A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.

Overview

The widow’s son challenges a giant whose house is already full of men he has conquered. Carrying a shield and a spear with a tree-trunk shaft, the giant jumps straight down from his doorway and dismisses the boy as a fly. This is an insult about his size, not the boy’s transformation. They fight for three days and nights before the giant falls wounded at the waist. The boy burns the house and continues his violent wandering. The friendly spirit later promises to bring his enemies back to life, and the giant joins the final feast. The account does not say that the men in his house were eaten or describe what happens to them in the fire.

Giant defeated by a small challenger and restored for reconciliationPublic traditional narrative
01

Origins & earliest records

Philippines; Subanun account as grouped by Cole

02

Records & interpretation

Complete relevant story, collection preface, regional introduction and attached notes directly read.

Selected bibliography

Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.

  1. 01

    Philippine Folk Tales

    Mabel Cook Cole, compiler and annotator · 1916

    Subanun, The Widow’s Son, pp. 150–152, within The Widow’s Son, and notes 25–27

Family & connections

A source-supported family tree or inspiration record has not yet been compiled for this profile. Related reading below indicates a connection in subject matter, not a proven lineage or creative influence.

Primary records and illustrations

Direct primary record

Mabel Cook Cole, Philippine Folk Tales (Chicago: A. C. McClurg, 1916)

Subanun section. Subanun, The Widow’s Son, pp. 150–152, within The Widow’s Son, and notes 25–27

Complete tale and attached notes read. Exact source-specific identities, narrative ending and limits retained. Earlier recordings credited by Cole have not been independently inspected for this entry.

Inspect the digitized plate · Source collection manifest

References

Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.

  1. Historical collected narrative and editorial notesCole, Philippine Folk Tales (1916), Subanun, The Widow’s Son, pp. 150–152, within The Widow’s Son, and notes 25–27Research access: 2026-10-05

Image credits

A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.

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