This is just my imagination running away with itself. I'm not an academic or historian. (Admin Gary)
The Jotans / Etans are not necessarily giants. A better translation often talked about by historians and Eddic specialists is someone (or thing) that consumes all around them or a devourer, be it gold, love, land, resources, magic, knowledge etc and keeps it all for him/herself or at least his/her own selfish interests. Think about how some Jotans even married the Gods and lived among them - It's because they reformed or changed their ways. A lot of people call Skadi a jotan because her father was named so. Is this true? Or was she the daughter of a greedy Jotan who the Gods made war upon and killed. Did Odin, Ville and Ve kill Ymir because he consumed all? If you read through the Poetic Edda the one thing the Jotans have in common is greed.
I feel that Jotans still exist in this world. They look like us but the only way to know who they are is by how much they consume. Some people might think of the international bankers, corporate entities etc as modern day Jotans. Not just the rich, or people who desire riches (Most of us desire riches!) but the type of people with a bank balance bigger than a small country that even change / bend the political world to their will! They are always tempting us with wealth and riches to walk away from the path thats in balance with the nature and the Gods. Indeed, in modern times, some might say that money has become our God........ I often feel that corporatism globalism and international finance are in effect a war upon nature when you look at the side effects of their financial success
A lot of people talk about Ragnarok and when it will come, what it will look like etc. I wonder if it will be between those who consume all around them (Jotans) and the Gods allied with those who walk a path more in balance with nature and the Gods. Think of the history of war? When one party takes more from others than they are willing to give or commits terrible acts upon another the other party fights back. You could say that human history is littered with mini ragnaroks! Looking at the world around us, sadly it seems that a lot of the wars may have been won by the Jotans so far. In a way, they are the ones we all serve in this consumer based world......