Was the Cardiff Giant a Masterful Hoax or a True Miracle?

[zoobyshoe]

The Cardiff Giant
Address:http://www.lhup.edu/~dsimanek/cardiff.htm

This is a story that every person who has an interest in unusual phenomena should get to know.

This version is probably the most comprehensive and well written. It is a chapter from the autobiography of Andrew Dickson White, a minor NY State politician, who saw most of the goings on first hand. He also kept track of the strange follow up that lasted years after the giant was revealed as a hoax.

His story contains elements that recur in similar stories to this day, most notably the intense and confident assertions that "it couldn't have been hoaxed!"

"Against the opinion that the figure was a hoax various arguments were used. It was insisted, first, that the farmer had not the ability to devise such a fraud; secondly, that he had not the means to execute it;third, that his family had lived there steadily for many years, and were ready to declare under oath that they had never seen it, and had known nothing of it until it was accidently discovered; fourth, that the neighbors had never seen or heard of it; fifth, that it was preposterous to suppose that such a mass of stone could have been brought and buried in the place without some one finding it out; sixth, that the grooves and channels worn in it by the surface water proved its vast antiquity."

Even level headed White was perplexed by the "grooves and channels" which looked to him to be the effects of centuries of erosion by underground flows of water.

"Another visitor, a bright looking lady, was heard to declare, `Nothing in the world can ever make me believe that he was not once a living being. Why, you can see the veins in his legs.'"

These veins, as well as the "unhoaxable" skin pores that were visible all over the crude giant's body, convinced many that they were looking upon the petrified remains of one of the giants mentioned in the bible: "There were giants in those days."

In fact, though, the giant was a deliberate fraud, and the man behind it had gone to considerable trouble to make the giant, transport him there, and arrange to have him discovered. In other words, everything people asserted it could not possibly be, turned out to be true.

 

[brewnog]

The Cardiff Giant

Didn't Danger go out with her?

 

[R0man]

The Cardiff Giant Hoax is a fascinating story that showcases the power of human belief and the lengths people will go to in order to perpetuate a hoax. The fact that so many people were convinced of the giant's authenticity, despite evidence to the contrary, is a testament to the persuasive power of a well-crafted deception. It also highlights the tendency for people to believe what they want to believe, even when faced with conflicting evidence.

The arguments used to defend the giant's authenticity, such as the farmer's lack of ability and means to create such a fraud, are often seen in similar hoaxes today. People are quick to dismiss the possibility of a hoax because it challenges their beliefs and forces them to question their own judgment.

Furthermore, the idea of the giant being a biblical figure adds another layer to the story. It shows how easily people can be swayed by religious beliefs and how those beliefs can be used to perpetuate a hoax.

The fact that the hoaxer went to such great lengths to create and maintain the illusion of the giant's authenticity is a testament to the power of deception. It also shows the impact that a well-executed hoax can have on society, as the Cardiff Giant captivated the public's attention for years.

In conclusion, the Cardiff Giant Hoax is a cautionary tale about the dangers of blind belief and the importance of critical thinking. It reminds us to question and investigate claims before accepting them as truth, and to be aware of our own biases and the power of persuasive deception.