High in the rocky landscapes of the northern Sahara plateau lies a remarkable cave painting, dating back 6,000 years, of a horned woman… running. Her femininity is unmistakable, as her profile reveals prominent breasts and a rounded belly. With her knees bent and arms outstretched, she embodies a graceful athleticism. Tassels dance from her waist and limbs, while her body is painted with intricate dots and stripes. Similar fabrics and markings decorate her curved horns.
I first encountered the Running Horned Woman whilst listening to a podcast by poet and runner, Helen Mort. It was easy to imagine a similar mythical figure striding out over my perfect hill - Hergest Ridge, the hill I run over every day.
The magic of this hill and the surrounding landscape has inspired two recent exhibitions I co-curated at RidgeBank Contemporary Art Space in Kington. The first celebrated the Hindwell Enclosure, a Neolithic oval timber henge believed to be a site for mass rituals and festivities. The second explored three neighbouring hills who’s geological formation dates back 700 million years to underground volcanic activity. Surrounded by these extraordinary and mysterious places it's easy to picture Hergest Ridge as the backdrop for its own legendary horned woman.
As a work of art Running Horned Woman conjures something unseen and imagined, we can only speculate as to why she ran. Was it ritualistic? Was she a hunter? Either way she gives us an insight into the significance running may have had for early human cultures and is an indication of running’s long relationship with creativity.