Re: A theory on the origin of the UWH | Forum

Uffington White Horse 29

Image by Jane

A theory on the origin of the UWH

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FourWinds Aug 4, 2007 12:09:10

Replying to Hugh Whiting

If you look at early maps of The British Isles they look nothing like the real thing. Perhaps you should compare the figure to the earliest maps available.

Also, you need to compare the figure as it was originally, not how it looks now. The figure was a lot fatter when it was first constructed. There are drawings around somewhere of the supposed original form (found through geo-fizz I think).

Interesting thought though.

Hugh Whiting Aug 4, 2007 23:29:18

Replying to FourWinds

the 1990s surveys suggest it might have been fatter in places, but not with a different alignment of limb.
they also suggest a longer "beak" feature, which would only give more weight to my vision of synchrony between them and the salisbury river fork.
There is no reason at all to compare it with the earliest known paper maps of britain, since it was made 2000 years before them, and, as you have observed, they are not all that good.

imagine the sense of awe when the people realised, after decades of integrated fieldwork, the island they lived on kind of looked like a horse. the birth of a national myth. perhaps THE birth of national myth.