Show Simple Explanation of O of Giant M Myths hs l A recent dispatch from India reporting re re- re- re porting ortIng that natives es have found Jon lones s of a n giants giant's sl skeleton no less than 31 feet high has torn up all aU of this particular myth Not Noten ven en the Imaginative Doctor Ma- Ma ra- ra urIer who fabricated In 1613 the circumstantial tale of a l brick tomb lot only containing his giant but provided ro with equally gigantic and other weapons and even with Ith the name nome and titles which the giant had borne dared to noke his Imagined relic more ore than 26 feet tall The famous Giant of Lucerne who Involved In scores of Swiss S and German scientists In acrimonious acri acri- I controversies from 1577 un- un ll 11 after niter 1600 was as credited with only 19 to feet England's Englund's Giant of or Thorne- Thorne way vay In Cumberland said to have found In armor which has hns conveniently con con- Uy disappeared measured but 14 4 feet b by contemporary accounts No dou doubt t the new v foot 31 marvel f Calcutta with with- these others oth oth- ers rs among the long list of confusions between human bones and those of or fossil rossil animals mostly elephants A Afew Afew Afew few thousand years ago ngo several t types pes of or elephants such as the mammoths mam niam- moths n and n mastodons were cra much nore Dore numerous an and wId widespread spread than Ulan any ny kind of elephant Is today BeIng Being Being Be Be- ing comparatively recent In geologic history their bones lie close to the ground and frequently are found by diggers or pro plowed up by farmers something which Is not true of oi bones of still larger animals of ot earlier ages such as tho the gigantic dinosaurs Some elephants' elephants leg bones look superficially su- su not unlike human hones It ItIs ItIs ItIs Is small wonder that they and haman human hu ha- man giants h have ne been confused confuse although although although al al- al- al though even In 1620 the famous William Harvey remarked of the supposed Giant of Gloucester that his bones evidently belonged In realIty reality real real- ity to some exceedingly great grent beast such as fiS an nn elephant There is less excuse for Doctor Mazurier's manufacture manu manu- facture out of whole cloth of the brick tomb weapons and Inscriptions which he said he found with the foot 26 previous holder of the giant record To students of folklore these misconceptIons misconceptions misconceptions mis mis- conceptions about elephant bones supply one possible explanation of the virtually worldwide belief that giants once existed but not the only one Another suggestion Is the recollection by primitive people of ot other human beings able to walk on I sUIts stilts as ns fen dwellers still sUll do o In eastern England or dune dunc dwellers In sou southwestern France Thus probably probably probably ably originated the tale of the fast fast- moving seven league boots bools Still sun another another another an an- other possible origin of giant m myths Is garbled tales of men standing on towers to or platforms like the movable movable mo- mo able siege towers to used In ancient warfare And perhaps some giant myths date ate from days when relatively relative relative- ly short races such as ns the Celts Colts were In conflict with datively tall ones like the Danes Danos or Saxons But ButI not even folklore has ls I recorded I giants 81 31 feet high New New York Herald Herald Her Her- ald aid Tribune |