Show Simple Explanation of Origin of Giant Myths A recent trent dispatch from In India ilia reportIng reporting re re- reporting porting that natives have bave found I bones of a giants giant's skeleton no I less I Ithan than SI 81 f feet t hl high h has bas torn up all records of this particular myth Not oven even the Imaginative Doctor Ma lila who fabricated d In 1113 the Limo circumstantial tale talo of a R brick tomb not only containing his giant but provided with equally qually gigantic swords an and other w weapons apons and even labeled with the tho name and titles which the giant had borne dared to tomake tomake tomake make his Imagined relic tile more than 20 feet tall The famous Giant of or Lucerne who Involved r oreS of or Swiss and German scientists scientIst In acrimonious acri controversies from 1377 1577 until until un un- til matter after 1000 was credited with only 19 10 feet teet England's GIant Chant of Thome- Thome way wa In Cumberland lIal said l to 10 have been found In armor which has conveniently con dl disappeared appeared measured but 14 feet by contemporary accounts No doubt the new foot toot marvel of Calcutta belongs with these others others others oth oth- ers among the long list of or contusions confusions between human bones bIne and those of or fossil animals mostly elephants A Afew Afew few tew thousand years ago several types of elephants such as the mammoths mammoths mammoths mam mam- moths and mastodons were wre much more numerous and widespread than any kind of or elephant Is today 1 lie lie- Ing comparatively recent nt In geologic history their bones Ho lie close to the ground round and frequently are round found by diggers or plowed plo up by farmers something which Is not true of bones of still lar larger lr animals of ot earlier ages oges such stich as ns the tho gigantic dinosaurs Some elephants elephants' leg bones look superficially su eu- not unlike human bones hones ItIs It ItIs Itis Is small wonder that they and human human human hu hu- man giants have been blen confused al although although al- al though even In IGO 1620 the famous William Harvey remarked of the supposed Giant of or Gloucester that thai his bones evidently belon belonged d In realIty reality reality real real- ity to some exceedingly ly gr great nt b beast ast such as an nn el elephant There Is less excuse for tor Doctor menu mann facture out of whole cloth doll of ot the brick tomb weapons and In Inscriptions which he ho said he lie found with the foot 20 previous holder of the time giant record To students of folklore these misconceptions misconceptions mis mis- conceptions about elephant bones bone supply one possible explanation o othe of the virtually worldwide belief that tha giants once existed but not the only one ont Another suggestion u Is lI the time recollection by primitive people i ur f other human beings being able to walk on stilts as fen dwellers lIers still do 10 In pastern eastern J England or dune dwellers In southwestern France C Thus probably probably ably aby originated d the tale of or the fast fust- moving seven league trots boots Still anither another an an- other ither possible origin of or giant laDt myths Is s garbled tales taIls of or m men anon D standing on towers to or platforms like tho the movable move moveable able siege to towers ers us used d In ancient ut warfare And perhaps some giant myths date data from days when relatively relative relative- ly Iy y short races such lIuch as tho the Celts were In conflict with relatively tall ones like the tho Danes Dane or Saxons lint Hut not oven even folklore has recorded giants 31 f feet t high New New York Her Her- aid Tribune |