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A legendary giant from medieval English folklore, Colbrand was of considerable size and strength. He was ultimately defeated by the dashing, chivalrous, and equally fabled Guy of Warwick.
Local tradition suggests that St Michael's Mount in Cornwall, England, was terrorized by a fearsome livestock-eating giant known as Cormoran. The colossal being ultimately met his end, pick-axed by Jack, the aforementioned "giant killer."
Jack was also responsible for dispatching Thunderdell, a frightening two-headed giant who also roamed the English county of Cornwall in search of hapless victims.
The story of the Wisbech Giant and his nemesis, Tom Hickathrift, are intertwined in English folklore. Armed only with an axletree from a cartwheel, Tom stumbles across his gigantic opponent hiding in fenlands near the market town of Wisbech, in Cambridgeshire, and proceeds to club him to death.
Ysbaddaden lived in the time of King Arthur, his sanctuary being a near-impregnable castle set deep in the Welsh hills. Vicious and cunning, he was fated to die if ever his daughter, the beautiful Olwen, married—something Ysbaddaden attempted to thwart at all costs. But the giant did not account for the bravery and resolve of Arthur's band of knights.
Gogmagog inhabited Albion (Great Britain) sometime during the 12th century. A larger-than-life character originating in Welsh mythology, Gogmagog met his end after being thrown off a cliff by the warrior Corineus. Statues of the mythical pair are housed within the Guildhall in the City of London. According to tradition, they are guardians of the City, and images of them have been carried in the procession of the Lord Mayor's Show since the days of Henry V.
The grotesque and villainous creature known as Fachan emerged from Scottish folklore in the mid-1800s. Towering in height and possessed of one eye, a single hand, and a single leg, Fachan tormented the God-fearing folk of the Western Highlands.
The monstrous and hostile beings known as the Fomorians are subterranean giants, a supernatural race that feature widely in Irish mythology. Possessive and selfish, they plagued Ireland's early settlers.
Often depicted in French folklore as a giant, Ferragut was also described as a Saracen paladin, one of the fictional 8th-century knights of Charlemagne's court. According to legend, Ferragut was eventually overwhelmed by Roland, another knight who took three days to kill the giant.
The story of David and Goliath is one of the most familiar tales from antiquity. A character in the biblical Book of Samuel, Goliath is defeated by David, who uses a stone and sling to topple his lofty foe.
Humbaba is a creature of immense proportions mentioned in the 'Epic of Gilgamesh,' a poem from ancient Mesopotamia. Traditionally depicted as a scary and negative figure, Humbaba was nonetheless the guardian of the Cedar Forest, realm of the gods of Mesopotamian mythology, and seen as a demigod. The giant is eventually slain by the hero Gilgamesh.
Australian folklore describes Yowie as a huge and hairy ape-like creature that can either be timid and shy or aggressive and unpredictable. Yowie has its roots in Aboriginal oral history, with the creature's appetite for lost travelers being one of its more unsavory characteristics.
The Yeti dates back to the pre-Buddhist beliefs of several Himalayan people. The legend later gained currency in Sherpa folklore. Many believe that there is indeed an immense ape-like creature that inhabits the Himalayan mountain range, an unworldly being that's also referred to as the Abominable Snowman.
The Yeti's closest cousin is Bigfoot, a creature similar in dimension said to roam the mountains and forests of North America. In 1967, footage was shot in California that filmmakers Roger Patterson and Robert "'Bob" Gimlin claimed provided irrefutable proof that Bigfoot—also known as Sasquatch—exists.
The mythical giant known as Druon Antigoon was said to have lived in Antwerp in Belgium. His duty was to guard the approach to the Scheldt river. Anyone wanting to cross the river was obliged to pay a toll. Those who refused would have their hand sliced off by the giant, who'd dispose of the severed limb in the river. Druon Antigoon was eventually slain by a Roman legionary called Brabo, and his own hand was tossed into the water. Today, visitors to Antwerp can admire a statue of Brabo in front of the town hall, the figure posed as launching Druon Antigoon's detached hand into the air.
According to Dutch folklore, four centuries ago the province of Drenthe in the Netherlands was terrorized by two marauding giants, a father and son team known as Ellert and Brammert. They lived in a subterranean hut, emerging only to rob hapless locals and unwary travelers. The Ellert en Brammert open-air museum in Schoonoord is named after them.
Pier Gerlofs Donia (c. 1480–1520) was nicknamed Grutte Pier ("Big Pier"), a nod to his well-above average height, extraordinary strength, and exceptional fighting skills. While a real-life character, much of his life is shrouded in legend. He fought for the independence of Friesland (which is now part of the Netherlands), and also plied his trade as a fearsome pirate. Despite his life as a rebel leader, Grutte Pier died peacefully in his bed.
'Kalevipoeg' is the title of a 19th-century epic Estonian poem. According to ancient folklore, the origin of the title can be traced back to 1641 and a malevolent giant by the name of Kalev who battles other giants in defense of his nation.
If your travels take you to the Baltic Sea island of Saaremaa, look out for the statue of Toell the Great and his wife Piret. Legend says the giant hot-tempered Estonian hero lived as a common farmer and would think nothing of tossing huge boulders at those he thought posed a threat to the Saaremaa people.
In Norse mythology, Hrungnir is the gargantuan stone-made giant defeated by Thor, the God of Thunder, who takes the ogre down with his hammer, Mjölnir.
Several versions of the legend of Starkad exist. He is either a supernatural eight-armed giant or a human, albeit one of enormous stature. As a man, he is portrayed as a great warrior. His alter ego, however, is a fearsome thug who uses eight swords at once to cut down opponents.
The tale of Utgarda-Loki is also rooted in Norse mythology. An opponent of the Norse gods, he is famous for his cunning and magic—which he used to torment the gods Thor and Loki (the giant is often referred to as Skrymir to distinguish him from Loki). The legend concludes with Thor killing Skrymir with a trio of powerful blows from his hammer, so powerful in fact that they result in three square valleys being formed in the Scandinavian countryside.
Stallo are big, dumb villains of Sámi mythology. But despite their simple minds and clumsiness, they are hostile to humans and like eating people.
The mountain spirit known as the Bergmönch is a recurring figure in German folklore. Giant in size and dressed in a black hooded cowl, the Bergmönch is generally affable towards mountain people and miners, but will punish without mercy those who threaten or mock him.
The constellation Orion is named after an enormous ancient Greek huntsman who was venerated as a hero in his day. After Orion's death—killed either by Artemis or by a strike from a monstrous scorpion—he was placed among the stars, most likely by the god Zeus.
Among the most frightening of figures in Japanese mythology are the Gashadokuro, spirits that take the form of giant skeletons. They are believed to be the ghosts of warriors killed in battle but denied a burial.
One of the most recognized giants in North American folklore is Paul Bunyan, the larger-than-life lumberjack whose tall tales of superhuman endeavors have engaged the public since the 1800s.
Did you know that Patagonia, a region that encompasses the southern end of South America, is named for the Patagones, a race of beings supposedly twice the height of the average human? In 1520, the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan is supposed to have encountered Patagonians as tall as 3 m (10 ft).
And finally, when is a giant not a giant? Well, ask Gulliver, the protagonist in Jonathan Swift's celebrated 1726 book 'Gulliver's Travels.' In it, Gulliver encounters the Lilliputians, who naturally regard the traveler as a colossal figure and wary of the threat that his size poses to them.
Sources: (CBC) (Ethnohistory)
See also: Struggles only tall and short people will understand
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The giant that Jack sends tumbling to his death after cutting him down from a huge beanstalk is one of the most famous ogres in English mythology. The story appears as a fairy tale published in 1734 as 'Jack and Beanstalk,' with Jack becoming known as the "giant killer" who dispatches a number of other oversized enemies in subsequent tales.
Giants feature regularly throughout mythology and folklore. In fact, numerous legends speak of colossal humanlike figures of unimaginable strength roaming the earth of old, intent on wrongdoing. Some are portrayed as kind and intelligent, but generally speaking these violent and unpredictable creatures were to be avoided at all costs. So, what are these tall tales all about?
Click through and read up on the myths about these gigantic monsters.
Tall tales: Giants from mythology and folklore
Legends about colossal beings
LIFESTYLE Legends
Giants feature regularly throughout mythology and folklore. In fact, numerous legends speak of colossal humanlike figures of unimaginable strength roaming the earth of old, intent on wrongdoing. Some are portrayed as kind and intelligent, but generally speaking these violent and unpredictable creatures were to be avoided at all costs. So, what are these tall tales all about?
Click through and read up on the myths about these gigantic monsters.