A gigantic truth
Big and mean
Roald Dahl's BFG and J.K. Rowling's Hagrid are not your typical giant. Unlike Dahl's Big Friendly Giant, the average giant in literature and legend is mean and moody, and his mission is to terrorise humans, not befriend them.
There are giants - human-like monsters of great size and strength - in the legends and myths of many countries. They almost always hold a grudge against mortals. Giants in many legends have a taste for eating humans, especially children. Big, friendly giants only appear in children's stories by authors like Dahl.
Old One-Eye
Polyphemus is a Cyclops, an ancient Greek race of giants with a single eye in the middle of their forehead (right).
The ancient Greek hero Odysseus is sailing home with his men after the Trojan War. He lands on Polyphemus' island, thinking it is uninhabited. Big mistake!
The Cyclops sees the humans, seize a couple and eats them for dinner. The following morning, he eats two more for breakfast.
Odysseus hatches a plan to kill the giant. He makes a long, pointed stake out of a tree branch, and leaves a bowl of wine outside Polyphemus' cave. The Cyclops greedily drinks the wine. As he staggers around drunkenly, Odysseus strikes the stake into his eye, blinding him. Odysseus and his men escape from the island, sailing off for more adventures.
Right between the eyes
The giant Goliath appears in a famous story in the Bible. The Israelites are at war with the Philistines, whose army is led by a mighty giant called Goliath.
The Israelites have no chance of beating this powerful foe, until David, a young boy in their army, has an idea. He says he will challenge Goliath to a one-on-one fight.
David uses a catapult to hurl a single stone between the giant's eyes. Goliath falls down dead. David beheads him, the Israelites win the war and David becomes king.
Today in politics, sport or business, when one opponent is much stronger than the other, we call it a 'David and Goliath' situation.
Defending the bridge
The Japanese giant Saito Musashibo Benkei is a ferocious warrior. This mythical ogre's party trick is to squeeze an enemy's face with his bare hands until his brains burst out through the top of his head.
His appearance is so hideous and freakish that just looking at him makes many warriors run off the battlefield.
Benkei meets his end defending the drawbridge of his master's castle. An enemy army fires hundreds of arrows right at him. Benkei doesn't move, and dies standing up. It is many hours before the enemy soldiers dare to march past him and enter the enemy's castle.
Giant questions and answers
1 What does 'BFG' stand for?
2 Who created Hagrid?
3 What is a grudge?
4 What culture told the story of Polyphemus?
5 What race was he?
6 Is the story of David and Goliath a Greek myth?
7 Where did Saito Musashibo Benkei live?
Answers:
1. Big Friendly Giant, 2. J.K. Rowling, 3. a feeling of resentment, 4. Ancient Greek, 5. Cyclops, 6. No, it comes from the Bible, 7. Japan
