White Horse - A mysterious site in Great Britain
All over the world there are mysterious places, land formations, and tales of hauntings and ghosts. One such place is located in Uffington, Great Britain. The White Horse of Uffington is an impressive site with a mysterious history.
The White Horse of Uffington is one of the most impressive sites close to the ancient Ridgeway path, which obstructs the steep chalk downs over the vale. It has elegant lines of white chalk bedrock and is thought to be the oldest hill figure in Great Britain. The image is a representation of a white horse, although some say it is a dragon, that spans 374 feet in length, and is thought to date back as far as 1000 BC. You can find similar images on coins from that time period. It is thought that the figure represents a goddess connected with the local Belgae tribe. The goddess is generally believed to be one form of Epona, worshipped throughout the Celtic world.
A great festival was given at the site every seven years by the local Lord, who saw to it that the area did not become overgrown. This festival is said to have sometimes lasted for more than three days, and consisted of fun and games and other events. This included wrestling and cheese rolling. The cheese rolling was held on of the steep side of the White Horse, which was known as the Manger. For the most part the games were confined to the enclosed banks of Uffington Castle, which the white horse appears to be galloping towards when you see it from the sky. The festivals at the site stopped nearly one hundred years ago, although it is now maintained by members of the English Heritage who have taken responsibility for the site.
But where exactly did the White Horse come from? Information known about it suggests it has been attributed to several famous figures, one of them being King Alfred, who it is said, wanted to make it to commemorate his victory over the Danes in 871. It is also said to have been made by Hengist, the leader of the Anglo Saxon horde, in the fifth century AD. Folklore also suggests that the White Horse is actually a representation of the dragon killed by Saint George, which was thought to have taken place nearby Dragon Hill, which is located in the valley below the White Horse.
Dragon Hill, The Manger, and Uffington Castle, also have their fair share of English legend and folklore surrounding them.