Giant. Image by Caio Monteiro
The giant is a humanoid-looking creature characterized by its enormous size and strength.
Giants appear in countless legends and many of the catastrophes that have occurred throughout history are attributed to them. The ancients believed that they were capable of breaking mountains and causing avalanches, or of drying up an entire river by drinking from its flow.
the origin of the giants
Giants are generally cruel, savage, and primitive beings. They were created from Chaos at the very moment that the four elements of life, good and evil, were defined.
Their rough and aggressive character increased when the gods wanted to control them. For centuries, the deities tried to subdue the giants and this led to violent and endless battles. Earthquakes and landslides were thought to be the result of brutal giant fights.
Over time, the gods managed to banish them to earth permanently, although not all the giants suffered the same fate. Some submitted to the will of the gods and were allowed to remain in the sky and in the clouds.
They spread throughout the world, which is why they appear in the legends of practically all known cultures. Even in the Middle Ages, its existence was assured since only in this way could the enormous constructions of ancient civilizations be explained.
Giant destroying a fortress. Image by Jarrod Owen
The giants in mythology
One of the best-known races of giants in Greek mythology are the Cyclops. One-eyed giants dedicated to blacksmithing and forgers of Zeus’ lightning bolts and the most incredible weapons of the gods.
In Mesopotamian mythology, the terrifying stories of the giant Humbaba, the spitter of fire, were told. This giant was the Guardian of the Cedar Forest, in the abode of the gods, and his appearance was truly peculiar. His face was wrapped in retracted intestines and he had lion’s claws. Such was his fierceness that he could only enter the forest that he protected if he possessed protection amulets against demons. When the legendary heroes Gilgamesh and Enkidu entered this forest, they killed Humbaba without knowing that he was a sacred beast. The gods punished Gilgamesh by taking away his companion Enkidu.
In northern Europe, legends told of huge and hideous beings known as trolls who lived in caves and burrows. They lurked at night, as sunlight turned them to stone.
In the forests of Canada, the legend of the wendigo is told, a spirit of the air that usually manifests itself in the form of a rotten giant and with cannibalistic habits. Its maximum aspiration is to frighten and devour those who enter the forests, be they men or children. This being rarely manifests itself physically, its presence is very subtle and it glides with the air, between the wind and the storms. It chases travelers, makes them run in fear or freeze with its terrifying howl, and all this without them being sure if the wendigo is really there, or if it is only the whispers of the air.
characteristics of a giant
The main trait of a giant, its size, is truly variable. You can find specimens of about 4 meters, the most common, and some more extraordinary that can touch the hundred meters.
The terrestrial giants have a rather limited intelligence, although they do not need more. They rely on the force to solve problems.
They are solitary beings, but they come together for hunting and looting. Legends say that they feed on rocks, trees, animals and people, especially children.
They prefer hand-to-hand fighting and rely on their strength to smash, sweep and trample, hence their preferred weapon is the club or their own arms. However, their ability to throw and catch rocks makes them very dangerous creatures from a distance.
Killing a giant is a really complicated task. It is said that the only way to kill them is to cut off their heads, but although this method is infallible, it is not the only one. A good accurate blow like the one David threw at Goliath can be most effective, although very difficult to achieve. The most effective is to first weaken the giant’s thick hide with acid or fire, and then inflict a fatal wound.
types of giants
There are two large groups of giants; those who were banished to earth and have become evil and cruel beings in search of destruction, and those who remained in heaven, leading an orderly life dedicated to good.
Among the terrestrial giants we find the hill giantscreatures of about three meters, with thick skin and dense fur that makes them more similar to an ape than a human; the stone giants, humanoids with grayish skin that blends into the rock of the hills so they go unnoticed in this habitat; and the fire giants, the most terrible of this group. Their skin is a thick layer of charcoal and they are immune to fire, so their red hair often catches fire.
Among the celestial giants we find the cloud giants, enormous figures with white skin and hair, excellent strategists endowed, in addition, with creative talent; and the storm giantswho have abilities to control weather and water, as well as being able to levitate.
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