Stig of the Dump
Encyclopedia
Stig of the Dump is a children's novel by Clive King
published in 1963. It is regarded as a modern children's classic and is often read in schools. It has been twice adapted for television, in 1981 and in 2002.
who lives at the bottom of the old chalk pit close to Barney's grandmother's house. Since the chalk pit is no longer in use, people throw all their rubbish away down there.
Barney finds Stig by falling through the roof of Stig's den. Barney and Stig become friends, even though they cannot talk to each other. Stig and Barney have a series of adventures together, including cutting wood for Stig's den, fox hunting, catching burglars breaking into Barney's grandmother's house and attending a fancy dress party. One night Barney and his sister Lou cannot sleep and get transported back to Stig's time where they spend a night helping his tribe complete a megalith
. This may refer to Kit's Coty House
, a barrow
on the North Downs
near Bluebell Hill in Kent, where King lived as a child.
and Danish
; the name could imply that a person is a pathfinder.
for ITV
in 1981 and later by the BBC
in 2002 (starring Thomas Sangster
). The BBC series won the BAFTA Children's Film & Television Award and its writer, Peter Tabern, received the Best Children's Writer award. The series has been released on DVD.
The book has also been adapted for the theatre, to critical acclaim. Topologika
Software Ltd has published an adventure game based on the first three chapters of the book, for Windows
and the Mac
.
Clive King
David Clive King is an English author best known for his children's book Stig of the Dump . He served in the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve in the last years of World War II and then worked for the British Council in a wide range of overseas postings, from which he later drew inspiration for his...
published in 1963. It is regarded as a modern children's classic and is often read in schools. It has been twice adapted for television, in 1981 and in 2002.
Plot summary
Stig is a cavemanCaveman
A caveman or troglodyte is a stock character based upon widespread concepts of the way in which early prehistoric humans may have looked and behaved...
who lives at the bottom of the old chalk pit close to Barney's grandmother's house. Since the chalk pit is no longer in use, people throw all their rubbish away down there.
Barney finds Stig by falling through the roof of Stig's den. Barney and Stig become friends, even though they cannot talk to each other. Stig and Barney have a series of adventures together, including cutting wood for Stig's den, fox hunting, catching burglars breaking into Barney's grandmother's house and attending a fancy dress party. One night Barney and his sister Lou cannot sleep and get transported back to Stig's time where they spend a night helping his tribe complete a megalith
Megalith
A megalith is a large stone that has been used to construct a structure or monument, either alone or together with other stones. Megalithic describes structures made of such large stones, utilizing an interlocking system without the use of mortar or cement.The word 'megalith' comes from the Ancient...
. This may refer to Kit's Coty House
Kit's Coty House
Kit's Coty House or Kit's Coty is the name of the remains of a Neolithic chambered long barrow on Blue Bell Hill near Aylesford in the English county of Kent. It is one of the Medway megaliths....
, a barrow
Tumulus
A tumulus is a mound of earth and stones raised over a grave or graves. Tumuli are also known as barrows, burial mounds, Hügelgrab or kurgans, and can be found throughout much of the world. A tumulus composed largely or entirely of stones is usually referred to as a cairn...
on the North Downs
North Downs
The North Downs are a ridge of chalk hills in south east England that stretch from Farnham in Surrey to the White Cliffs of Dover in Kent. The North Downs lie within two Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty , the Surrey Hills and the Kent Downs...
near Bluebell Hill in Kent, where King lived as a child.
Origin of the name
Stig is a common Scandinavian name, and means "path" in SwedishSwedish language
Swedish is a North Germanic language, spoken by approximately 10 million people, predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along its coast and on the Åland islands. It is largely mutually intelligible with Norwegian and Danish...
and Danish
Danish language
Danish is a North Germanic language spoken by around six million people, principally in the country of Denmark. It is also spoken by 50,000 Germans of Danish ethnicity in the northern parts of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, where it holds the status of minority language...
; the name could imply that a person is a pathfinder.
Adaptations
Stig of the Dump was adapted for television, firstly by Thames TelevisionThames Television
Thames Television was a licensee of the British ITV television network, covering London and parts of the surrounding counties on weekdays from 30 July 1968 until 31 December 1992....
for ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
in 1981 and later by the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
in 2002 (starring Thomas Sangster
Thomas Sangster
Thomas Brodie Sangster is an English film and television actor, best known for his roles in Love Actually, Nanny McPhee, The Last Legion, and voice of Ferb Fletcher in Phineas and Ferb.-Personal life:...
). The BBC series won the BAFTA Children's Film & Television Award and its writer, Peter Tabern, received the Best Children's Writer award. The series has been released on DVD.
The book has also been adapted for the theatre, to critical acclaim. Topologika
Topologika
Topologika Software Ltd is a still-independent British publisher of educational software. Based in Brighton, the company was founded in 1983.Many of its early products were interactive fiction adventure games taken on after Acornsoft was sold to Superior Software who only continued to release their...
Software Ltd has published an adventure game based on the first three chapters of the book, for Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
and the Mac
Macintosh
The Macintosh , or Mac, is a series of several lines of personal computers designed, developed, and marketed by Apple Inc. The first Macintosh was introduced by Apple's then-chairman Steve Jobs on January 24, 1984; it was the first commercially successful personal computer to feature a mouse and a...
.