 Giants play an important role in the mythology of both Ireland and Scotland. When you think of giants in Ireland, you probably immediately think of Giants Cosway and we will get to that later, but there are numerous other stories of giants in both Ireland and Scotland. For instance in Irish mythology, the Fomorians are often referred to as giants. Now the Fomorians are often referred to as being a supernatural monstrous race in Irish mythology. Enemies of the two of the Danon who are often depicted in a more positive light compared to the Fomorians. Although the etymology of the word Fomorian is debated, some argue that essentially means the underworld giants. The Fomorians were originally said to come from under the earth or under the sea and they were later depicted as being sea raiders and giants. Some argue that the Fomorians represent the wild and brutal forces of nature such as chaos and darkness. They are said and legend to have fought against the two of the Danon in the epic battle of the Moitirid and were defeated by the two of the Danon. Now if we turn our attention back to probably the most famous giant story in the world, the story of Giants Cosway, formed initially between 50 and 60 million years ago and known to many as the eighth wonder of the world, Giants Cosway in the north of Ireland was formed at a time when Ireland was still attached to North America. The otherworldly nature of this structure meant that many ancient and more modern cultures produced various stories about the Giants Cosway. The most popular story goes something like this, although there is numerous variations within the traditional story. The mythical Irish giant, Finn McCool, built the Cosway to get to Scotland and battle with a rival giant called Ben and Donor. The battle started by throwing massive stones at each other in a show of strength, one of them missed and became the Isle of Man. When Finn got to Scotland he found that the Scottish giant was asleep but also far bigger than himself, so Finn returned back across the Cosway. When Ben and Donor woke up he came across the Cosway intent on fighting Finn. In panic about the approaching Scottish giant, the much larger Scottish giant, Finn's wife dressed up her husband as a baby and when Ben and Donor arrived she said Finn wasn't home and to be quiet as not to wake the baby. When Ben and Donor saw the baby he decided that if the baby was that big Finn must be massive, so he turned around and fled back across the Cosway ripping it up as he went. All that remains are the ends, a giant's Cosway and on the island of Staffa in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland, where similar formations are found known as Fingal's Cave. So the moral of the story of course is don't mess with the Scots. Jokes aside there are numerous other versions and different tales and different angles to Giant's Cosway and many people just make their own up as they are kind of all mythical stories after all. There is a beautiful poem however from the 19th century written by Mary Ann that deserves reciting. It has almost a Greek tragedy twist on the tale of Giant's Cosway, a tragic love story. As the poem reads, Finn had fallen in love with a Scottish maiden. Sad that he couldn't reach her, he walked along the shore, skimming stones out across the sea. Seeing the splash they made, Finn suddenly hit upon a plan. He would build a Cosway in order to see his love. Finn laboured all day and made good progress in his task, extending the Cosway nearly halfway across the sea. Tired he went home to rest, confident he would finish the job the next day, but sadly his grandmother had other ideas. Afraid of losing him forever to Scotland, she used her magic to call upon an enormous storm. The waves in the wind lashed the partly built Cosway and the rocks were torn apart. Finn woke the next day to see his handy work had disappeared. Undaunted he began to build a new Cosway. Once more the stone stretched out into the ocean, but that very night his work was destroyed. Finn tried again and again. The harder he laboured, the more violent the storms. Warring out he made one last attempt, building on through the night. The storms rose up around Finn, tearing at him with thunder and lightning, while wild waves beat at every rock he tried to lift. At last he reached the other side, but the trial was too much, even for a giant. Exhausted he fell down and died in the arms of his beloved. Behind him the Cosway he had built slipped below the waves for a final time. A mighty thunderclap, simdied, and Finn's granny climbed to the top of a hill to see what had happened. Horrified by what her magic had done, she turned to stone. She stands there to this day. A Scottish folklore tale of a giant tells the story of the strongest giant in all of Scotland who sat atop Ben Leady, a hill of climb numerous times in the calendar area of Scotland. The story goes that he challenged all the other Scottish Fomorians to a show of strength, a stone throwing a giant boulder throwing competition, and he won the contest. A large boulder called Samson's Pudding Stone lies in the lower eastern slope of the Ben, and is said to have been flung from the summit by Samson. What are the stories of giants or versions of the giant's Cosway story? Do you find interesting? Please let me know in the comments below and I might do a follow-up video. Please let me know what other aspects of mythology in general you find interesting and you would like to see a video on. Speaking of Ireland and Scotland and these isles in general, what is the ancient genetic history of these places? To find out please click here. 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