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Gigantes
Body disease and historical medicine · A Chymical Dictionary
At a Glance
The word. Human figures described as exceeding natural bounds.
In the book. Homunculus describes an artificially made human being and also admits an image sense.
A place to read. The historical definition below, 1650 dictionary, unnumbered definition page 24; facsimile PDF page 352.
Historical Definition
Gigantes are human beings exceeding the bounds of Nature.
Meaning
The definition is relational: the subjects exceed what the compiler calls the bounds of Nature. It does not quantify their size or identify the cause of the excess. The entry should not be turned into an anatomical measurement.
Use in the Book
Homunculus describes an artificially made human being and also admits an image sense. Gnomi includes small beings or corporeal spirits. The comparison reveals a vocabulary of human-like forms, size and origin, but the brief Gigantes definition does not state that every such category is produced by the same means.
Places to Read
Gnomi. Subterranean beings described through several related formulations.
Homunculus. An artificial human being, with an additional image sense.
Historical source: 1650 dictionary, unnumbered definition page 24; facsimile PDF page 352 — Facsimile
Sources. A Chymicall Dictionary 1650, s.v. Gigantes
See also. Gnomi; Homunculus