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.
