Wichita eagle., 1889-01-05
ANCIENT ENGLISH CUSTOMS.
Ehe Giant o. the Chalk Hins-Buryins
Suicides at Cross Roads.

Ehe Giant o. the Chalk HiIls-Buryine
Suicides at Cross Roads.
Amongst the almost universal custom of
raising tumui, statues or monuments COM
ulemorative of persons and events England,
perhaps, stands alone with peculiar custom
OF carving objects on the sides of chalk hills
The ''Cerne Giant" which is to be seen at
great distance, dug on hillside at Cerne
Abbas Dorsetshire, is very interesting
specimen of this unique art. / do not re-
member the dimensions but the figure occu-
pies considerable space, otherwise it would
not be easily distinguished at a distance,
where only it can be made out. It is that of
a man with a club in his hand, and, although
it was, believe, intended to represent one of
the early kings of England, do not think il
is certain which.
Strange objects of this and other kinds,
however, generally bear local reputation
or otherwise, local tradition, which in the
present case is, as usual, rather absurd and
is to the effect that the figure represents
giant who once killed and Toasted on farm
ers sheep on the hill, and having gorged him
self lay down TO sleep, when the villager7
stole upon and killed himl l should state
that to form the figure the surface earth Is
would seem that considerable skill must have
been displayed and the work directed from
distance, in order to give it the proper per
spective While the giant" has evidently
existed for many centuries, there is an excel
lent modern figure of horse and rider on a
Hill near the little watering place of Wey-
mouth, representing King George III, who
visited there. A statue is also erected on the
event The hill missions have to be cleaned
up about once in two years.
The singular ancient custom of burying
suicides az cross county roads has long since
become obsolete believe the persons 50
''honoredn had met their fate chiefly, if not
entirely, by drowning. 1t viii be remem-
bered that Hood, relating the tragic end of
one of these unfortunateS, concludes with tie
witty couplet:
And they buried him at four cross roads
With q stake in his inside
1t is said that on being interred-presum-
ably without cotfin-a green stake was
driven through the body of the victim
The somewhat barbarous custom Of glib
betting murderers, too has happily long since
been abolished. The worst form of gibbet-
ing alive or starving the condemned man to
death in an iron cage or some lonely heath,
exposed TO the elements, was terrible COM
pared with the milder form of exposing the
body after death on post. In many locali-
ties the site of a gibbeting post is commemo-
rated, the writer remembering spot called
'Jack Whites Gibbet."
Turning to something a little more pleas
ant, the reader may not have heard, or, if so,
seen what are termed fairy rings which
consist of distinct and perfectly formed
beaten round tracks, Of about one foot, on a
green field, down or rabbit warren, "tradi-
tionally" said to be formed by fairy. These
rings vary in size and distinctness, and while
Some are quite fifty yards in circumference
Others are not moro than ten or fifteen, and
are generally surrounded by the commoneSt
fungi or toadStool. 1t would be interesting
to know how these rings are really formed, /
and although there seems some reason to
TO suppose they are produced by the gambois /
Of rabbits, Yet it is difficult to understand |
how they could contrive to form a complete
circle-Detroit Free Press. !