History of the Giant as a Character and Its Evolution

With towering stature and bestial strength, the giant represents one of the most common yet fearsome representations of a monster. Possessing many forms and guises, giants commonly share several characteristics. First, the most obvious and well-known trait of the giant is his enormous height (Murphy 92). Giants ranged anywhere from twice the height of the average man to the Olympus staggering height of several buildings. This abnormal height then leads to the giant's fearsome strength. Wielding boulders as projectiles and tree trunks as weapons, the monstrous power of a giant greatly surpasses that of several men (Cohen 52). Additionally, many giants were large enough that they consume whole men and woman to only briefly satisfying their appetites (Cohen 16). Overall, the giant was a fearsome force that could cower the bravest of warriors.

The giant exists as one of the most notorious monsters tracing its roots back to some of the earliest annals of recorded history. In ancient Greece, the giant can trace its start to Gigantes, a mythological Greek creature, who led a group of giants in an attempt to overthrow the gods on Mount Olympus (Goette 44). This origin helps to create a chaotic disposition for giants, as they attempt to overthrow the order and peace of the benevolent gods. Similarly, in Norse mythology, the Ragnarok tells of giants joining with several gods to overthrow the gods and destroy humanity, which further emphasizing their malevolent nature (Winterbourne 75). The giant then further gained renown from the records and travels of Alexander the Great who faced giants on several occasions most famously during his defeat of the giants Gog and Magog (Friedman 15). Lastly, giants also receive attention within the Bible. In Genesis, the scripture states that "There were giants in the earth in those days" (New Living Translation, Gen.6.4), and in Samuel when David defeats Goliath (1 Sam).