Mystery of the Cyclops Skull

[Anonymous]

The Beginning:

Cyclops Skulls

Posted Feb 24.02
Cyclops Skulls Found In Filipino Caves Linked To Giants Legend
by: The Philippine Star / Manila | Perseus Echeminada – Feb 24.02

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 conquistadores.

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.

Archeologist Rey Santiago said intensive study on the skull showed it belonged to an ancient settler.

He, however, theorized that limestone in caves where the “cyclops skulls” were discovered could have triggered a chemical reaction in the skeletal part, creating a new eyeball socket.

“Human bones and limestone have similar (composition),” he said.

Despite Santiago’s explanation though, tribal folklore maintain there were two races of giants in ancient times — the kapre who were associated with evil, and the one-eyed giants whom early settlers regarded as their heroes.

---

UPDATE

Filipino Cyclops Skull Declared Artificial Formation
The Philippine Star / Manila | Perseus Echeminada – Feb 27.02

It belonged to an ordinary man buried in a limestone cave, not a one-eyed giant who, according to tribal folklore, once roamed the archipelago.

Thus, said Angel Bautista, a zooarcheologist of the National Museum, of the so-called “cyclops skull” found in a limestone cave in the hinterlands of Bohol.

“We have returned the skull to Bohol,” he said. The National Museum refused requests by The STAR to secure photographs of the strange skull.

The skull has what is believed to be a single eye socket, resembling that of the “cyclops,” a race of giants in Greek mythology with only one eye in the forehead.

But the hole, Bautista said, is actually the socket of the spinal column. “It was an artificial formation of stalagmites,” he said.

He also ruled out that the skull could have belonged to a giant, saying that excavations in various parts of the country showed that the tallest ancient settler in the country could only be over six feet, whose skeletal remains were found in Batanes.

There were also unconfirmed reports of skeletal remains of “giants” in Siargao, Bukidnon and Agusan.

Tribal folklore has it that giants once roamed the plains of Central and Northern Mindanao, the most legendary of whom was “Agyo,” believed to have fought the first Spanish conquistadores.

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

Artemio Barbosa, chief of the National Museum’s anthropology department, said beliefs about giants (kapre) as well as dwarfs (duwende) will always be “alive” in the hearts and minds of Filipinos.

“These legends will always be with us,” he said. “These are the kinds of beliefs that unify people, and make them identify themselves with powerful and great heroes of the past.”

“Epics and legends have continuity. Sometimes, new characters are injected to make more impact,” he added.

Barbosa said tribal folklore, particularly in Mindanao, portray the one-eyed giants as half-man, half-beast with supernatural powers.

[Author]

Posts

[Anonymous]

The Beginning:

Cyclops Skulls

Posted Feb 24.02
Cyclops Skulls Found In Filipino Caves Linked To Giants Legend
by: The Philippine Star / Manila | Perseus Echeminada – Feb 24.02

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 conquistadores.

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.

Archeologist Rey Santiago said intensive study on the skull showed it belonged to an ancient settler.

He, however, theorized that limestone in caves where the “cyclops skulls” were discovered could have triggered a chemical reaction in the skeletal part, creating a new eyeball socket.

“Human bones and limestone have similar (composition),” he said.

Despite Santiago’s explanation though, tribal folklore maintain there were two races of giants in ancient times — the kapre who were associated with evil, and the one-eyed giants whom early settlers regarded as their heroes.

---

UPDATE

Filipino Cyclops Skull Declared Artificial Formation
The Philippine Star / Manila | Perseus Echeminada – Feb 27.02

It belonged to an ordinary man buried in a limestone cave, not a one-eyed giant who, according to tribal folklore, once roamed the archipelago.

Thus, said Angel Bautista, a zooarcheologist of the National Museum, of the so-called “cyclops skull” found in a limestone cave in the hinterlands of Bohol.

“We have returned the skull to Bohol,” he said. The National Museum refused requests by The STAR to secure photographs of the strange skull.

The skull has what is believed to be a single eye socket, resembling that of the “cyclops,” a race of giants in Greek mythology with only one eye in the forehead.

But the hole, Bautista said, is actually the socket of the spinal column. “It was an artificial formation of stalagmites,” he said.

He also ruled out that the skull could have belonged to a giant, saying that excavations in various parts of the country showed that the tallest ancient settler in the country could only be over six feet, whose skeletal remains were found in Batanes.

There were also unconfirmed reports of skeletal remains of “giants” in Siargao, Bukidnon and Agusan.

Tribal folklore has it that giants once roamed the plains of Central and Northern Mindanao, the most legendary of whom was “Agyo,” believed to have fought the first Spanish conquistadores.

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

Artemio Barbosa, chief of the National Museum’s anthropology department, said beliefs about giants (kapre) as well as dwarfs (duwende) will always be “alive” in the hearts and minds of Filipinos.

“These legends will always be with us,” he said. “These are the kinds of beliefs that unify people, and make them identify themselves with powerful and great heroes of the past.”

“Epics and legends have continuity. Sometimes, new characters are injected to make more impact,” he added.

Barbosa said tribal folklore, particularly in Mindanao, portray the one-eyed giants as half-man, half-beast with supernatural powers.

[Author]

Posts