Wonders - Vol 1 No 3 - 1992

Magazine Overview

WONDERS, Vol. 1 No. 3, published in September 1992, is a quarterly magazine from Mark A. Hall Publications and Research, based in Bloomington, MN, USA. The issue's central theme is 'True Giants around the world,' exploring legends, folklore, and potential evidence of giant human-like beings.

Editorial: Unknown but Known

The editorial, 'Unknown but Known' by Mark A. Hall, discusses the cultural tendency to dismiss or invalidate personal experiences that fall outside conventional understanding. Hall argues that people who have unusual experiences, such as witnessing strange phenomena or encountering unknown creatures, are often labeled as deluded or liars. He posits that society is 'rude and deaf' to these experiences, leading many to keep their counsel rather than face cultural smugness. The editorial suggests that true knowledge often resides in these 'unknown but known' experiences.

True Giants Around the World

This main article, also by Mark A. Hall, delves into the concept of 'True Giants,' defined as beings that grew to heights of ten to twenty feet, distinguishing them from human giants or other known primates. The author challenges the notion that giants in folklore were merely exaggerated human traits, suggesting they represent a different species, possibly descendants of Gigantopithecus.

Origins and Characteristics

Hall introduces the idea that True Giants are survivors of the primate species Gigantopithecus, though he disagrees with primatologists who view it as merely an oversized gorilla. He proposes that True Giants were upright primates, potentially exceeding the size of 'Bigfoot' as seen in the 1967 Roger Patterson film. Key distinguishing features include their immense height, tracks showing only four toes of roughly equal size, and flat, broad feet. Tracks can range from 9 to 30 inches in length, with the outer toe often absent or not leaving a clear impression, making tracks appear three-toed.

Global Distribution and Folklore

The article surveys legends and reports of giants across various continents:

• Europe: The British Isles are discussed, referencing Lewis Spence's work on British mythology and Donald Mackenzie's findings on Scandinavian and Scottish giants. Scottish 'Mountain-giants' or 'Fomors' are described as personifying hills and fighting each other. The 'Big Grey Man of Ben MacDhui' in Scotland is highlighted, with a witness account describing a large, brown, swaggering creature between 24 and 30 feet tall. Legends of giant bones are mentioned in Glenelg, Scotland. In Ireland, the term 'Gruagach' is discussed as referring to ogres or giants, possibly related to hairy monsters like the Yeti and Sasquatch. Giants are also noted in the folklore of Poland, Czechoslovakia, and Greece (Callicantzari, Triamates, Polyphemos).
• Africa: The article notes that while Africa has reports of hairy, man-like mysteries, they don't typically exhibit the traits of True Giants. A tradition from Sudan mentions the 'Waab,' an enormous, man-like creature.
• Asia: In Western Asia, Armenian folklore includes the 'Torch' (or Torx), described as a giant with great physical power. Chinese folklore mentions giants up to 50 feet tall with 6-foot-long tracks. Ivan T. Sanderson's work on Abominable Snowmen is referenced, including a drawing of a Mongolian mask possibly depicting a giant's skull. Reports from the Gissar Mountains in Tajikistan in 1979 and 1981 describe finding tracks up to 49 cm (19 inches) long. A significant piece of evidence is a photograph published in the Moscow News in 1981, showing a 45 cm (17.5 inch) footprint cast with four large toes.

Scientific and Speculative Views

While folklore often describes giants as strong and fearsome, modern science, according to Hall, would examine their bones and likely conclude they are descendants of Gigantopithecus. The article acknowledges that depictions of giants, such as in Figure 2 showing relative sizes, are largely hypothetical. A conjectural graph (Figure 3) illustrates the relationship between track length and estimated height.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The magazine consistently explores phenomena that lie outside mainstream scientific and cultural acceptance, as evidenced by the editorial's defense of personal experience and the main article's investigation into the possibility of giant beings. The stance is one of open inquiry into mysteries, encouraging readers to consider alternative explanations and folklore as potential sources of truth. The issue emphasizes the importance of acknowledging and investigating unexplained phenomena, even when they challenge conventional knowledge.

Title: WONDERS
Issue: September 1992
Volume: 40
Date: September 1992
Publisher: WONDERS
Country: USA
Language: English
Cover Headline: Explore the Mysteries of THE GREAT SWAMPS in NATURAL MYSTERIES

This issue of WONDERS magazine, dated September 1992, focuses on the intriguing subject of "True Giants," presenting a global survey of legends, folklore, and potential evidence related to these beings. The magazine explores ancient artifacts, eyewitness accounts, and anthropological theories to piece together a picture of giants throughout history and across different cultures.

Giants in Asia and the Pacific

The article begins by referencing ancient masks from the Mongolian plateau, depicting a creature that could be the face of "True Giants," known in Asia as Nyalmo and in Alaska as Gilyuk or The-Big-Man-with-the-Little-Hat. Figure 4 illustrates these masks and reconstructions. Figure 5 shows a cast of a four-toed track found in Tajikistan, Central Asia, suggesting unusual biological characteristics.

Bernard Heuvelmans' "On the Track of Unknown Animals" is cited for an account of an Indian pilgrim in Nepal who observed ten giant "ape-men" (10 to 12 feet tall) engaged in ritualistic behavior. Reports from Southeast Asia, particularly the Malayan Peninsula, detail giants up to 20 feet tall, with six large footprints found in Johore in 1961 measuring 13 X 30 inches. In 1971, footprints measuring 8 X 16 inches were found near the Endau River.

Australia is mentioned as a potential habitat for giants known as "Jogungs," described as gigantic, man-like mountain dwellers. Australian Aboriginal legends speak of the Koyorowen and the Yaho, described as cannibalistic male monsters dwelling in mountain tops.

Giants in South and North America

Stories of giants battling other peoples in the Pacific are mentioned, though their nature remains unclear. In South America, the history of the Incas, as told by Garcilaso de la Vega, recounts the arrival of giants on large cane rafts at Point Santa Elena in Ecuador. These giants were described as exceptionally tall, well-proportioned, bearded, with long hair and large eyes. They consumed local food, caused havoc, and eventually perished in a violent storm. Modern accounts from South America are less clear, with a vague reference to a "Mono Grande" (Big Monkey) in Colombia.

North America also has a rich tradition of giants. The Cherokee Indians identified a giant named Tsulkalu. An account from a western Cherokee elder describes giants nearly twice the height of common men, with slanting eyes, who visited the Cherokee long ago. In the Midwest, the Omaha, Kansas, and Osage Indians remembered giants called the Pasnuta and the Mialushka. The Pa-snu-ta were said to have abducted people and possessed remarkable skulls with a vertical diameter of up to two feet. Remains of eight large people with two-foot-long skulls were reportedly unearthed near the Omaha territory.

The "Windigo" and Pacific Northwest Giants

The article discusses the "Windigo," a creature ranging from Labrador to Moosehead Lake, described as a dark, huge, shadowy, human-shaped monster. Its footprints are twenty-four inches long and contain a red spot from oozing blood. Lumbermen used the belief in the Windigo to scare competitors away. Traditions of giants also exist along the Pacific coast, including the Gilyuk in Alaska and Tenatco in British Columbia. In the Pacific Northwest, Franz Boas collected accounts of the Xudele, described as lean cannibals with dog-like faces who kill men with small axes.

"THE UNIVERSAL GIANT"

The issue explores the scientific perspective, linking "True Giants" to Gigantopithecus, a fossil primate identified in Europe, Asia, and North America as upright, lean near-men of spectacular height. The article notes that while jawbones and teeth of Gigantopithecus are the only scientific remains, many other alleged giant bones and skulls exist from before the advent of modern anthropology.

Mythologist John A. MacCulloch is quoted suggesting giants were an earlier, wilder race of men, but this theory doesn't fully explain their universal belief or great stature. The author proposes that the "universal" nature of giants can be explained by their ability to mimic human cultures, adapt to diverse climates, and possess combined physical skills and intelligence.

Three Phases of Interaction

The author hypothesizes three phases in the interaction between giants and humans:

1. Coexistence: Giants lived like humans, shared their language and culture, and spread globally.
2. Schism: Giants became too successful at mimicry, were menacing due to their size, competed with humans for resources, and resorted to cannibalism. This phase may have been exacerbated by humans viewing giants as barbaric and ugly, leading to increased differences and conflict.
3. Reclusion: The falling out resulted in the death of many giants, forcing the survivors into reclusive lives in remote locations. Today's giants are seen as primitive compared to their ancestors, possibly having degenerated due to the denial of cultural borrowing.

The article concludes by emphasizing the need for more knowledge about True Giants to understand their history and future interactions with mankind.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the global presence of giants in folklore and mythology, the potential biological and anthropological explanations for their existence (linking them to Gigantopithecus), and the historical interactions between giants and humans. The editorial stance appears to be one of open inquiry into unexplained phenomena, presenting various accounts and theories without definitive conclusions, encouraging further research and consideration of the "awesome wonder of the primate family, the genuine and spectacular True Giant."