Giants and other magical creatures are most often a part of popular fairytales.Giant comes from the Greek word ‘Gigantes,’ which means ’earthborn.’ These beings, Gigantes, were said to be the children of the earth and the heavens or Uranus.Although there are many stories and legends about giants, one of the places believed to have been created by a giant is the World Heritage Site in Northern Ireland known as Giant’s Causeway.After you have finished reading this article, read the interesting Viking facts and myths and Aztec mythical creatures here on Kidadl.Giants In Art, Literature, And Everyday LifeAlthough they look human, giants are known to have some distinctive features, such as their huge size. They are also said to be very strong. Various literary works have stated that giants could make the ground tremble, eat human beings, or roar very loudly.A few popular fairy tales also mention giants, such as ‘Jack the Giant Killer’ and ‘Jack and the Beanstalk.’ In these stories, giants are portrayed as violent creatures. In ‘Gulliver’s Travels’ by Jonathan Swift and ‘The BFG’ by Roald Dahl, giants have been depicted as friendly and intelligent.Literary And Cultural AnalysisThe mention of giants can be found in folk tales and stories from around the world. Giants in England are said to be evil, whereas those in Wales are clever and cunning. Giants in Albania are said to be as tall as a pine tree and have beards till their knees.Some of the famous giants mentioned in art and literature around the world are:Paul Bunyan: It is believed that the footprints of this giant filled with water and created the lakes of Minnesota. Taller than a tree, this giant is a character made up in North America.Cyclops: Another one from Greek legend, this man-eating giant was defeated by Odysseus.Mountain giants: Many giants are believed to live in mountain caves. Some of these are the Yeti, Bigfoot or Sasquatch of America, the Abominable Snowman of Tibet, and the Wildman of China.Jack Frost: The breath of this giant, according to legend, could freeze the earth with frost, and his roar was so loud that it could shatter icebergs.In some stories, giants would be married, and listed below are a few mentions of a giantess:Grendel’s mother: Mentioned in ‘Beowulf,’ this giantess could eat 15 warriors at a time.Befri: Mentioned in French folklore, this giantess carries away girls who don’t want to weave cloth.Giants Under The EarthIn addition to inhabiting the earth, some giants are also said to live under it. Some mythical giants are Cyclopes, Rom, Atlas, Balor, Hrungnir, Jentil, Goliath, etc. According to Greek mythology, some giants like Enceladus lie buried under the earth. Hence, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions result from the moving and quivering of this giant in distress.Religion And MythologyGiants are most often mentioned in myths and legends. They are usually depicted as cruel, evil, clumsy, or stupid. However, in some stories, they could be friendly or helpful. In Greek mythology, giants were depicted as half man and half monster. Giants are also mentioned in Norse mythology. There were said to dwell in a castle known as Utgard.Giants mentioned in myths and religion around the world:Atlas: Mentioned in Greek mythology as one of the Titans, he was made to carry the earth on his shoulders forever as a punishment from Zeus.Rakshasa: These are giants that are from Indian epics. Although dirty and with little intelligence, they had a lot of gold and jewels. It is also said that they enjoyed eating people.Goliath: A famous giant mentioned in the Bible, Goliath was defeated by a small boy called David with a slingshot and stone. Goliath was said to have enormous strength and could defeat an entire army by himself.Giant’s Causeway In IrelandFormed about 50-60 million years ago, Giant’s Causeway, the result of volcanic eruptions, is an iconic natural wonder and a World Heritage Site located in Northern Ireland. The molten basalt that erupted at the Giant’s Causeway could easily penetrate the ground made of chalk. As the hot basalt cooled and contracted, it fractured, resulting in the pillars that make up Giant’s Causeway. Almost all of these columns are hexagonal; however, a few cylindrical pillars have been created due to wave action and erosion. These cylindrical pillars are said to be the Giant’s Eyes.Giant’s Causeway got its name from an Irish story about its formation. There was an Irish giant named Fionn mac Cumhaill. Wanting to protect his country from the Scottish giant, Benandonner, Fionn built a bridge over the sea to Scotland to challenge and fight his rival. When he crossed the sea and saw how big and strong Benandonner was, he realized he could not win. Hence, he decided to trick his opponent. He left the causeway for his rival to find and went home. He instructed his wife to pretend he was her baby and put him in the cradle. When Benandonner crossed the sea to the Irish side and saw how big the baby was, he thought the father would be huge. So he went back and destroyed the Giant’s Causeway to ensure that his enemy would never be able to use the causeway to cross the sea. This is how Giant’s Causeway was created and got its name. Tourists from all over the world come to see this marvelous creation. Stone formations or cliffs similar to that of the Giant’s Causeway can also be found on the Scottish coast.Although mentioned in stories and myths, there is not much evidence in history to suggest that these large beings actually existed. However, they do make the stories more interesting.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created many interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for facts about giants, then why not take a look at fun facts about Northern Ireland or facts about Dublin Ireland?
Giants and other magical creatures are most often a part of popular fairytales.
