Giants, Huns, and the Devil: Geofolklore of Erratic Boulders in the Southern Baltic Lowlands and Their Geocultural Significance

The association of supernatural imagery with elements of the landscape was a common phenomenon in traditional cultures (Piotrowski 2024; Juśkiewicz et al. 2025). This process depends on the cultural context and encompasses two fundamental levels of the relationship between the abiotic environment and humans: symbolic interaction or/and utilitarian interaction. Symbolic interactions shaped the perception and meaning of erratic boulders. Legends (belief narratives) – similar to myths – link the existence of geological objects with the actions of supernatural forces, such as devils or mythically inclined figures, e.g., giants (Motz 1982, 70-71; Lanza, Negrete 2007, 61). Examples of such correlations can be found in Kashubian folk beliefs, where peninsulas were said to have been created by giants known as Stolem (Gulgowski 1911, 169).  In Pomerania, legends associate glacial erratics with both mythological beings (for example giants and devils) and historical figures (Huns, Teutonic Knights, Swedes), who rise to the rank of mythical heroes (Kolberg 1965, 375; Lorentz 2020, 148). Similar phenomena can be observed in other regions of Europe, such as Scandinavia, where rocks and stones were often attributed to the activities of trolls and giants or heroes in England (Oinas 1976, 6-7). A significant number of boulders bear traces of human processing, such as incisions and chisel marks, aimed at breaking the rock or producing millstones. These activities had both functional and symbolic dimensions. Glacial erratics and all forms of human activity associated with them should be regarded as part of geocultural heritage, encompassing both material and immaterial aspects. Their value lies at the intersection of geology and culture. Such an approach reveals their multidimensional semiotic nature. Integrated into the processes of meaning-making and valuation – typical of human world-ordering – they generate representations characteristic of a given culture and historical period. Recognizing glacial erratics as geocultural heritage thus allows us to link natural and cultural landscapes, highlighting their role as tangible markers of human interaction with the environment across time.

Acknowledgements

This paper was conducted as part of two research projects funded by the National Science Centre in Poland (grant No. 023/49/N/HS3/02181 and grant No. 2019/35/B/HS3/03933)

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