The land of the white horse : visions of England / David Miles.
Material type:
TextPublisher: London, England : Thames & Hudson, 2019Copyright date: ©2019Description: 288 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations (some colour), maps ; 25 cmContent type: - text
- still image
- unmediated
- volume
- 9780500519936
- 0500519935
- DA690.W585 M55 2019
| Item type | Current library | Collection | Call number | Status | Date due | Barcode | Item holds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Non-Fiction | Davis (Central) Library Non-Fiction | Non-Fiction | 942.576 MIL | Available | T00820166 |
Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:
The White Horse at Uffington is an icon of the English landscape--a prehistoric, nearly abstract figure 360 feet long, carved into the green turf of a chalk hill. Along with Stonehenge, the Horse is widely regarded as one of the Wonders of Britain.
For centuries antiquarians, travelers, and local people have speculated about the age of the Horse, who created it, and why. Was it a memorial to King Alfred the Great's victory over the Danes, an emblem of the first Anglo-Saxon settlers, was the Horse an actor in an elaborate prehistoric ritual, drawing the sun across the sky? Archaeologist David Miles explores the rich history of the ancient white horse, as well as the surrounding landscape, in order to understand the people who have lived there since the end of the Ice Age. As Miles tracks the possible origin of this English landmark, he also illuminates how the White Horse has influenced countless artists, poets, and writers, including Eric Ravilious, John Betjeman, and J. R. R. Tolkien.
The White Horse is one of most remarkable monuments of England, not least because it is still intact. People have cared for it and curated it for centuries, even millennia. Ultimately, Miles, using an archaeological framework, roots a myth for modern times in scientific findings.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 275-279) and index.
The White Horse at Uffington is an icon of the English landscape--a sleek, almost abstract figure 120 yards long which was carved into the green turf of the spectacular chalk scarp of the North Wessex Downs in the early first millennium BC. For centuries antiquarians, travellers and local people speculated about the age of the Horse, who created it and why. Was it a memorial to King Alfred the Great's victory over the heathen Danes, an emblem of the first Anglo-Saxon settlers, or a prehistoric banner, announcing the territory of a British tribe? Or was the Horse an actor in an elaborate prehistoric ritual, drawing the sun across the sky? The rich history of this ancient figure and its surroundings can help us understand how people have created and lived in the Downland landscape, which has inspired artists, poets and writers including Eric Ravilious, John Betjeman and J.R.R. Tolkien. The White Horse itself is most remarkable because it is still here. People have cared for it and curated it for centuries, even millennia. In that time the meaning of the Horse has changed, yet it has remained a symbol of continuity and is a myth for modern times.