Embodiments of the untamed force of life, guardians of the land, avatars of the mountain, protectors —or destroyers— of communities: the folklore of giants, ogres, strongmen and colossal man-eating monsters is among the richest traditions in the popular heritage of Catalonia and Europe. Sometimes they are metaphors for a mountain, for nature or for a lineage, as in the case of the Farell; at other times they embody the darkest hunger within human beings. In Catalonia and elsewhere in Europe, the giant has become a central figure in local folklore and popular tradition.

There are benevolent giants, mighty strongmen embodying values associated with the sun or iron, culture heroes and founders who establish a lineage through their irresistible fiery strength. But there is also their twisted counterpart: the one-eyed monster dwelling in a cave and staring mercilessly at its victim; the ogress who lures children with sweets before devouring them; the murderer who can only be defeated through cunning. These are the nightmare creatures that inhabit folktales such as those of Tom Thumb, Pere Xic or Jack and the Beanstalk.