Giants

thumb|The giants Fafnir|Fafner and [[Fasolt seize Freyja in Arthur Rackham's illustration of Richard Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen.]] thumb|Giants Zanclus|Mata and Grifone celebrated in [[Messina in August, Sicily, Italy]] In folklore, giants (from Ancient Greek: gigas, cognate giga-) are beings of humanoid appearance, but are at times prodigious in size and strength or bear an otherwise notable appearance. The word giant is first attested in 1297 from Robert of Gloucester's chronicle. It is derived from the Gigantes () of Greek mythology.

saint in the Catholic and Orthodox church

thumb|upright=1.5|Hercules killing the fire-breathing Cacus, engraving by [[Sebald Beham (1545)]] In Roman mythology, Cacus (, derived from κακός, meaning bad) was a fire-breathing giant and the son of Vulcan (Plutarch called him son of Hephaestus). He was killed by Hercules after terrorizing the Aventine Hill before the founding of Rome.

Humbaba (Ḫumbaba; , Ḫumbāba, with an optional determinative ), originally known as Ḫuwawa in Sumerian (, Ḫuwāwa), was a figure in Mesopotamian mythology. The origin and meaning of his name are unknown. He was portrayed as an anthropomorphic figure comparable to an ogre or giant. He is best known from Sumerian and Akkadian narratives focused on the hero Gilgamesh, including short compositions belonging to the curriculum of scribal schools, various versions of the Epic of Gilgamesh, and several Hurrian and Hittite adaptations. He is invariably portrayed as the inhabitant or guardian of the cedar

thumb|Poster of Attack of the 50 Foot Woman, depicting a giantess attacking comparatively tiny people. Macrophilia is a fascination with or a sexual fantasy involving giant people. In 2023, the Giantess kink was found to be the most popular kink searched for on the website Clips4Sale. Generally, depictions range from sexually explicit actions to non-sexual interactions while still providing sexual stimulation for those with the fantasy.

The daityas () are a race of asuras in Hindu mythology, descended from Kashyapa and his wife, Diti. Prominent members of this race include Hiranyaksha, Hiranyakashipu, and Mahabali, all of whom overran the earth, and required three of Vishnu's avataras to be vanquished.

Roman mythical character

sea monster in Finnish mythology

Dutch bodybuilder and actor

thumb|Rübezahl (Rübenczal) as a tailed demon, first known depiction by Martin Helwig, 1561

400px|right|thumb|Starkad as illustrated on Carta Marina (1539) by [[Olaus Magnus.]] Starkad ( or ; Latin: Starcaterus; in the Late Middle Ages also Starkodder; modern Danish: Stærkodder) was either an eight-armed giant or the human grandson of the aforementioned giant in Norse mythology.

thumb|An Aspidochelone from a French manuscript, c. 1270. J. Paul Getty Museum According to the tradition of the Physiologus and medieval bestiaries, the aspidochelone is a fabled sea creature, variously described as a large whale or vast sea turtle, and a giant sea monster with huge spines on the ridge of its back. No matter what form it is, it is always described as being so huge that it is often mistaken for a rocky island covered with sand dunes and vegetation. The name aspidochelone appears to be a compound word combining Greek aspis (which means either "asp" or "shield"), and chelone, t

thumb|right|An illustration from John Bauer (illustrator)|John Bauer's folktale Stalo and Kauras In the folklore of the Sámi, a Stállo (also Staaloe, Stalo or Northern Sami Stállu) is a large, human-like creature who likes to eat people and who therefore is usually in some form of hostilities with a human. Stallos are clumsy and unintelligent, and thus humans often gain the upper hand over them.

Deceased, wise giant in Finnish mythology

thumb|200px|right|1840s (fanciful) illustration of a Patagon chief from near the Strait of Magellan, bedecked in costume of war; from ''Voyage au pôle Sud et dans l'Océanie...'' by French explorer [[Jules Dumont d'Urville]] The Patagons or Patagonian giants were a mythical race of giant humans rumoured to be living in Patagonia described in early European accounts. They were said to have exceeded at least double normal human height, with some accounts giving heights of or more. Tales of these people maintained a hold upon European conceptions of the region for nearly 300 years.

Upelluri or Ubelluri was a primordial giant in Hurrian mythology.

thumb|Giantess Anna Haining Bates|Anna Haining Bates (née Swan) with her parents.

In Philippine mythology, the kapre is a creature that may be described as a tree giant or ape like, being a tall (), dark-coloured, hairy, and muscular creature. Kapres are also said to have a very strong body odour and commonly sit on tree branches to smoke.