Last week, it was revealed that the delightfully priapic Cerne Abbas giant might date to the 10th century (or more loosely, 700–1100). The origins of this 180ft-tall chalk figure etched onto a hillside in the Dorset Downs have long been a mystery; previous estimates have placed it anywhere from prehistoric times to the 17th century. Since the announcement of the new dating, determined by analysis of the soil undertaken by the National Trust, the thought that such an image was tolerated by the medieval Church, specifically Cerne Abbey in the valley below, has been met by some with puzzlement. Certainly, the figure’s aggression and nudity seem at odds with all the notions of Christian censorship we have developed since its makers first put shovel to soil. Perhaps this is one of the factors lying behind suggestions that the figure’s origins – if religious – are more likely to be pagan than Christian.