Christopher Chippindale

The concept of giants features significantly in esoteric and occult teachings, describing beings that exist across spiritual, etheric, and physical dimensions. These figures were particularly popular within the theosophical movement, discussions surrounding Atlantis and other lost continents, and later the British earth mysteries movement of the 1970s. Theosophists, such as Helena Blavatsky, integrated giants into their theories of cosmic cycles and human evolution, identifying them as the third root race inhabiting Lemuria and associating them with Atlantean peoples. This perspective was further developed by occultists like Guido von List, who blended paganism, mythology, and theosophy to propose giants existing in different cosmic realms.

Other figures, like Egyptologist R. A. Schwaller de Lubicz, also posited the historical existence of giants, suggesting humanity's decline after a period of degeneration. While some, like Lewis Spence, were critical of theosophy, they still acknowledged giants based on folklore and mythology, citing figures like Magog and Albion. Similarly, William Comyns Beaumont, despite his opposition to occultism, accepted the presence of giants through mythological and archaeological evidence, even suggesting Britain was Atlantis and was inhabited by a giant Aryan race. The earth mysteries movement in the 1970s continued this exploration, with authors like John Michell and Anthony Roberts discussing giants in relation to ancient landscapes and myths.

In esoteric and occult traditions, giants are understood as entities existing on spiritual, etheric, and physical planes. Helena Blavatsky, a key figure in theosophy, incorporated giants into her work, notably 'The Secret Doctrine.' She connected them to Hindu cosmology and her theory of root races, proposing they constituted the third root race that inhabited the lost continent of Lemuria. Theosophists also frequently associated these giant beings with the Atlantean civilization. Following Blavatsky's ideas, German occultist Guido von List expanded upon the concept, merging paganism, mythology, and theosophical principles. Von List theorized about giants residing in various realms, aligning them with the early stages of his theory of cosmic rounds and root races.

Beyond theosophy, the idea of giants resonated with various scholars and writers. R. A. Schwaller de Lubicz, an Egyptologist and proponent of traditionalist philosophy, held the belief that giants had once inhabited the Earth, postulating that humanity entered a state of decline following a primordial fall. Lewis Spence, a writer focused on mythology, while critical of theosophy, still accepted the existence of giants, drawing evidence from English folklore and myths that featured figures like Magog and the giant Albion. William Comyns Beaumont, a journalist and author who opposed occultism, also accepted the notion of giants based on folklore, mythology, and archaeological findings. He further proposed that Britain was the location of Atlantis and had been populated by a race of giants of Aryan descent. In the 1970s, the British earth mysteries movement saw renewed interest in giants, with authors like John Michell and Anthony Roberts exploring their presence in ancient landscapes and myths.