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).

The giant then appears to manifest itself many others times in different civilizations and different times. Throughout Japan, the Oni, an evil spirit, takes the role of the giant in this eastern civilization. The Oni appears as a gigantic "devil" that wields "a large iron club" (Buchanan 136). Attributed to possessing a humanoid form, the Oni also played the role of a monster often used to teach lessons warning of greed and disobedience.

Occurring in a more recent era Bigfoot in the United States and the Yeti in the Himalayas also represent this idea of the giant. Both creatures have elicited paramount intrigue and speculation in the modern world. These giant like creatures stand above the normal height of a human and possess a more bestial disposition. The idea that these being could actually exist again demonstrates the giant's role as a monster. Capable of bringing about intrigue in the modern scientific world, Bigfoot and the Yeti challenge individuals to again imagine the idea of a giant.

Lastly, the giant again appears in American folklore in the form of Paul Bunyan, who becomes a beneficial manifestation of the giant. He often seeks to help people with his enormous stature and inspires admiration rather than fear. Furthermore, this gentle giant has legends accounting the many national landmarks he helped to create through inadvertent tumbles, such as the story that he created Minnesota's ten thousand lakes as he ran along.

Taking a turn against its normal temperament, the giant appears again in the modern age as an advertisement campaign for the Green Giant Food Company. This jolly giant no longer terrorizes villages and eats children, but rather promotes good health and eating vegetables (Hintz 56). The advertising geniuses behind this friendly giant take his normally fearsome height and strength and turn him into an example of why an individual should live a healthy existence. Essentially, the giant transform from a fear-inspiring giant into a friendly paragon of great health. In Minnesota, the populace so loved his good will and gentle disposition that this beloved giant had a massive statue erected in his image, which to this day receives thousands of visitors (Hintz 57). The most remarkable aspect of the Jolly Green Giant is the complete shift in thought from the past to the present. No longer do children fear being eaten or taken away by the giant, but rather they now strife to become big and strong just like him. The monster has become the ideal representation of man.

Though it has changed shapes and appearance over the centuries, the giant is one of the most simplistic yet ideal forms of a monster. The giant possesses awesome power and height, allowing it to annihilate and consume whole humans. Ultimately, the giant is a being viewed with awe, who continues to manifest itself in other forms reestablishing the giants supremacy and scope of power that far surpasses mere mortal.

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