Basque giants

thumb|185px|A figure of Olen being carried through the streets of Barakaldo Olentzero (, sometimes Olentzaro or Olantzaro and Olenchero) is a character in Basque Christmas tradition. According to Basque traditions, Olentzero comes to town late at night on 24 December to drop off presents for children. In some places he arrives later, for example in Ochagavía – Otsagabia on the 27th and in Ermua on the 31st.

thumb|upright|Artist's depiction of a basajaun and his female companion, a basandere. In Basque mythology, ' (, "Lord of the forest", plural: , female ') is a huge, hairy hominid dwelling in the woods. They were thought to protect flocks of livestock and teach skills such as agriculture and ironworking to humans.

thumb|250px|Tartalo, in the Izenaduba Basoa amusement park in Mungia ([[Biscay).]] Tartaro, Tartalo, or Torto in Basque mythology, is an enormously strong one-eyed giant very similar to the Greek Cyclops that Odysseus faced in Homer's Odyssey. He is said to live in caves in the mountains and catches young people in order to eat them; in some accounts he eats sheep also.

Mairu (plural: mairuak), also called Maideak, Mairiak, Saindi Maidi (in Lower Navarre), Intxisu in the Bidasoa valley are creatures of Basque mythology. They were giants who built dolmens or harrespil. Like the dolmens, they are only found in mountains. They are often associated with lamia, though these are known in all the Basque Country.

thumb|190px|Artist's depiction of a Jentil thumb|190px|Jentilarri, Aralar. The jentil (or jentilak with the Basque plural), are a race of giants in Basque mythology. This word meaning gentile, from Latin gentilis, was used to refer to pre-Christian civilizations and in particular to the builders of megalithic monuments, to which the other Basque mythical legend the Mairuak are involved too.