Fact Check

Was the Skeleton of a Giant Battling a Serpent Found in Thailand?

Which one of the parties ultimately won the princess they were fighting over remains unknown.

Published June 15, 2021

 (Taiwan Today)
Image Via Taiwan Today
Claim:
A photograph shows the skeleton of a giant who died battling a large serpent.

In 2018 another entry was added to the internet's collection of giant skeleton photographs, this one said to show a discovery in a cave in Krabi, Thailand, of the remains of a giant who "appeared to have been battling a large horned serpent upon death":

giant skeleton

Most images of this nature are either digital manipulations or pictures of staged settings, and in this case the latter proved to be the case. This photograph stemmed from a 2018 art installation displayed in a cave in Thailand as part of a biennial exhibition of contemporary art:

Two large-scale installations by Taiwan creators featuring the skeletons of a giant and a snake and a long tail boat are among the key attractions at the inaugural Thailand Biennale in Krabi, according to the Ministry of Culture.

Thai organizers chose “Giant Ruins” by Tu Wei-cheng and artist collective LuxuryLogico’s “Voyage in Time” to remain on permanent display after the event closes next year, showing stronger links between the two nations, the MOC said.

Tu’s installation of a replica archeological dig with the bones of a giant and a huge snake emerging from the dirt was given special permission to be exhibited in the Khao Khanab Nam Caves, the MOC said. The artist was inspired by a Krabi folktale about the two foes fighting over a princess.

Here is a photograph of Taiwan artist Tu Wei-cheng with his work:

skeleton art

Sources

Taiwan Today.   "Taiwan Artworks Take Center Stage at Thailand Biennale in Krabi."     6 November 2018.

David Mikkelson founded the site now known as snopes.com back in 1994 as a creative outgrowth of his wide-ranging interests in a variety of subjects (particularly folklo ... read more