Truth In The Myths Of Giants
In the summer of 1520, the Spanish expedition led by Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan was well into its circumnavigation of the globe. By the time they reached the shores of Argentina, they had already encountered several native tribes. But there was something special about the natives of this land, and the account from Antonio Pigafetta, the voyage’s official chronicler, would capture the imaginations of Westerners for years to come. According to his journal, the natives of Patagonia, were giants.
Myths and legends of giants go back through every culture in every corner of the world. And in many cases, the mythological aspect of these giants is obvious. Take for example Atlas, the giant from Greek mythology who was tasked with holding the world on his shoulders.
But sometimes, the stories aren’t so heavily exaggerated and there is even evidence that giants did once walk the earth. In the 1800s, as European settlers continued to expand west across the United States they started coming across earthen mounds that had been constructed by native inhabitants of North America. The settlers started excavating the mounds with little regard for the native cultures who had built them for religious, ceremonial, and burial purposes.
And the sensational headlines regarding what was found in those mounds all reported one thing: Skeletons. Giant skeletons. But these weren’t just a few obscure papers, these were reputable sources like the New York Times and Scientific American. Even Abraham Lincoln references the giants in 1848 during a visit to Niagara Falls saying The eyes of that species of extinct giants, whose bones fill the mounds of America, have gazed on Niagara, as ours do now. According to the numerous articles published during this time the skeletons were regularly found to be between seven and ten feet tall. And some even reported taller individuals like the one mentioned in this New York Times article from 1885.
IF THE WHOLE FRAME IS IN PROPORTION TO TWO THIGH BONES THAT WERE FOUND, THEIR OWNER MUST HAVE STOOD 14 FEET HIGH…A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION IS HERE INVESTIGATING THE CURIOUS RELIC.
The fact that it was being investigated by a representative of the Smithsonian may not seem out of the ordinary, but it appears to be a theme seen throughout these reports. Some believe that the Smithsonian was involved in covering up these artifacts which were often surrendered to the museum for further study. This theory is supported by the fact that no follow up reports, studies, or exhibitions followed the initial reports of these anomalous discoveries. And the accounts become even more compelling when you consider how many oral traditions of the Native American tribes in those regions tell of a race of giants.
In a more recent discovery, 205 graves were unearthed in China’s Shangdong province. The archaeological dig found that a significant number of these men stood around the 6 foot mark, with the tallest man standing at 6’3.” Now this may not seem incredibly tall by today’s standards, after all the average height of today’s NBA player is around 6’7.” But 5,000 years ago, when these Longshan people were still alive, they would have loomed over their neolithic contemporaries who were much shorter by comparison. The Central American Mayans for example had an average male height of 5’2” and an average female height of 4’8.”
The “giants” of Longshan were unusually tall for their time, but their height wasn’t out of the realm of what we consider possible within the established narrative of our past. So what happens when we find evidence that could completely upend that narrative?
In the 1960s, miners in the Otavi Mountains of Northern Namibia discovered the fossilized segment of a femur. The mineralized bone was turned over to Philip Tobias, the late paleoanthropologist from South Africa and it remains in his vault at WITS University in Johannesburg to this day. In Michael Tellinger’s video posted in 2013, he visits Professor Francis Thackeray at the University to view the impressive artifact. The professor identifies the mineralized bone as having belonged to a homo sapien, and when he brings out an average sized femur for comparison, the difference is clear. The fossilized femur appears to be at least twice the size of the normal one. But despite the abnormal size, there seems to be no outside interest in studying or dating the artifact.
One piece of a femur doesn’t exactly amount to proof of a race of giants. But anthropologists agree that there are large gaps in the fossil record that mask absolute truths. Even the researchers who completed the largest study of hominid body size throughout evolution sometimes had to estimate heights based off fragments as small as a single toe bone.
How would our evolutionary tree differ if they had recovered fragments of someone like Robert Wadlow, the tallest man in recorded history. Known as the Giant of Illinois, Wadlow reached a height of 8’ 11” before his death in 1940. He suffered from hyperplasia of his pituitary gland, which results in an abnormally high level of human growth hormone. And most of the well known giants of our time suffered from similar disorders.
This photo shows Wadlow standing next to his father. Harold Wadlow was a man on the taller side of average at 5’11” but standing next to his son, he appears almost dwarf-like, with his head coming up just over his son’s waist. And this comparison happens to be reminiscent of the giants of Patagonia. The following excerpt is from Antonio Pigafetta’s journal:
But one day (without anyone expecting it) we saw a giant who was on the shore [near today’s Puerto San Julián, Argentina] And he was so tall that the tallest of us only came up to his waist.
The account goes on to say that two of these giants were seized as hostages but did not survive the journey back to Spain. Which may sound like a convenient coincidence, but considering that only 18 of the 270 men who began the voyage made it back alive, their odds of survival weren’t so great to begin with. Even Magellan himself didn’t make it back.
Sixty years later, when Sir Francis Drake made it to Patagonia during his circumnavigation, his nephew wrote that Magellan had exaggerated the height of these natives. Stating that the men were only 5 cubits…which is 7 and a half feet…. So even by today’s standards, these were massive people.
We may never know if a race of giants walked the earth, or know for sure how much truth there is to the giant mythologies present throughout every culture. But consider this, most animals that walk the earth today have a giant prehistoric ancestor: Great white sharks have the megaladon who beats their size by about 40 feet; there’s the titanoboa, a snake which reached 42 feet in length; even sloths had a giant ancestor, the megatherium who were as big as modern day elephants.
So is it really out of the realm of possibility for humans to have had giant ancestors too?
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The History of the Anunnaki, Creators of Humanity?
The Anunnaki are mentioned in ancient Sumerian texts as powerful deities who descended from the sky to influence human civilization. These beings not only guided the Sumerians in the development of their culture, but also participated in the creation and evolution of mankind. In this article we explore who the Anunnaki were, their characteristics, and how their presence has been interpreted in different historical and cultural contexts.
Table of Contents
- Who Are the Anunnaki?
- Characteristics of the Anunnaki According to Ancient Texts
- Origin and Meaning of the Term Anunnaki
- The Anunnaki and the Creation of the Human Being
- The Anunnaki in the Bible and Other Sacred Texts
- The Connection Between the Anunnaki and Atlantis
- Are the Anunnaki Still on Earth Today?
Who Are the Anunnaki?
The Anunnaki are a race of deities mentioned in Sumerian mythology, considered to be the sons of Anu, the sky god. These deities were revered for their power and wisdom, and were believed to rule the Earth and the underworld. The Sumerians recorded on their cuneiform tablets the existence of the Anunnaki and their intervention in human affairs, attributing to them the creation of civilization through the transmission of advanced knowledge in astronomy, agriculture, architecture and medicine.
The writer and researcher Zecharia Sitchin popularized the idea that the Anunnaki were extraterrestrial beings from the planet Nibiru. According to Sitchin, these gods arrived on Earth some 450,000 years ago and, through genetic engineering, created Homo sapiens by mixing their DNA with that of terrestrial primates. The main purpose of this intervention was to use humans as labor to extract gold and other natural resources.
In the series Ancient Civilizations, available on Gaia, these theories are explored through various archaeological evidence and ancient texts, offering fascinating insights into the influence of the Anunnaki on human history.
Characteristics of the Anunnaki According to Ancient Texts
Sumerian texts and other ancient traditions attribute to the Anunnaki a number of extraordinary characteristics that distinguish them from other mythological or historical beings. These descriptions allow us to better understand why they were considered figures of superior power and wisdom.
- Celestial origin: They were said to have descended from the sky, specifically from the planet Nibiru, whose elliptical orbit periodically connected them with the Earth.
- Advanced technology: They possessed superior technical knowledge in fields such as astronomy, medicine, engineering and architecture.
- Imposing appearance: They were described as tall beings, with defined features, long hair and beard, conveying authority and divinity.
- Extreme longevity: It was believed that they could live for thousands of years, which is reflected in the long reigns recorded in the Sumerian King List.
- Genetic capabilities: According to Sitchin, they mastered DNA manipulation and created human hybrids for specific tasks, such as mining.
- Role of rulers: They ruled cities and regions, establishing laws and rules that structured Sumerian social and political life.
- Lasting cultural influence: His teachings left deep traces in Mesopotamian culture, in religious practices, symbols and architectural structures.
Origin and Meaning of the Term “Anunnaki”
The term “Anunnaki” comes from Akkadian and translates as “those who descended from heaven”. In turn, it derives from the Sumerian Anunna, which means “the sons of Anu”, the supreme god of the sky in Mesopotamian cosmology. This name reflects the divine and celestial character of these beings, who were seen as intermediaries between the world of the gods and that of humans.
In Sumerian cuneiform tablets, the Anunnaki appear as figures with authority to establish order on Earth and in the underworld. Their constant presence in mythical accounts suggests that they were not simply local deities, but entities with a fundamental role in the creation, destiny and governance of the human and spiritual world.
The Anunnaki and the Creation of the Human Being
One of the most debated aspects of the Anunnaki is their participation in the creation of human beings. According to the theories proposed by Zecharia Sitchin, the Anunnaki would have arrived on Earth some 450,000 years ago with the objective of extracting gold to restore the atmosphere of their planet, Nibiru. To facilitate this task, they found it necessary to create a workforce adapted to the conditions of the planet.
According to this view, the Anunnaki used their knowledge of genetics to manipulate the DNA of primitive hominids and combine it with their own. The result would have been a new species: Homo sapiens. This hybrid being was not only capable of following orders and performing physical tasks, but also inherited some of the intelligence and technical skills of its creators.
In addition to creating a new life form, the Anunnaki would have guided its cultural development. They did not limit themselves to giving biological origin to human beings, but also sowed the first notions of social organization, spirituality and technology. This would explain, for some researchers, the rapid evolutionary and civilizational leap observed in the archaeological records of Mesopotamia.
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Genetic Manipulation and Origin of Homo Sapiens
Genetic manipulation appears to be central to the theory of human creation by the Anunnaki. Sitchin posits that these beings had the ability to alter the genetic code with precision, a knowledge far beyond what ancient civilizations could have developed on their own. This act of biological engineering would have given rise to a species capable of reasoning, communicating and collaborating in complex activities.
This new being, the product of a fusion between extraterrestrial and terrestrial DNA, was designed with a functional purpose: to serve the Anunnaki in mining and other tasks. However, over time, this hybrid would have acquired self-awareness and developed capabilities beyond the control of its creators. This would have led to internal tensions among the Anunnaki themselves regarding the future of humanity.
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Knowledge Transmitted to Ancient Civilizations
In addition to their biological intervention, Sumerian accounts indicate that the Anunnaki shared a wealth of knowledge with humans. This knowledge included astronomy, mathematics, architecture and agricultural practices that fueled the rise of the Mesopotamian civilization. Sumerian temples, ziggurats and irrigation systems are seen as evidence of this advanced legacy.
This transmission of knowledge was not random. The Anunnaki would have chosen specific human lineages to continue their teaching, giving rise to priestly castes and kings who ruled with “divine” authority. Through these intermediaries, the teachings of the Anunnaki were integrated into the social and spiritual structure of early human cultures, many of which continued to worship them as gods for centuries.
The Anunnaki in the Bible and Other Sacred Texts
Some researchers claim that the Anunnaki appear in the Bible under the name of the Nephilim. Genesis 6:4 describes these beings as the “sons of God” who united with the “daughters of men,” giving rise to a race of giants. This narrative bears similarities to Sumerian stories, where celestial gods interact and interbreed with humans, generating special lineages.
Other religious traditions also contain references to superior beings descending from heaven to guide or intervene in human affairs. Apocryphal texts such as the Book of Enoch expand on these descriptions, mentioning the “Watchers,” entities that taught mankind advanced knowledge. These coincidences have led some authors to propose that sacred figures in different cultures may have a common origin in the stories of the Anunnaki.
The Connection Between the Anunnaki and Atlantis
The alleged relationship between the Anunnaki and Atlantis stems from the idea that both represent highly advanced civilizations that existed in antiquity. Some theorists claim that the Anunnaki could have been the true founders of Atlantis, transmitting their technology and knowledge to the first Atlanteans. This hypothesis would explain the level of sophistication attributed to this mythical civilization.
When Atlantis was destroyed, according to Plato’s accounts, some survivors would have taken this knowledge with them to other parts of the world. This would have given rise to new cultures such as the Egyptian, Mesopotamian and Andean civilizations. From this perspective, the legacy of the Anunnaki did not end with Atlantis, but was dispersed throughout the planet through these migrations.
Are the Anunnaki Still on Earth Today?
The possibility that the Anunnaki are still present on Earth is an idea that has gained momentum among certain groups of researchers and enthusiasts. According to this theory, these beings never completely left the planet, but continued to operate from hidden planes or through human elites with whom they would be linked. Some even suggest that they influence global politics, economics and technological development.
However, there is no evidence to support these claims. Most scholars consider these ideas to be speculative. Even so, interest in the figure of the Anunnaki continues to grow, fueled by ancient texts, archaeological finds and the increasing exploration of alternative narratives about the origin of humanity.
