Tales of Giants Around the World
The tales and stories of giants who once roamed Earth have fascinated scholars for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. From stories in the Bible to accounts passed on in Greek, Irish and South American mythology, it appears all corners of the planet have their own stories centered on enormous beings who once roamed the Earth.
Source: Wikimedia
Yet no legends appear as compelling as those passed down by the Paiute tribe, a Native American group that settled in the Nevada regions several thousand years ago.
The Legends of the Si-Te-Cah
According to the legends of the Paiute, thousands of years ago, a fierce group of pale-skinned, red-haired giants arrived from Central America by boat and began attacking local tribes.
Source: Wikimedia
The Paiute claim these invaders, whom they called the Si-Te-Cah, came to the Americas from a distant land. They crossed the ocean on rafts, built using the fibrous tule plant, and came to settle in the region.
The Paiute Speak of the Si-Te-Cah
The legends passed down by the Paiutes explain that the Si-Te-Cah declared war on the Paiute and several other surrounding tribes. However, after years of torment, the Native American groups banded together and began to violently attack the giants.
Source: Wikimedia
Eventually, the Si-Te-Cah numbers were dramatically reduced, and the last of them was chased into a small cave in Nevada now known as Lovelock Cave. The tribes started a large fire at the entrance, suffocating and burning alive the remainder of the red-haired giants and wiping out their species.
Similar Legends Echoed Throughout the Americas
As bizarre as the legend may appear to be, echoes of a similar tale have appeared in other regions of the Americas, suggesting it may actually be fractured pieces of a real chronological event. One well-known source comes from sixteenth-century Spanish conquistador Pedro Cieza de León.
Source: Wikimedia
According to a Peruvian tale, the red-haired giants “came by sea in rafts of reeds after the manner of large boats; some of the men were so tall that from the knee down, they were as big as the length of an ordinary fair-sized man.”
Miners Unearth Strange Artefacts
By the end of the 19th century, a man known as John T. Reid heard of the legend while prospecting near Lovelock, Nevada. Shortly after, news of the story brought crowds to the cave, which led to the discovery of guano, a profitable fertilizer.
Source: Wikimedia
In 1911, two miners, David Pugh and James Hart, began excavating the guano and soon shipped over 250 tons to California. However, less than a year into their mining project, the team started to unearth fairly strange objects in the cave.
Archaeological Excavations Take Place at Lovelock Cave
The first official excavation at Lovelock Cave by the University of California took place in 1912, and another took place over a decade later, in 1924.
Source: Wikimedia
Reports revealed that thousands of artifacts were recovered from the caves. The most fascinating of all were the human remains of over 60 skeletons, some of which measured between 8 and 10 feet tall. The remains were later named the “Lovelock Giants.”
Unusual Items Found Within the Cave
Several items that suggest giants inhabited the cave also appear in the archaeological record. One is a 15-inch sandal, which clearly shows signs of wear. Compared to modern sizes, the latter would equate to a men’s size 29.
Source: Wikimedia
Another item that remains in the case to this day is a large boulder that appears to be etched with an enormous handprint.
Evidence of the Red-Haired Giants From Second Excavation
Several years later, in 1931, another excavation took place at a dry lake bed not far from Lovelock Cave. According to an article published in the Nevada Review-Miner, the team of archaeologists unearthed two large mummies measuring 8.5 feet and 10 feet tall.
Source: Wikimedia
Again, reports suggest these remains, mummified in a manner similar to Egyptian mummies, had red hair just like the legends of the Si-Te-Cah.
Red Hair in the Americas
While red hair is not common among native groups of the Americas, it has appeared throughout the continents since at least 1,000 BCE.
Source: Juan Navarro Hierro/Paracas History Museum
Several mummies discovered in regions in South America, including Paracas and Peru, appear to have red and blonde hair. Another unusual anomaly is that they have large elongated skulls, which appear to be common among the mummies discovered in the Americas.
Researchers Debate the Presence of Red Hair
Despite some researchers claiming the red hair is due to the environment in which the human remains were buried, others suggest this is less likely in dry regions such as Nevada or Paracas. This debate among researchers adds an intriguing layer to the mystery of the red-haired giants.
Source: Freepik
Others have taken it as evidence that could suggest there’s some truth in the legends of giants shared by the Paiutes and other American groups.
A Forgotten Part of Human History
While some proponents of alternative history argue the Si-Te-Cah could be the Nephilim spoken of in the Bible, others suggest it could simply be a portion of history humanity has yet to fully understand.
Source: Wikimedia
Nonetheless, as things currently stand, none of the reported skeletal remains of mummies with red hair are on display. However, the potential for future discoveries keeps the mystery of the red-haired giants alive, and the debate among researchers is currently ongoing.