Cornwall was once the land of the giants. Huge gangling rock throwing giants roamed the land stretching their legs from one coast to the other. The giants’ absolute favourite was granite, the silver lichen covered rock strewn across the cliffs and moors. Why are granite boulders laying lose all over Cornwall? Because the giants threw them there. Giants love rock throwing contests and games, they like playing quoits and bob buttons. Dan Dynas thought it a good idea to play rock throwing contests with his friends, the young farm workers, but this didn’t go to plan. Cormoran and Trecrobben played bob buttons between Saint Michael’s Mount and Trencrom Hill, hurling rocks from one coast to the other.
Giants needed big shelters for their huge feet and their huge heads and shoulders and their long, long legs. They built homes all over Cornwall some of which are still standing today. The quartz rocks on Saint Michael’s Mount were piled up by Cormoran and Cornelian, Castle Treen was built by Dan Dynas, Castle Carn Brae by John of Gaunt, and Trethevy Quoit was built by the Giant of Trethevy. And what of Cheesewring, formed for sure by a giant rock throwing contest. A whole ancient hedge stretching from Lerryn to Looe was built by Jack the Giant.
Some Cornish giants are cunning, bullish, and bloodthirsty; Wrath, Cormoran, Rill. Some are lecherous and easily flattered like Bolster. And some are friendly giants who are phlegmatic and like to build walls to protect the local human communities; Dan Dynas and Jack the Looe giant. The female giantesses are few and long suffering. In the giant pageant at St Agnes Bolster’s spurned wife walks alone with a boulder tied to her back. Cornelian is accidentally killed during a contest, only the giantess Venna of Castle Treen lives a quiet life carrying rocks in her apron.
Throughout the tales of Cornish Giants these huge beings lived alongside humans and animals and rocks, sharing the tiny land of Kernow sometimes successfully, sometimes no so much..
