In 1932, the famous artist and traveler Nicholas Roerich painted the painting "Issa and the Giant's Head".
In the East, Jesus Christ was called Issa. In Kashmir and Ladakh, the artist often heard legends about Issa's eastern journey in his youth. “Long and beautiful are the legends and songs of Kashmir and the whole of Turkestan about the great Issus” - this is how Roerich writes in the book “Flaming Stronghold”.
Roerich wrote down one of these legends: “The divine Issa in his walk met a big head. A dead giant's head lies on the way. And Issa thought: This great head is from a great man. And Issa planned a good deed, to resurrect the great head. And the head was covered with skin. And the eyes were filled. And the body grew and the blood ran. And the heart was filled. And the giant hero rose up, and he bowed to Issa for the resurrection for deeds for the salvation of all mankind."
I will add that Roerich addressed the theme of giants in his other paintings, for example, "The Tomb of the Giant", "The Giantess Krimgerd", "The Way of the Giants", "The Country of Giants", etc., apparently, these legends evoked a strong emotional response in him …
Natalia Trubinovskaya
