When a totem pole mysteriously appeared on a popular coastal path in south-east England, local speculation as to who was responsible for the wooden monolith ranged from art pranksters to aliens. The 8ft (2.4-metre) pole, erected on the clifftops on the North Downs Way in Kent, between Folkestone and Dover, has particularly provoked interest for its inscription with the name Perkūnas, the Baltic god of thunder. Keen to keep the artwork situated in the Capel-Le-Ferne nature reserve, Kent Wildlife Trust is in the process of applying to Dover district council for retrospective planning permission. But its appeal to find the artist behind it has so far proved unsuccessful. Dr Francis Young, an Oxford University historian and folklorist specialising in the history of religion and belief, said the pole, which is thought to be carved from a single tree, appeared to suggest a Lithuanian link to its origins. “Perkūnas is perhaps the best known Baltic god,” he said. “That is his Lithuanian name. He’s the same as the Slavic god Perun. He’s one of the top …

The post Mystery Totem Pole Appears on coastal path in south-east England | Kent appeared first on Skeptic Society Magazine.