Has the mysterious identity of the Cerne giant Abbas been solved? Scholars claim the 55-metre chalk figure from Dorset may represent Hercules, after centuries of debate over the landmark.

The mystery surrounding the identity of who the Cerne Abbas giant must be is something that has baffled people for centuries.

Some believed the 180ft naked chalk figure in Dorset was a lost British god, while others even claimed it was a representation of Oliver Cromwell.

But now, after hundreds of years of debate, scholars believe they have the answer to the hillside’s riddle and declared that the figure probably represents the Greek hero Hercules.

Historians suggest that the hill on which the huge chalk carving stands could once have been a rallying point for Anglo-Saxon troops, with the giant acting as a rallying symbol.

In an article published in the magazine Speculum, Researchers say the giant was adopted by Christians who claimed it represented their saint. He also maintains that the idea of ​​the “British god” was a myth that arose from poor translation.

The findings follow a 2021 report which claimed the giant was cut into the Dorset hillside between 700 and 1100 AD

While the precise purpose of the work will likely remain a mystery, academics say their theory is the simplest explanation.

“We have tried to craft the most compelling and coherent narrative,” said Tom Morcom of the University of Oslo. “This is how it all fits together and how the giant could have been understood.”

Researchers say there are many references to Hercules in the British Isles during the time the giant was built, and that people with connections to the Cerne Abbas people themselves wrote texts about him.

Scholars also point to similarities in the design of the mythical hero himself, which suggest that Cerne Abbas is a tribute to Hercules.

The giant’s club, for example, has a Herculean design. But it is different from the traditional Mediterranean and suggests a British twist on the hero.

Crucially, there are British depictions of a naked Hercules that are consistent with the phallic, nude representation of the chalk carving. Scholars also hypothesize that Hercules’ mantle or cape may well have appeared in the original work, but was lost over time.

“The position of his arm is such that it suits him very well,” said Helen Gittos of Brasenose College, Oxford. “It seems quite likely.”

The giant’s location has all the characteristics of a military assembly point, historians maintain. It is easy to spot, close to several key roads as well as sites that had been attacked by Vikings.

Historians have theorized that there may have been a tradition of using representations such as the giant as a military symbol.

For example, an 11th-century source claimed that King Harold, who was defeated at Hastings in 1066, flew a fighter’s banner, possibly inspired by the figure of Cerne Abbas.

Other theories, such as the suggestion that the giant represented Cromwell, have been discarded. This theory arose following a reissue of the Giant during the English Civil War, which was claimed to have been intended to mock the Lord Protector, and academics now suggest this is unlikely.

Another theory rose to prominence after the giant was dated, with people claiming it was a representation of an Anglo-Saxon god called Helith. This has also been ruled out by modern theories.

Researchers Morcom and Gittos traced the root of this idea to a text, and the name Helith comes from a 13th-century mistranslation of the Latin word for Elijah, the Old Testament prophet. It seems that Helith never existed.

Although the latest study claims to have answered the question about the giant’s origins, researchers admit that the true meaning of Cerne Abbas will remain open to interpretation for generations to come.

“Each generation seems to have different motives, to this day,” Mr. Morcom said. “This movement toward some kind of pagan place of fertility or having a maypole on top and dancing are means of keeping the giant cool within the landscape.”