Meet my new friend

Meet my new friend. He doesn't have a name (I might call him Jersey Jerry), but he's one of Les P'tits Faîtchieaux, which is Jèrriais (the old language of Jersey) for the "Little People".

He was part of old folklore, but now he's part of a modern art installation. I picked him up at La Hougue Bie in Grouville, Jersey this week and brought him back to Thorney via Easyjet.

La Hougue Bie is one of the largest and best-preserved passage graves in Europe and was in use from 3500BCE. It's a long tunnel with galleries leading off, covered by a massive mound on top of which (sacrilege!) the Christians built a small church. You can go into the passage, although it's very low, and at sunrise on the longest day of the year, the sun shines directly through the entrance and illuminates the back wall.

Inside La Houge Bie

It's a fantastic site - well worth a visit - but back to my little friend.

People believed the P'tits Faîtchieaux lived inside the many dolmens (prehistoric graves) scattered around Jersey and unlike most little peoples of legend - fairies, leprechauns and the like - they are not generally mischief makers, but rather helpful.

There's a story of the farmer who went to his stable in the morning to find his horse exhausted. When he checked, he found the Little People had ploughed his field for him during the night. There's also a legend that they will do housework and other jobs in exchange for cake.

This figure and more than 4,000 like him are part of a public art installation which is happening throughout 2015 and is intended to celebrate Jersey, its traditions, legend and language. They were made originally by Jersey potter Jane Gould and, once the prototype was in place, volunteers made the rest. They are made from Jersey clay, dug from St Ouen's in the west of the island, and were fired at La Hougue Bie. The figures aren't glazed, so if left outside, they will return to earth.

A number of them were put inside the inner chamber of La Hougue Bie at the spring equinox and the rest are being offered to visitors to take and place in locations (hopefully) far and wide. They want to know where the figure is placed, along with a picture. In November this year they are putting a map up at the Public Projection Gallery in St Helier and there will also be an exhibition of photographs.