Cerne Abbas giant is Hercules and was army meeting point, say historians

Historians say it ‘seems clear’ the Cerne Abbas giant was cut as an image of Hercules, a symbol of might and courage. Photograph: Ben Birchall/PA

For centuries, historians and archaeologists have puzzled over the origins of the Cerne Abbas giant, the huge, naked, club-wielding figure cut into a chalky hillside in the English West Country. Was he a Celtic god, some sort of ancient fertility symbol, or, perhaps, a more recent lampoon of Oliver Cromwell?

Research from the University of Oxford has now concluded that the 60-metre tall figure in Dorset could have marked an inspiring muster station for West Saxon armies at a time when the area was being attacked by Viking warriors.