was shown on 20 November 2007 on ITV.
[edit] Popular culture
The Long Man features in Neil Gaiman's Sandman comic book series in the episode titled "A Midsummer Night's Dream". In the comic, the Long Man is named Wendel and guards a gate between the real world and the world of Faerie.
There is a reference to the Long Man in Terry Pratchett's Lords and Ladies, although only in name.
The Long Man features in two novels by Kevan Manwaring: 'The Long Woman' and 'Windsmith'.
The Long Man is a character in a Belgian comic strip from the series Spike and Suzy, in the album The Circle of Power. The Long Man is an evil man of clay who helps the villains against Spike and Suzy.
[edit] See also
- Chalk figures in England
- The nearby village of Wilmington
[edit] References
- ^ The modern antiquarian,Julian Cope, Thorsons 1998
- ^ The Unknown, Issue Jan 1986
- ^ The modern antiquarian,Julian Cope, Thorsons 1998
- ^ BBC reference to the Long Man Morris Men performing at the Long Man every May Day
- ^ ""— Sussex Express 18/7/07
- ^ "Pagans object to Long Man filming " — news.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved July 6, 2007.
- ^ "'We won't wear it' - Pagans Furious with Trinny and Susannah " — independent.co.uk. Retrieved July 6, 2007.
[edit] External links
- The Long Man of Wilmington from the Sussex Archaeological Society web site
- New work overturns date for chalk Long Man of Wilmington (PDF) – University of Reading
- The Seer of Wilmington from the archives of Earthsongs: International Journal of the Society of Celtic Shamans
- Homepage of the Long Man Morris Men.
- Satellite photo from Google Maps
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