Uffington White Horse

The Uffington White Horse on White Horse Hill site in Oxfordshire (District Vale of White Horse ) is considered the oldest Geoglyph in England. It is the stylized image of a horse that has been cut into the vegetation and gescharrt into the ground. Thus the chalk underneath is visible. The contours are formed by three feet wide, 60 to 90 centimeters deep trenches. The horse figure has the dimensions of 107 × 37 m. Both the position and the shape of the horse have changed little over the millennia, only the lines have become a little thinner.

Age

The age of scratching image is controversial. Traditionally, it has been associated with the Anglo-Saxon invaders of Britain in the 5th century. The name of their legendary, semi-mythical leader Hengist and Horsa mean namely " stallion" and "horse". According to another tradition, it was even created only in the 9th century to commemorate the victory of King Alfred the Great over the Danes. However, subsequent researchers kept the Uffington Horse for much older. So you interpreted it as an approximately 2000-3000 years old representation of the Celtic goddess Epona, protector of horses. Recent measurements dated the Uffington horse in the early iron, or even in the late Bronze Age. A time in which also lies within sight of Uffington Castle is dated. Uffington Castle and Uffington White Horse are directly above the Altstrasse " The Ridgeway ".

Other geoglyphs of white horses on the hills of southern England are considered as very much younger. The majority of them are considered late imitations of Uffington horses from the 18th and 19th centuries.

Importance

During the 19th century, the figure of the Uffington horse - almost grew to, but is now maintained by English Heritage - a state, the German monument comparable organization.

From the 12th century the White Horse was considered one of the " wonders of England ". The horse is to fully recognize only from the air.

In the discussion on early evidence of the Germanic Sachsenross the White Horse was led. However, it can not be used as vorheraldische use of this tribal symbol.

In June 2010, the Bronze Age Uffington White Horse has been damaged by purple color. In the immediate vicinity of a banner of advocacy group Fathers 4 Justice was discovered. Speaker of the New Fathers 4 Justice as well as the Real Fathers 4 Justice, however, distanced themselves from the act.

Dragon Hill

Located near the White Horse Hills is the Dragon Hill. According to legend, here has slain the dragon of Saint George. The Dragon Hill is a natural chalk hill whose top was flattened by humans. The bald spot on the top is supposed to reflect the shape of the dead dragon. This legend goes back to the fact that the Anglo- Saxons held the stylized horse for a dragon.