Kap Dwa – Mysterious Two-Headed Mummified Patagonian Giant – Real Or Fake?
Ellen Lloyd - AncientPages.com - It does occasionally happen people are born with two heads. This medical condition is known as Polycephaly or simply put, multi-headedness.
The thought that giants are real should not be surprising, considering people of extreme height can be encountered in modern times. The Giant of Illinois, Robert Pershing Wadlow was the world’s tallest man. On June 27, 1940 (eighteen days before his death), he was measured at 8 ft 11.1 in (2.72 m) by doctors C. M. Charles and Cyril MacBryde of Washington University in St. Louis.
Mummified remains of Kap Dwa. Credit: Fandom
Knowledge of the Patagonian giants was brought to light for the first time in the 1520s when Ferdinand Magellan and his crew saw these huge beings while exploring the coastline of South America en route to their circumnavigation.
Antonio Pigafetta, one of the expedition's few survivors and the chronicler of Magellan's expedition, wrote in his account about their encounter with natives twice a normal person's height:
"One day we suddenly saw a naked man of giant stature on the shore of the port, dancing, singing, and throwing dust on his head.
Were the Patagonian giants somehow related to the Didanum people?
The captain-general [i.e., Magellan] sent one of our men to the giant so that he might perform the same actions as a sign of peace. Having done that, the man led the giant to an islet where the captain-general was waiting. When the giant was in the captain-general's and our presence he marveled greatly and made signs with one finger raised upward, believing that we had come from the sky. He was so tall that we reached only to his waist, and he was well proportioned..."
Who Was Kap Dwa?
When the Spaniards returned from their voyages, they told what they witnessed, and people in Europe became fascinated with the Patagonian giants.
Many people who hear something about giants are skeptical these beings did exist. Somehow they forget that the Giant of Illinois, Robert Pershing Wadlow was a real individual. When there is a discussion about a giant with two heads, most scorn and think it must be a fake story. This is a natural human reaction, and there is every reason to be cautious when one comes across such controversial accounts.
Kap Dwa was said to be a Patagonian giant born with two heads. Kap Dwa’s fate is shrouded in mystery, but there is some information about this little-known giant.
The remains of the two-headed giant should be properly examined by scientists. Credit: Fandom
As the story goes, Kap Dwa may have originated somewhere in the jungles of Argentina, South America. Where exactly is unknown. In 1673, Kap Dwa was encountered and captured by Spanish sailors. Seeing a giant person with two heads terrified the Spaniards. Kap Dwa, who was allegedly over 12 feet, was lashed to the mainmast. While attempting to escape, the Spaniards killed Kap Dwa with a spear.
Now, this one version of the story. Another version told by Robert Gerber, owner of The Antique Man Ltd in Baltimore informs Kap Dwa was already dead when the Spaniards found him a beach with a heavy spear in his chest.
What later happened to Kap Dwa is slightly confusing. Apparently, his mummified body was exhibited at various museums in the United States and the United Kingdom for almost 45 years before he was purchased in 1959 by Lord Thomas Howard. Today, his remains are part of a collection at Bob’s Side Show at The Antique Man Ltd, owned by Robert Gerber and his wife.
Was Kap Dwa A Real Patagonian Giant?
Whether the remains of Kap Dwa are authentic or not is still a matter of debate. Some are convinced his mummified body is an elaborate fake, but many think he was a real Patagonian giant.
Is Kap Dwa a real giant or an elaborated hoax? Credit: Fandom
There are some rumors, two doctors examined the remains of Kap Dwa in the 1930s, and they found no indications his body was a product of a hoax. However, with such controversial mummies, one should never jump to conclusions. The remains of Kap Dwa deserve to be adequately investigated and DNA tested. Only then will the world know the truth about his identity, and we can confirm if the two-headed mummified Patagonian giant is a fabricated hoax or not.
At present, there is simply too little credible information allowing us to pass a judgment on the controversial story of Kap Dwa.
Written by - Ellen Lloyd – AncientPages.com
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