The Cardiff Giant - Nothing Changes

[Diane Merkel]

I was reading about the Cardiff Giant Hoax when I came across the following, which reminded me of the saying, "The more things change, the more they stay the same." We're going to believe what we want to believe, to hell with the facts!

Kenneth Feder, in his book on myths and frauds in archaeology, sees the Cardiff giant episode as a familiar one:

"Trained observers such as professional scientists had viewed the Giant and pronounced it be an impossibility, a statue, a clumsy fraud, and just plain silly. Such objective, rational, logical, and scientific conclusions, however, had little impact. A chord had been struck in the hearts and minds of many otherwise levelheaded people, and little could dissuade them from believing in the truth of the Giant. Their acceptance of the validity of the giant was based on their desire...to believe it." (Feder: 37)

In short, often the skepticism toward scientific experts is not rooted in the desire to believe only what the evidence supports, but in a desire to believe what one wants to believe regardless of the evidence.

Source: skepdic.com/cardiff.html

[elisabeth]

Love the part about the fake of the fake outdrawing the real fake! No wonder Barnum said what he did about the public ...

[Diane Merkel]

Barnum was quite the showman and not above stealing a good line!

Footnote: This was the incident that inspired "There's a sucker born every minute" but P. T. Barnum didn't say it. One of Hull's partners, David Hannum did—and Barnum appropriated it.

Source: www.infoplease.com/spot/hoax2.html

[alfuso]

the Welsh dragon is one of only 2 which are depicted with 4 legs. The other is the Chinese dragon.

My maternal family line is Gammage, ship builders and I am told they still are in Wales today.

alfuso

[elisabeth]

Smart fellow, Barnum; he even steals intelligently.

He went buffalo-hunting with the Custers in the summer of 1870, incidentally.

[harpskiddie]

"In short.................................regardless of the evidence."

As we say in the frozen wastelands of the Great White North: "Quelle surprise!!"

Gordie,
his beer was warmer than the look in her eye.................................................................

[Diane Merkel]

I'm not sure about my Welsh lineage -- very possible -- but I love the red dragon. I didn't realize it was so unique.

My reading about the Cardiff Giant started because one of the fabulous e-mail services I subscribe to stated that it was a Welsh giant. Someone needs to tell them there is a Cardiff in New York.

[alfuso]

Diane

I found my bio family some years ago. The maternal line Gammage definitely goes back in Wales to about the 11th century at least. From Brittany before that (which is why some Welsh of today can carry on a conversation with people from the Northern France coast areas)

alfuso

[Diane Merkel]

Yes! Hunk told me that the Welsh language and that of the French people of Brittany is "virtually identical."

It's cool that you can trace back that far. I can't get back more than a few generations. All roads still lead only to South Carolina rather than to a ship crossing the Big Pond.

[Jas. Watson]

For what it's worth, I have seen the actual Cardiff giant many times...and I cannot believe anyone fell for it even for an instant.
I am sure many folks back then laughed at it even then..but there are always those few who will believe anything--even today.

Jas~

[Tricia]

Jas--

But did you pay money to see said Giant? Hmmmm ...

--t.

[Scout]

That's s great quote Diane and can be applied to so many things in LBH history as well. I've always had a warm place in the old heart for hoaxes. I love a good one. The best job in the world? writing for National Enquirer.