Cyclops.

  The Cyclops, the name means 'round-eyed' was, according to Greek and later Roman mythology, a primordial race of giants, their main and most distinct feature being the one eye in the middle of the forehead.

The three original cyclopes described by Hesiod where Brontes (thunder), Arges (thunderbolt) and Steropes (lightning), said to be the sons of Gaia and Uranus and brothers to the Titans. Cronus imprisoned them in Tartarus, Zeus later freed them so that they could help bring Cronus down. As thanks for their freedom and being the first smiths they made Zeus his thunderbolt, Hades his helmet and Poseidon his trident. Once Cronus fell they continued to work for Zeus on Mount Olympus. It was later said that one of the brothers was killed but Apollo to get vengeance for the death of his son by Zeus and Hermes killed Arges.

Another group of Cyclopes where later writen about by Homer. These being the sons of Poseidon and the helpers of Hephaestus, whose workshop was in the volcanic mountain Etna. The most famous of these brothers was the man-eating Polyphemus who was outwitted and then blinded by Odysseus. Polyphemus fell in love with the nymph Galatea who rejected him, finding out that she had eyes for another, the enraged Cyclops killed his rival Acis by throwing a rock on him, the blood flowing from his crushed body made the stream which now bears his name.

Although there are a few possiblities of the origins for the Cyclops one could be that the prehistoric dwarf elephant skulls that may have been found on the Greek islands Crete, Sicily, Cyprus and Malta could have started the myth. With the skull being about twice the size of a human skull and the large central nasal cavity (which is for the trunk), these could have been interpreted as one large eye socket. The ancient Greeks were unlikely to recognize the skull as an elephants and this would explain why there would be that could be a skull like this.