The stories from Mankila project collected tales about local people, places, and events. Most stories are from the past hundred years, but one ancient tale tells of giants who once lived in the village: “Long ago, Mankila was home to many giants, most of whom lived in Luppoviita. Two of the most famous giants, Kiljo and Koljo, lived on opposite sites of the Siikajoki River, near what is now Kiljonkoski. They largely ignored each other, but when disagreements arose, the ground would shake! Dragging huge boulders, they would meet on the riverbanks and hurl stones at each other: ‘Did it clang in Kiljo?’ Koljo would shout, and Kiljo would answer, ‘Did it thump in Koljo?’ The stones clashed so powerfully that they fell into the river where they landed — and thus Kiljonkoski was formed. Since their wives got along well, they decided to leave the stones in place so the women could cross the river and visit each other.” These village giants were brought to life in autumn 2014 through an art installation funded by the Pohjavirta Project. The sculpture, depicting the two giants, is located on the yard of the Mankila village hall.