Cyclops

The Cyclops, a fabulous race of one-eyed giants, were initially regarded as creative craftsmen who helped Hephaistos in his volcanic forge, crafting special armor, such as Hades' invisable helmet, Zeus' thunderbolt and Poseidon's trident. These earlier Cyclopes were said to have built the "cyclopean" fortifications at Tiryns and Mycenae in the Peloponnese.

Yet, later on, they were also portrayed as moody, rebellious shepherds who ignored devine laws and prayed on mortals.

Polyphemus was the son of Poseidon and the sea nymph Thoosa. He was a Cyclops and was thought to have lived on the island of Sicily. The celebrated traveller, Odysseus, renowned for his wits and silver-tongue, was on his way home from Troy when he beach at Sicily, home of the lawless race of one-eyed giants. He asked for hospitality and called himself by the name of Nobody.

Polyphemus indeed proved to be a dangerous host and treated the Greeks as part of his flock, shutting them up in his cave and eating them one by one for his evening meal. Odysseus dared not kill the Cyclops during the night because his men lacked the strength to move the boulder blocking the cave entrance. So Odysseus thought of a cunning plan to enable their escape. By getting Polyphemus drunk Odysseus was able to put out the giants single eye with the strike of a stake. The injured Polyphemus roared with pain, but in responce to the other Cyclops' questions he cried out that he was being attacked by Nobody, so they went away, considering him drunk or mad. In the morning Polyphemus opened the cave to let out his flock and felt the back of each animal as it passed to ensure no men escaped. But Odysseus and his men tied themselves to the undersides of the sheep and managed to leave undetected. For his crime against his son, Poseidon promised revenge on Odysseus.

Cyclops Myth or Legend?

Is it a true LEGEND?

In February of 2002 The Philippine Star / Manila Reported...

Cyclops Skulls Baffle Tribal Folk "Ancient skulls bearing a single eyeball socket found in limestone caves have baffled tribal folk in the hinterlands of Bohol, Bukidnon and Agusan, reports said.

The existence of the skulls, which resemble those of the cyclops, a race of giants in Greek mythology with a single eye in the middle of the forehead, has triggered speculations that one-eyed ancient settlers once roamed the country's southern islands.

The strange skulls were reportedly found in limestone caves in the hinterlands of Bohol, at Mt. Palaupau in Sumilao, Bukidnon, and in some parts of Agusan.

Tribal folklore has it that giants once roamed the plains of Central and Northern Mindanao, the most popular of whom, according to Bukidnon legend, was "Agyo" who fought against the first Spanish conquistadors.

Bukidnon's tribal folk are reportedly keeping skeletal remains which they believe to be Agyo's as an object of worship in a sacred cave.

Reports about the strange skulls had prompted archeologists of the National Museum to launch an excavation in Bohol and they, indeed, found one such skull."

On the Other Side of the Coin...

Or is it just a MYTH?

Back in January of 2003 CNN Reported

The 7 million-year-old remains suggest the mammal moved around larger areas of Europe than previously believed, possibly swimming long distances in search of food. . .

Remains of other elephant ancestors have previously been found on mainland Greece, leading some researchers to speculate that bones found by ancient Greeks may have become part of their mythology.

A large hole in the middle of the elephant's skull -- the nasal cavity for its trunk -- could have given rise to the tales of the cyclops, the ferocious mythological giant with one eye that appears in Homer's Odyssey and other stories."

Another artical on these findings by National Geographic.