Giants of Pastuh

Mystery: Were the champions of the Peon tribe—giant men from the mountainous region of Rila, Bulgaria?

Village legend
In the village of Pastuh (Pastouh) on the, near Kyustendil, Bulgaria, there is a legend of giant humans who had lived thousands of years ago in the region. Many legends involving giants have their lore inhabiting mountainous regions. The closest mountain range to the village of Pastuh, is the mountain range (Coordinates: 42°06′00″N 23°33′00″E), with  as its summit, a region of the Balkans' oldest land.

In the 4th to 6th centuries there was an ancient fort on a hill near Pastuh, inhabited by a Thracian tribe, known as Peons, allies of Troy. It is believed that the Peon warrior class consisted of giant men. Dozens of skeletons with a height more than 2 meters (6.6 feet) have allegedly been excavated near the village, but were either dismissed or disappeared. According to locals, there is a chest in the Holy Trinity temple that contains, or at one time contained, the remains of one of the giant skeletons found in the area, in particular a skull. The temple is located in Pastuh, near a pumping station on the Struma River.