Traditions drawn from the racial memory of races worldwide state that the very first people on earth were mighty and of immense stature, but that they later degenerated in size and vigour.
For example, the present day Kotoko people of Chad, Africa, claim that their ancestors were giants. "In those days men were so tall they could look over the trees," they say.
"Men twice as tall as us" once inhabited the "realm of delight", claim stories of old China, but they lost it by not living "by laws of virtue".
God was angry with the giants, say the Montagnais Indians of Canada, and sent a flood upon them.
It is a fact that the whole world seems to enshrine ancestral memories of giants. One could cite scores of such legends, from everywhere.
Here are some of them:
For example, the present day Kotoko people of Chad, Africa, claim that their ancestors were giants. "In those days men were so tall they could look over the trees," they say.
"Men twice as tall as us" once inhabited the "realm of delight", claim stories of old China, but they lost it by not living "by laws of virtue".
God was angry with the giants, say the Montagnais Indians of Canada, and sent a flood upon them.
It is a fact that the whole world seems to enshrine ancestral memories of giants. One could cite scores of such legends, from everywhere.
Here are some of them:
EUROPE:
1. NORDIC MYTHS:
The Jotunn were great giants.
2. SCANDINAVIA:
The first men of creation were as big as mountains.
3. GERMANIC MYTHS:
Permanently preoccupied with giants are the myths of the Germanic tribes.
4. GOTHS:
The giants were drowned in the Deluge. The survivors fathered a race of giants.
5. CELTIC LEGENDS:
The Gargantua giants are spoken of.
6. IRELAND:
There are stories of giants called Fomorians.
7. BRITISH LEGENDS:
We find Gog and Magog and Albion, the giant-god.
8. CLAUDIUS AELIANUS (2nd century):
On Atlantis were "men twice as tall as those common to our climate, and they lived twice as long."
9. GREEK LEGENDS:
The Titans, who some said were the first men on earth, were great giants.
10. GREEK LEGENDS:
The Cyclopes were of immense stature and said to be the builders of the enormous masonry in Greece, Italy and certain other areas of the globe.
11. SICILY:
Enceladus, the giant who warred with Zeus, was buried under Mt Etna.
12. SICILY:
Typhoeus, a giant of a mountain chain of Asia Minor, was also buried at Mt Etna.
13. SICILY:
The giant Lestrigons were said to have dwelt in Sicily.
AFRICA:
14. CHAD:
There once lived in the Chad region black giants with smooth hair, from whom the present tribes are descended. (Legends of the present day Kotoko tribe)
"The enormous piles of large stone blocks near Goulfei were transported there by the Sao, men so tall that they could look over the trees." (same tribe)
ASIA:
15. CHALDEA:
The Izdubar were giants.
16. BABYLONIANS:
"The ancient Babylon was founded by giants saved from the Deluge."
17. BABYLON:
The Babylonian Talmud mentions a prehistoric race of giants who had double rows of teeth.
18. BOOK OF ENOCH:
A race of giants dominated the earth before the Flood.
19. APOCRYPHA OF BARVCH:
There were 4,090,000 giants before the Flood.
20. INDIAN RECORDS:
The Danavas and Daityas were giants, as were the Rakshasas of the Hindu epic.
21. CHINA:
"Men twice as tall as us" once inhabited the "realm of delight" but lost it by not living "by laws of virtue."
22. TIBET:
Giants play an important part in the mythology of Tibet.
23. TIBET:
The medical lamasery in Tibet claims that long ago Tibet was peopled by a giant race (males averaging 15 feet in height; females averaging 12 feet in height).
24. THAI TRADITION:
The earliest men were of colossal size.
AUSTRALASIA-PACIFIC:
25. ABORIGINES, AUSTRALIA:
The secret city of Burrunga in Australia's northern hinterlands was inhabited by gigantic white men with red hair.
26. ABORIGINES, AUSTRALIA:
There are many traditions of giant men and women who lived far back in the "dreamtime."
27. MAORIS, NEW ZEALAND:
Tamatekapua, lord of the Arawa Maori migration, now buried on Mt Moehau, Coromandel Peninsula, was 9 feet tall.
28. PAPUA NEW GUINEA:
Traditional stories of the Vella area of Papua New Guinea tell of a group of Europeans who tried to colonise the area a few centuries ago. They attempted to build a temple up in the hills, but the local giants would go in at night and throw away all the stonework. However, the temple was built, and still exists, made of the most beautiful marble. The skulls of five of the giants (brothers) are also supposed to be up in the bush. These are about a foot (30 centimeters) across.
NORTH AMERICA:
29. ESKIMOS:
"In those days there were giants on the earth."
30. MONTAGNAIS INDIANS, CANADA:
God was angry with the giants and sent a flood upon them.
31. USA:
Some Indian tribes worshipped "men of huge stature" who inhabited the region before they arrived.
32. SUPAI CANYON, ARIZONA:
A petroglyph depicting a mammoth attacking a man: the man must have been over 10 feet tall, according to the perspective employed by the ancient artist. (Indians in the vicinity stated that the drawings were made by giants of long ago.)
CENTRAL AMERICA:
33. AZTECS, MEXICO:
Before the Flood, the land was inhabited by the Tzocullixeco, a giant race.
34. AZTECS, MEXICO:
Xelua and his brother giants survived the world flood and built a pyramid to reach the clouds.
35. TOLTECS, MEXICO:
The "first age" was brought to an end by fearful destruction due to "floods and lightning," while in the "second age" our earth was peopled by giants, the Quinametzin.
36. CHOLULA INDIANS, MEXICO:
Before the great Flood which took place 4008 years after the creation of the world, the land was inhabited by giants.
37. MAYA, GUATEMALA; INCAS, PERU:
The first race created by the gods before the Flood were giants. Two prominent giants were Atlan [Atlas?] and Theitani [Titan?]
SOUTH AMERICA:
38. PERUVIAN TRADITION:
The Chavin people, whose civilisation stretched from the Pacific Ocean to the sources of the Amazon, were giants.
39. QUICHUA INDIANS, PERU:
Long ago a race of giant men came from the Pacific Ocean in ships, invaded the lowlands of old Peru, forcing the Inca high up into their mountain strongholds in the Andes.
These giants were so huge that "from the knee down, they were as tall as a tall man".
40. TWO INCA LEGENDS, PERU:
The city of Tiahuanaco in Bolivia was built by survivors of the Flood; it was built by giants.
1. NORDIC MYTHS:
The Jotunn were great giants.
2. SCANDINAVIA:
The first men of creation were as big as mountains.
3. GERMANIC MYTHS:
Permanently preoccupied with giants are the myths of the Germanic tribes.
4. GOTHS:
The giants were drowned in the Deluge. The survivors fathered a race of giants.
5. CELTIC LEGENDS:
The Gargantua giants are spoken of.
6. IRELAND:
There are stories of giants called Fomorians.
7. BRITISH LEGENDS:
We find Gog and Magog and Albion, the giant-god.
8. CLAUDIUS AELIANUS (2nd century):
On Atlantis were "men twice as tall as those common to our climate, and they lived twice as long."
9. GREEK LEGENDS:
The Titans, who some said were the first men on earth, were great giants.
10. GREEK LEGENDS:
The Cyclopes were of immense stature and said to be the builders of the enormous masonry in Greece, Italy and certain other areas of the globe.
11. SICILY:
Enceladus, the giant who warred with Zeus, was buried under Mt Etna.
12. SICILY:
Typhoeus, a giant of a mountain chain of Asia Minor, was also buried at Mt Etna.
13. SICILY:
The giant Lestrigons were said to have dwelt in Sicily.
AFRICA:
14. CHAD:
There once lived in the Chad region black giants with smooth hair, from whom the present tribes are descended. (Legends of the present day Kotoko tribe)
"The enormous piles of large stone blocks near Goulfei were transported there by the Sao, men so tall that they could look over the trees." (same tribe)
ASIA:
15. CHALDEA:
The Izdubar were giants.
16. BABYLONIANS:
"The ancient Babylon was founded by giants saved from the Deluge."
17. BABYLON:
The Babylonian Talmud mentions a prehistoric race of giants who had double rows of teeth.
18. BOOK OF ENOCH:
A race of giants dominated the earth before the Flood.
19. APOCRYPHA OF BARVCH:
There were 4,090,000 giants before the Flood.
20. INDIAN RECORDS:
The Danavas and Daityas were giants, as were the Rakshasas of the Hindu epic.
21. CHINA:
"Men twice as tall as us" once inhabited the "realm of delight" but lost it by not living "by laws of virtue."
22. TIBET:
Giants play an important part in the mythology of Tibet.
23. TIBET:
The medical lamasery in Tibet claims that long ago Tibet was peopled by a giant race (males averaging 15 feet in height; females averaging 12 feet in height).
24. THAI TRADITION:
The earliest men were of colossal size.
AUSTRALASIA-PACIFIC:
25. ABORIGINES, AUSTRALIA:
The secret city of Burrunga in Australia's northern hinterlands was inhabited by gigantic white men with red hair.
26. ABORIGINES, AUSTRALIA:
There are many traditions of giant men and women who lived far back in the "dreamtime."
27. MAORIS, NEW ZEALAND:
Tamatekapua, lord of the Arawa Maori migration, now buried on Mt Moehau, Coromandel Peninsula, was 9 feet tall.
28. PAPUA NEW GUINEA:
Traditional stories of the Vella area of Papua New Guinea tell of a group of Europeans who tried to colonise the area a few centuries ago. They attempted to build a temple up in the hills, but the local giants would go in at night and throw away all the stonework. However, the temple was built, and still exists, made of the most beautiful marble. The skulls of five of the giants (brothers) are also supposed to be up in the bush. These are about a foot (30 centimeters) across.
NORTH AMERICA:
29. ESKIMOS:
"In those days there were giants on the earth."
30. MONTAGNAIS INDIANS, CANADA:
God was angry with the giants and sent a flood upon them.
31. USA:
Some Indian tribes worshipped "men of huge stature" who inhabited the region before they arrived.
32. SUPAI CANYON, ARIZONA:
A petroglyph depicting a mammoth attacking a man: the man must have been over 10 feet tall, according to the perspective employed by the ancient artist. (Indians in the vicinity stated that the drawings were made by giants of long ago.)
CENTRAL AMERICA:
33. AZTECS, MEXICO:
Before the Flood, the land was inhabited by the Tzocullixeco, a giant race.
34. AZTECS, MEXICO:
Xelua and his brother giants survived the world flood and built a pyramid to reach the clouds.
35. TOLTECS, MEXICO:
The "first age" was brought to an end by fearful destruction due to "floods and lightning," while in the "second age" our earth was peopled by giants, the Quinametzin.
36. CHOLULA INDIANS, MEXICO:
Before the great Flood which took place 4008 years after the creation of the world, the land was inhabited by giants.
37. MAYA, GUATEMALA; INCAS, PERU:
The first race created by the gods before the Flood were giants. Two prominent giants were Atlan [Atlas?] and Theitani [Titan?]
SOUTH AMERICA:
38. PERUVIAN TRADITION:
The Chavin people, whose civilisation stretched from the Pacific Ocean to the sources of the Amazon, were giants.
39. QUICHUA INDIANS, PERU:
Long ago a race of giant men came from the Pacific Ocean in ships, invaded the lowlands of old Peru, forcing the Inca high up into their mountain strongholds in the Andes.
These giants were so huge that "from the knee down, they were as tall as a tall man".
40. TWO INCA LEGENDS, PERU:
The city of Tiahuanaco in Bolivia was built by survivors of the Flood; it was built by giants.
As you see, the whole world appears to enshrine ancestral memories of giants.
41. A manuscript called The Apocalypse of Baruch, a pseudepigraphical work written around AD 100 and preserved only in the sixth-century Syriac Vulgate (and which seems a little unclear in parts) appears to hint at the origin of giants:
"Men began as giants. These first giants were very highly developed, intellectually, artistically and physically: they had power over birds and animals… they misbehaved and were abolished by God, and ordinary men took their place…"
So many of the legends recall that mankind also lived far longer - even hundreds of years.
Interestingly, this is exactly what the ancient Biblical writings have been saying for so long. From a high, blissful condition, man fell and steadily deteriorated. He was created with a noble physique and a powerful brain, which have degenerated through wrong living.
41. A manuscript called The Apocalypse of Baruch, a pseudepigraphical work written around AD 100 and preserved only in the sixth-century Syriac Vulgate (and which seems a little unclear in parts) appears to hint at the origin of giants:
"Men began as giants. These first giants were very highly developed, intellectually, artistically and physically: they had power over birds and animals… they misbehaved and were abolished by God, and ordinary men took their place…"
So many of the legends recall that mankind also lived far longer - even hundreds of years.
Interestingly, this is exactly what the ancient Biblical writings have been saying for so long. From a high, blissful condition, man fell and steadily deteriorated. He was created with a noble physique and a powerful brain, which have degenerated through wrong living.
