6

There are several people (seems like mostly in Westeros...) who are very tall, like 7 or 8 feet tall or more. The Cleganes, Hodor, Greatjon Umber, etc. are described as extremely massive men. Is there any evidence that they have giant ancestors? There doesn't seem to be much information on giants, but interestingly I can't think of any huge men from Essos and as far as I know we have only seen giants in the north of Westeros so I'm wondering if there is some sort of connection there.

Improve this question
1
  • 1
    I think Mero "the Titan's Bastard" from Braavos was described as being pretty huge? While Hodor and possibly the Umbers are probably part giant I think the others are more likely to be natural cases of gigantism, much like Tyrion is a natural case of dwarfism (and that such people will tend to be very visible and won't struggle to find work...).
    – user56reinstatemonica8
    Commented Feb 23, 2016 at 12:38

2 Answers 2

Reset to default
12

We don't have any definite proof and the only mention I remember is about Hodor. In the first book, chapter 53 (Bran's POV), Osha makes this remark about Hodor:

"Now there's a big man," she said. "He has giant's blood in him, or I'm the queen."

Improve this answer
3
  • 1
    Well, that answers the question pretty clearly I think. Thanks.
    – Probst
    Commented Feb 21, 2016 at 18:46
  • Osha is a wilding and her opinions cannot be taken as fact. Cross-breeding with giants is not likely and hardly necessary to explain a 7 ft man. There is some evidence that Hodor is a descendant of Ser Duncan the Tall.
    – TheMathemagician
    Commented Mar 1, 2017 at 12:22
  • 3
    @TheMathemagician, I think the fact Osha is a wildling makes her opinion more pertinent, not less. After all, wildlings are aware that giants still exist and have lived alongside them for centuries. They know much more about them than some southern Maester. Also, if there are part-giants they probably live north of the Wall, where they are in frequent contact with people and can therefore mix with them.
    – NyaNya
    Commented Jun 20, 2017 at 11:39
1

Yes

...according to Osha she even mentions about the woman giants taking human men to create half bloods.

"Let Maester Luwin ride beyond the Wall," Osha said. "He'll find giants then, or they'll find him. My brother killed one. Ten foot tall she was, and stunted at that. They've been known to grow big as twelve and thirteen feet. Fierce things they are too, all hair and teeth, and the wives have beards like their husbands, so there's no telling them apart. The women take human men for lovers, and it's from them the half bloods come. It goes harder on the women they catch. The men are so big they'll rip a maid apart before they get her with child." She grinned at him. "But you don't know what I mean, do you, boy?"
A Game of Thrones, Bran VI

When she spies Hodor she even seems to believe he must be part giant.

Osha eyed him with a sour smile. "Now there's a big man," she said. "He has giant's blood in him, or I'm the queen."
A Game of Thrones, Bran VI

There's lot of talk of people being the size of giants or a giant of a man but nothing really links them to actually being the blood of giants over just being abnormally large. These have referred to Robert Baratheon, The Cleganes, House Umber and many others. Note though that House Umber's sigil is a giant breaking chains and they do have their roots in the First Men so they have potential to have giant's blood in them.

Improve this answer

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.