Giants

From Worth1000.com Photoshop contest

In Norse mythology, the earth and the world of man sprung from the body of a dead giant. In many cultures, giants roamed the earth before man. Biblical stories of giants are plentiful. In literature, giants are common subjects of fairy tales, classical myths and folklore. The giant is portrayed in general human form but with supernatural proportions, immense physical power, and usually a distinct lack of intelligence. Also, they are often described as hairy, unattractive, selfish and rather nasty, even cannibalistic. However, there are a few that served as benefactors or protectors.

Especially in the British Isles, giants are rumored to have helped shape the land. A giant, turned to stone, may be the mountain. And impressive landmarks are the result of giant’s handiwork. Here we also find giant-sized surface features like the Long Man of Wilmington in Sussex, the Cerne Abbas Giant in Dorset and the Uffington Horse in Berkshire. In America, the natives believed in an original race of giant men. American folklore gives us the giant lumberjack Paul Bunyan.

In stories of giants, it was noble for the small to conquer the huge and it usually followed that “the bigger they are, the harder they fall”. However, to read into the basis for these stories, the giant may have had a huge reputation instead of a huge stature. Exaggeration certainly played a part in tales of valor and battle. The tallest known human only reached about 9 feet tall. Is the idea of giants a natural tendency for human minds to imagine? We are always in awe objects off the large end of our normal sense of scale. Real giants, such as dinosaurs and prehistoric mammals left remains that were inevitably found by ancient man who might have interpreted them as the bones of giant men who previously roamed the earth.

From 2004 to 2007, a photo (shown above) circulated around the internet as fact. A giant human skeleton was supposedly uncovered in various places around the world (the story varied). This photo was REALLY an entry to a photo-creation contest. It was not genuine.

Tales circulate about other giant animals, particularly giant-sized snakes, lizards, sharks, catfish, octopus, wild hogs, bears, ground sloths and spiders. It’s possible that we can find specimens of these animals that exceed the normal range but to go 2, 5 or 10 times the normal is stretching our credibility. It is not likely.

While it is fairly certain that there is not an existing race of 10-foot tall men in existance nor was there ever, we still enjoy interesting tales of beanstalks and Bigfoot. And, sometimes, we believe them.

REALITY CHECK: There is no scientific basis or plausible way that huge giant humans (above the normal human range) exist now or did in the past. This is a total myth appearing in ancient cultures around the world. Giant versions of animals did live in prehistoric times when living conditions were different but there is nothing to suggest that individuals continued on to roam the earth today while the majority went exitinct.

MORE INFORMATION:

Snopes.com: Giant Human Skeleton Found?

Monstropedia: Giant

Reptile Knowledge: Big Snakes 101

Giant Titanoboa ruled (news story)

Unmuseum: Giant Lizards

Monster Science: Hog Washed

Monster Talk (podcast): Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum

YOUR TURN:

• Why do you think tales of giants so widespread in ancient works?
• What’s your favorite giant story? Why?
• What causes animals to grow beyond normal size? How does this affect them?