Brewer's: Caligorant

An Egyptian giant and cannibal who used to entrap strangers with a hidden net. This net was made by Vulcan to catch Mars and Venus, Mercury stole it for the purpose of catching Chloris, and left it in the temple of Anubis; Caligorant stole it thence. At length Astolpho blew his magic horn, and the giant ran affrighted into his own net, which dragged him to the ground. Whereupon Astolpho made the giant his captive, and despoiled him of his net. This is an allegory. Caligorant was a great sophist and heretic in the days of Ariosto, who used to entangle people with his talk; but being converted by Astolpho to the true faith, was, as it were, caught in his own net, and both his sophistry and heresy were taken from him. (Ariosto: Orlando Furioso .)

Source: Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, E. Cobham Brewer, 1894
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