ABSTRACT
The analysis of various motifs depicting the fights of the gods and giants shows that often the two share familial ties and similar aspirations and ambitions. In some cases, a god assumes the form of a giant to conquer evil, and sometimes giants assume human or animal form to bully mortals and divinities. Particularly in Norse, Greek, and Indian mythologies, there are important contests between gods and giants. The war between the giants and the Olympian gods, the Gigantomachia, is presented as one of the fiercest of all battles in Greek mythology. Andy Orchard says that the primary characteristic of the giants is their "essential hostility to gods and men". The gods need the strength of the giants to recover amrit from the depths of the great ocean, so they seek collaboration with them by promising them a share of the drink of immortality for their help. Individual combats between gods and giants are unusually thrilling and full of suspense.
