In folklore, the Ispolini were a race of people the gods created after the Dzhudzheta, the little people or dwarves. They died out because their slight height prevented them from being able to protect themselves from wild animals. They also found themselves inept at cultivating the land.
Then the gods corrected this problem and created a towering species, the Ispolini. They rose about the land to a height of up to 3 meters (9.8 feet). Not only were they tall, but they possessed huge heads and sometimes three. Each had only a single eye. Some tales described them as having only one leg.
In some Slavic lands, people believed the wind could waft the soul of a sleeping man to mountain summits. When enough of them had been gathered, they merged and became giants. Animal spirits, particularly oxen, could also form part of this monstrous being. During spring and autumn, they actively uprooted trees to use as clubs and hurled rocks at one another.
Their domain was caves in mountainous regions. Their voices rang out from one mountaintop to another. Unlike the Dzhudzheta, the Ispolini did not till the land. They survived on raw meat, perhaps even that of dragons, who were their natural enemies.
A Serbian giant, Balachko, possessed three heads. One could breathe fire, while the others blasted out icy cold wind. To defeat the giant, one had to wait until he exhausted himself and the fire and icy winds ceased. Thus vulnerable, the epic hero, Miloš Vojinović, could defeat the monster.
The gods congratulated themselves. Here was a race that could survive in the world. But, alas, the deities patted themselves on the back too soon. For the Ispolini, too, had a fatal weakness. They easily got entangled in blackberry bushes. Unable to free themselves from the thorns, they stumbled, broke bones, and eventually the giants began to die.
Once more, the deities allowed this species to die out. They did they by giving animals the ability to hide or conceal themselves from their main predator, the Ispolini. Thus, the little people died out because they could not till the land, and the tall people because they could not hunt.
Their third attempt was humankind, of a height between the small people and the tall people. And I’ll let you be the judge whether or not the third time was a charm.
Image licensed from Depositphotos.
Ancestral Giants
But there is more to these giants than what folklore tells. Among the Thracians, the giants were considered ancestors. As the giant race died out and the human one began, the races interbred, creating the heroes of old, like Krali Marko, Sviatogor, and Ilya Muromets. The Proto-Bulgarian epics describe them as having divine blood mixed in with their human bloodlines. This does not necessarily make them good. They tend to be both infinitely good and terribly bad.
The name Ispolini is thought to be derived from spali. These refers to defeated Goths living in southern Russia. In the Strandja Mountains, there’s a place called the “Propada” graveyard, a necropolis where more than 100 tombs have been discovered. Those buried there were miners. The graves of those found lower on the hill are cheaper and smaller burial plots, probably of the common people. Higher up, the tombs become more elaborate, and at the peak is found a tomb that likely belonged to a wealthy landowner.
However, a tomb found near a family plot deserves more attention. It belonged to a man with fiery red hair and who was over 2 meters tall, much taller than any of the others found. It’s estimated the person lived around 100 or 200 BC. Nearby is a tomb believed to belong to his wife, who are normal height. It’s believed that the tall person was not local and was likely a Goth, a race that was attacking the empire at that time.
Another thought is that these giants came from a Thracian warrior tribe, Peons, who were allies of Troy. Dozens of skeletons of men of giant stature have found near the village of Pastouch, Bulgaria, where this tribe lived. The giant skull of a child is believed to be contained within a chest inside the Holy Trinity chapel there.
Although legends say they were 3 meters tall, graves found indicate these foreigners were closer to 2 meters (6.6 feet). To the people of the day, who rarely exceeded five feet tall, anyone that height would be considered a giant.
Kickstarter Campaign
Won’t you join us before October 12 to visit the land of Zmeykovo, Dragon Village, where you can meet this mighty giants from the past?
Dangers lurk in Dragon Village, but also secrets. Can Theo solve the mysteries before an evil creature conquers the magical and human worlds?
- Do you have an adventurous soul, ready to encounter strange magical creatures?
- Have you ever wished you could travel through a portal to another world?
- Do you love the reluctant hero, strong female friends, and quirky sidekicks?
If this sounds like you, then step through the gate into the magical world of Dragon Village.
Campaign link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ronesa-aveela/dragon-village?ref=3i92sy