As a cold snap takes over most of the northern hemisphere and winter approaches at a chilling speed, some mysterious creature in the Himalayas reminds us that the north is not just snow.
This mysterious creature is often inferior in popularity to the more famous Bigfoot. However, the Bigfoot Yeti, or Bigfoot as it is sometimes called, is famous for its presence in the Himalayan mountains and is an integral part of local folklore in Nepal and the surrounding areas. Meetings with this creature took place in other parts of the world, including the United States.
Part of an ancient mosaic depicting Alexander the Great. Photo: Ruthven / Wikimedia Commons
The Yeti has a rather long history. According to National Geographic, Alexander the Great heard stories of the Beast Man as early as 326 BC. e. during a trip to India. When he insisted that the locals provide him with a copy, they refused, explaining that the mysterious creature could not survive at low altitudes.
The German Nazis also became interested in the Yeti, believing that he might be the progenitor of the Aryan race. According to National Geographic, SS Reichsfuehrer Himmler sent German professor Ernst Schaefer in 1938 in search of the mysterious creature. Schaefer concluded that the Yeti is nothing more than a Tibetan bear.
Tibetan Blue Bear, drawing by Joseph Smith, 1897 Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Differences between Yeti and Bigfoot
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Yeti is similar to Bigfoot, but differs in several key aspects. This bipedal ape-like creature comes in various shapes and sizes, is often covered in dark gray or reddish brown fur, and weighs between 90 and 180 kg. The most basic trait that distinguishes the Yeti from the Bigfoot is height; according to LiveScience, eyewitnesses claim that the average height of the yeti is about 1.8 m, and the bigfoot reaches 2.4 m, and according to some evidence there are individuals with a height of 3 m and above.
Evidence?
As is the case with many mythical creatures, evidence for the Yeti is rare or unreliable. Unlike the many Bigfoot tracks that are often found and photographed, Bigfoot tracks are usually found in the snow, making them difficult to differentiate from other animal tracks.
In 1960, interest in the Yeti gained a new impetus after Sir Edmund Hillary, the first person to climb Everest in search of a mysterious creature, found the remains of an animal. But this skin, as it turned out, belonged to the serau, a mountain goat that lives in the Himalayas.
However, as with the Bigfoot, the lack of physical evidence does not mean that the creature definitely does not exist. The Himalayan Mountains are a remote and desolate region, representing a mountain range 2400 km long. It is believed that the Yeti lives in the area from the line of trees at an altitude of 4260 m to the area of eternal snow at an altitude of 6000 m. The peak of the summit of Mount Everest is located at an altitude of 8848 m.
Drawing depicting a yeti. Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Recent meeting
One of the most recent encounters with the Yeti took place not in the Himalayas, but in Lichfield, Maine, USA, last winter. The person who allegedly saw the Yeti chose to remain anonymous, leaving only his initials “M. P. This person claims that the Bigfoot-like creature was completely covered in white fur.
The role of the yeti in the culture of Nepal
Yeti is taken seriously in Nepal and is an important part of the culture. During the Mani Rimdu festival, which takes place on the first full moon of the 9th month of the Tibetan lunar calendar (end of October), local monks wear masks representing divine beings during a ritual dance. By tradition, one of the monks depicts a yeti.
Tengboche Monastery during the 2008 Mani Rimdu Festival Photo: Rob Whiteley / Wikimedia Commons
There is a legend among the local inhabitants of the Sherpas, according to which the Yeti is shown only to those who believe in him.