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The RELICT HOMINOID INQUIRY 1:23-50 (2012)

Essay

HISTORICAL EVIDENCE FOR THE EXISTENCE OF RELICT HOMINOIDS

Dmitri Bayanov*

International Center of Hominology, Moscow 121614,

ABSTRACT. Hominology is the study of evidence for the existence of wild bipedal , presumed to be relict hominoids or hominids. Investigation of the subject began simultaneously in Russia and America last century, beginning with the Himalayan expeditions in search of the . The first international scientific organization that united academic and non-academic investigators was formed and functioned in Italy in the 1960s. Its Russian member was Dr. Boris Porshnev, founder of Russian hominology, whose unorthodox views regarding the origin of man and the nature of hominids are pointed out. Hominology is based on six main categories of evidence, of which two, pertaining to the historical aspect of the subject, are discussed in detail in this essay. They are the evidence of natural history, from Lucretius to Linnaeus, and the evidence of myth and , from Babylonian mythos to folk proverbs and sayings in use today. The reinforcement of early natural historians’ descriptions by cultural literary traditions attests to the acceptance of wildmen, a.k.a demons, devils, , as hair-covered creatures in form. In the author’s view, present data testify that hominology deals with evidence of living pre-sapiens relict hominoids.

KEYWORDS: hominology, homin, wildmen, folklore

INTRODUCTION anthropological, pertaining to the origin and position of man (Fig. 1). His theory of man’s Systematic hominology in Russia and North origin was different from that of mainstream America has many similarities and certain anthropologists, and he held that the evidence differences. On both continents it began in the for the existence of wild bipedal primates middle of last century, stimulated by the perfectly matched and supported his theory. Himalayan expeditions in search of the yeti. The theory’s thesis being that speech and its The founders of the research were Bernard morphological and neurological correlates are Heuvelmans, Ivan Sanderson and Boris the species-specific characteristics of Homo Porshnev. They agreed on one thing – that sapiens. He maintained that all pre-sapiens wild hairy bipeds are real. However, they bipedal primates, including , disagreed on almost everything else. were devoid of the faculty of speech, and Heuvelmans and Sanderson were zoologists; therefore belonged to the animal kingdom. In Porshnev was a historian and philosopher this connection he proposed to change the versed in many scientific disciplines. For term for the family to Heuvelmans and Sanderson the problem was Troglodytidae, and he believed that the extant zoological; for Porshnev it was above all wild hairy bipeds, reported today, were relicts

*Correspondence to: Dmitri Bayanov. International Center of Hominology, Crypto-logos, 15, Mojaiskoe, Moscow 121471, Russia. email: [email protected]. © RHI

DMITRI BAYANOV 24 of Neanderthals, who stopped making and connection with the California ,” by using stone tools and fire (or lost these skills Peter Byrne, “Hairy primitives or relic submen to a significant degree) due to a greatly in South America,” and “Preliminary changed environment, dominated by Homo Description of the External Morphology of sapiens. It should be noted that recent review What Appeared to be the Fresh Corpse of a of archeological evidence raises questions of Hitherto Unknown Form of Living Hominid,” whether Neanderthals were habitual fire-users (so-called Minnesota Iceman – D.B.) by Ivan during the Mousterian, and indicates that it T. Sanderson, as well as a number of articles may be possible that fire use was not a in French, Italian, and Spanish, contributed by significant component of the Neanderthals’ among others Porshnev, Gini, and adaptation to their local environments Heuvelmans. The organization ceased to (Sandgathe, et al., 2011). The origin of Homo function after the death in 1965 of its creator. sapiens is thus viewed as tantamount to the Had it continued to exist, I am sure our origin of speech (Porshnev, 1974; Bayanov situation today would be quite different, for and Bourtsev, 1974, 1976). the committee included prominent academics, Porshnev, Sanderson, and Heuvelmans who provided a vital link with mainstream were good friends and members of The science. After a break of forty-five years this International Committee for the Study of favorable condition is being revived and re- Hairy Humanoids (the name owes its origin to established anew with the creation of The Heuvelmans), an organization created in Relict Hominoid Inquiry. Rome in 1962, by Dr. Corrado Gini, Emeritus Professor of Sociology at Rome University. HOMINOLOGY Opening the committee, Dr. Gini said, in full agreement with Boris Porshnev, "The Boris Porshnev envisaged our research as a Snowman and other hairy bipeds present a new and distinct discipline, which I named subject worthy of a profound scientific study. “hominology.” Not surprisingly, terminology (...) This is a subject of the greatest for the objects of hominology proved a importance for understanding the origin of protracted problem. Porshnev used the term man and the initial stages of human society." relict hominoid, actually implying relict (Genus, 1962). hominid in the classification generally The committee included some 30 persons accepted at the time. I have used both terms from different countries, among them Dr. interchangeably, always implying “hominid.” George Agogino, Dr. Raymond A. Dart, Dr. For the sake of convenience, by way of John Napier, Dr. W.C. Osman Hill, Dr. P.R. “professional” jargon, I have also been using a Rinchen, Prof. Philip. V. Tobias, as well as contraction homin, as a substitute for yeti investigator , yeti and hominoid, hominid, wild bipedal , Bigfoot investigators Tom Slick and Peter wildman, yeti, almasty, sasquatch, and the rest Byrne, sasquatch investigators John Green, of ethnic names for the creatures under study. Bob Titmus, Rene Dahinden. This term also serves to avoid the current state The journal Genus (not peer-reviewed), of transition in the substitution of hominin for published by Gini, printed many articles by hominid in the technical literature, in the committee members, e.g. “Almas still accordance with the current cladistic approach exists in ,” by P.R. Rintchen; to taxonomy. “Report on a sample of skin and hair from the Hominology’s database consists of the Khumjung Yeti scalp,” by M. Burns, “Being following main categories: some notes in brief on the general findings in 1. natural history

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2. folklore and mythology were different from . Among the 3. ancient and medieval art emphasized characteristics of troglodytes were 4. eyewitness testimony the creatures' great speed in running, lack of 5. footprint evidence intelligible speech, and strange vocalization 6. photographic evidence. (Pliny, 1979: 5, 8). Popular names in the Greco-Roman world In this essay I will limit my treatment to the for these creatures were satyr, silenus, faun, first two areas of the historical aspects of pan (Fig. 2). Roman naturalist Pliny the Elder hominology in the Old World, using as (1st century A.D.) says in his Natural History illustrations samples of ancient and medieval that "the Satyrs have nothing of ordinary art from the third category. Today, a humanity about them except human shape.” corresponding collection includes scores of (Pliny, 1979). hominid images (pictures, sculptures, Geographer Pausanias (2nd century A.D.), petroglyphs) from across the world. It presents in his Description of Greece, says “That the two kinds of portrayal: realistic and Silenuses are a mortal race may be inferred “ritualistic,” i.e., symbolic. The first is true to especially from their graves; for there is a life and helps the hominologist to study the tomb of one Silenus in the land of the Hebrew, creatures’ appearance and anatomy. They and there is the tomb of another at Pergamus” show hairy bipeds with certain typical features (Pausanias, 1913: VI, XXIV). We also learn setting them apart from humans. Symbolic from him the following: “Elderly Satyrs are portrayals may be a caricature that shows not named Silenuses (Fig. 3). Wishing to know so much the real object as the artist’s attitude particularly who the Satyrs are, I have for that to it. Images of grotesque in ancient purpose talked with many persons.” This and medieval art have therefore led scientists shows that already in ancient Greece the and art specialists to believe that these creatures in question were considered monsters were merely figments of the enigmatic. The author continues: “Euphemus, imagination, with no basis in reality. a Carian, said that when he was sailing to Italy Hominology offers a potential alternative to he was driven by gales out of his course and such views. into the outer ocean, into which mariners do not sail. And he said that there were many Natural History desert islands, but that on other islands there dwelt wildmen (my emphasis – D.B.). The A celebrated source here is Lucretius Carus sailors were loath to put in these latter islands (1st century B.C.), who in his famous De …These islands, said he, are called by the Rerum Natura (On the Nature of Things) seamen the Isles of the Satyrs” (Pausanias, describes a race of wildmen, who had very 1913: I, XXIII). The identification of satyrs strong bodies, covered with hair, who lived in with wildmen is noteworthy. woods and caves, who had neither language, The enigmatic nature of satyrs at the time is nor clothes, nor any industry, who hunted also confirmed by Plutarch, who tells of an animals with sticks and stones, and ate meat actual capture of a satyr by the soldiers of the and other foods raw. It is most remarkable that Roman general Sulla in the territory of Lucretius says that these woodland wildmen modern Albania, in the year 86 B.C. The satyr were ancestral to modern man (Lucretius, was brought to Sulla and "interrogated in 1947). many languages as to who he was; but he Greco-Roman naturalists used the word uttered nothing intelligible; his accent being troglodyte (caveman) to denote bipeds that harsh and inarticulate, something between the

DMITRI BAYANOV 26 neighing of a and the bleating of a goat." science, narrates in his De Animalibus The general "was shocked with his appearance (2.1.4.49-50) of the recent capture in Saxony and ordered him to be taken out of his of two (male and female) forest-dwelling presence.” (Plutarch, 1792: 349). hairy monsters much resembling human From the an important piece of beings in shape. The female died of blood information comes from the Persian scholar poisoning caused by dog bites, while the male Nizami al-Arudi (12th century A.D.). In his lived on in captivity and even learned the use, book Chahar maqala he says that the lowest albeit very imperfectly, of a few words.” animal is the worm and highest is Nasnas, "a One of the most realistic portrayals of the creature inhabiting the plains of Turkistan... hominoid side by side with Homo sapiens is This, after mankind, is the highest animal, in the 13th century sculpture of a peasant and a as much as in several respects it resembles wildman on the north portal of Notre Dame, man: first in its erect stature, secondly in the Semur-en-Auxois, Burgundy (Fig. 4). The low breadth of its nails, and thirdly in the hair on cranial vault, prominent brow, large orbits and its head." (Bernheimer, 1952: 190). prominent cheek bones, receding chin, and set Interesting information comes from of the head on the shoulders all bespeak a medieval Arab travelers who visited the typical . in the 10th century A.D. and wrote The tradition of the wildman's presence in that the forests there "are inhabited by a sort medieval is well documented by U.S. of monkey having an erect stature and round scholar Richard Bernheimer (1952) in his face; they are exceedingly like men, but they book, Wild Men in the Middle Ages. Every are all covered with hair... They are deprived aspect of the theme is covered and discussed of speech... They express themselves by on the basis of historical documents and works signs." The Arab author, Abul Hassan Ali of art in the chapters: 1. The Natural History Masudi, also mentions the existence of of the , 2. His Mythological "monkeys that approach in appearance the Personality, 3. His Theatrical Embodiment, 4. figure of man" in the land of the Slavs and The Learned Aspect, 5. The Erotic other nations in the territory of modern Russia Connotation, 6. His Heraldic Role. (Masudi, 1841: 440). Here are some important quotes from In the 15th century, a native of Bavaria, Chapter 1: Johann Schiltberger, was taken prisoner by the Turks and sold to the Khan of . After “About the wild man’s habitat and 30 years spent in Asia, Schiltberger returned manner of life, medieval authorities home to Bavaria and in his book of travels are articulate and communicative. It described "savages, who are not like other was agreed that he shunned human people... They are covered all over their body contact, settling, if possible, in the with hair, except the hands and face, and run most remote and inaccessible parts of about like other wild beasts in the mountains, the forest, and making his bed in and also eat leaves and grass and any thing crevices, caves, or the deep shadow of they can find. The lord of the country sent to overhanging branches. In this remote Edigei [another ruler of the land – D.B.] a and lonely sylvan home he eked out a man and a woman from among these savages, living without benefit of metallurgy or that had been taken in the mountains." even the simplest agricultural lore, (Schiltberger, 1879: 35). reduced to the plain fare of berries and In Europe, Albertus Magnus (1193-1280), a acorns or the raw flesh of animals.” philosopher deeply interested in natural (Bernheimer, 1952: 9).

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“Medieval writers are fond of the “Since the title of this book is story which tells how hunters, startling, implying a concern with venturing father than usual into madness, passion, and violence, it may unknown parts of the forest, would be well to assure the reader from the chance upon the wild man’s den and start that wild men are imaginary stir him up; and how, astounded at the creatures (my emphasis – D.B.) and human semblance of the beast, they that their name is a technical term. It would exert themselves to capture it, would be difficult, in fact, to find and would drag it to the local as another less shocking name for them, a curiosity… The wild man’s own since the one employed here has been reaction to the sudden encounter with in common usage ever since the his civilized counterpart varies Middle Ages and is one of the few according to type and temperament. which denote the subject (…) But whether they be elusive or unambiguously. This book does not combative, the result of the encounter deal with actual outlaws, lechers, and is the same: the wild man is dragged bad men then or at least not primarily. out of his habitat and brought to the Instead it deals with a literary and castle, there confined, and immediately artistic figure whose imaginary exposed to the efforts of his captors to character is proved by its appearance: return him full-fledged human status. it is a hairy man curiously Only if all endeavor fails, and the hairy compounded of human and animal man remains morose and speechless in traits, without, however, sinking to spite of blandishment or torture, can he the level of an ” (my emphasis – hope to be released again.” D.B.). (Bernheimer, 1952: 17). This makes me wonder how the author may “The wild man holds thus a curiously have reacted to the description of ambiguous and ill-defined position in Bigfoot/sasquatch. Probably in the usual way God’s creation, being neither quite of his peers, as follows from his words: man enough to command universal agreement as to his human identity, “It appears that the notion of the wild nor animal enough to be unanimously man must respond and be due to a classified as such” ( Bernheimer, 1952: persistent psychological urge. We may 6). define this urge as the need to give external expression and symbolically “In many ways his life resembled valid form to the impulses of reckless that which we now attribute to the raw physical self-assertion which are beginnings of human cultural existence hidden in all of us, but are normally in the ” (Bernheimer, 1952: kept under control” (p. 3). 10). One of the most detailed and trustworthy After reading the above, one can think that accounts of a European wildman in captivity the author is what I call a perfect ‘realist’, and was published in Vienna in 1796, by Michael not a ‘folklorist,’ regarding the existence of Wagner, in his scholarly Beitrage zur “wild men”. But that is not so, as is clear from philosophischen Anthropologie. It dealt with a the very first page of the book: hairy wildman of perfect Neanderthal anatomy, captured in Rumania and held in

DMITRI BAYANOV 28 captivity in the city of Kronstadt (now Brasov) filled in for Linnaeus the gap between ape and in the second half of the 18th century (Wagner, man and prompted him to establish a single 1796; Singh and Zingg, 1942). Order of Primates. On the one hand, there It is a curious fact of that its were human children reared by animals and basic term – Homo sapiens – owes its origin turned into beasts; on the other hand, stood to the existence of troglodytes. It is generally Homo troglodytes that seemed to be more believed that the term was coined to manlike than apelike, especially on account of distinguish modern man from extinct forms and the dental system devoid of known from the fossil record. That is not so. diastemata, the characteristic of and The term Homo sapiens was introduced by monkeys. (His information included this Linnaeus in the middle of the 18th century, a important detail). So there is no doubt that hundred years before Darwinian theory and man owes his undeserved name of Homo knowledge of, let alone systematic studies of sapiens to the presence of non-sapient Homo hominid fossils. Linnaeus had information troglodytes in the Linnaean classification. from Pliny the Elder and other ancient Still, his information on the subject was so authors, as well as from contemporary Dutch patchy, fragmentary, and contradictory that explorers in – Bontius, the great classifier, with his passion for order Rumphius, etc., – about the existence of man- and exactness, must have been tormented by like bipedal primates, hairy, speechless, non- the lack of precise knowledge in the matter. sapient, and for the sake of contrast with them This is seen from the dissertation he designated our own species with the rather Anthropomorpha (Fig. 5), which he dictated wishful term “sapiens” (the wise) (Linnaeus, (as was the custom at the time) to his St. 1758, 1760). Petersburg student, Christian Hoppius, saying It was with awe that one day, in 1966, I in part the following: opened and copied relevant pages in Latin from the original 10th edition of Caroli “Is it not amazing that man, endowed Linnaei Systema Naturae (1758), in the library by nature with curiosity, has left the of the Moscow Zoological Museum. This Troglodytes in the dark and did not edition launched the Linnaean nomenclature. want to investigate the creatures that One of its salient features is that it presents resemble him to such a high degree? A two living species of man: Homo sapiens lot of mortals spend their days in feasts (man the wise) and Homo troglodytes and banquets, and all they care for is (caveman). The first is described as “diurnus, how to prosper by honest and varians cultura, loco,” the second as dishonest means. No better is the “nocturnus” and “sylvestris.” Homo sapiens is behavior of most navigators who sail subdivided into races, and includes Homo to the Indies and who alone happen to ferus, which designated, in the opinion of see the troglodytes. Driven by greed, Linnaeus, Homo sapiens gone wild (children they despise the tasks of natural captured and reared by animals), but actually science, such as investigation of the embraced also some cases, as it is apparent way of life of troglodytes. Just imagine now, of real “wild men” (i.e. relict hominids) what wondrous objects of diversion for reported at the time in Europe. Right after the a monarch in his palace such animals term Homo sapiens, Linnaeus put in the words could be, for one would never tire of to address mankind, “Nosce te ipsum” (know marveling at them. Or is it really thyself). difficult for a monarch to get such Homo ferus and Homo troglodytes evidently animals, knowing that people vie with

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each other to fulfill his orders? And it with Man’s Place in Nature (1863) restored would be of no small benefit for a the single order of Primates, as well as the philosopher to spend several days in term itself. But Homo troglodytes stayed in the company of such an animal in limbo for another hundred years, until order to investigate how much superior resurrected and vindicated by Boris Porshnev human reason is and thus discover the in The Present State of the Question of Relict difference between those endowed Hominoids, proclaiming yet another with speech and those devoid of it. conceptual revolution (Porshnev, 1963). And should I mention what light could be shed for natural science from a Folklore and Mythology detailed description of these animals. As for me, I remain in doubt what During my first expedition to the Caucasus specific characteristic distinguishes the in 1964, I was struck by the fact that the locals Troglodyte from man within the scope often referred to the reported hairy wildman of natural history.” (Linnaeus, 1760). quite matter-of-factly by such names as [My translation from a Russian “devil,” “satan,” “wood ,” etc. Back in translation from the Latin, published in Moscow, I plunged into reading literature on St. Petersburg in 1777. The original folklore, , and the history of Latin text appears to be lost. – D.B.] religion. I was fascinated by what opened to my eyes, my mind already opened by the The fervent call of the great naturalist fell on Porshnev theory and what I learned during the deaf ears. Not only that, but his whole expedition. classification of primates, along with the latter It became clear to me that folklore and term (introduced by him in zoology), demonology, or what John Napier called the was condemned and done away with by the Goblin Universe, is a rich source of scientific establishment of the century, whose hominology, quite realistic, but largely faith revolted against Linnaeus’s innovations. misunderstood and misinterpreted by The job was done by Johann Blumenbach, academic specialists on folklore and who in his Manual of Natural History (1775) mythology. Soon I came up with a work established the order Bimanus for man and the whose title could be translated into English as order Quadrumanus for apes and monkeys. As In Defense of Devilry. The work was never for Homo troglodytes, Blumenbach discarded published in Soviet years and no folklorist the species altogether as “an unintelligible ever agreed to collaborate with me. mixture of pathological cases and the When the country’s political situation began orangutan.” He moved the term “troglodytes” to change, I enlarged my original work, to Simia and established “Simia troglodytes or changed the title to Wood Goblin Dubbed Chimpansi,” which implied that chimps were Monkey: A Comparative Study in cave-dwellers. Demonology, and after addressing in vain According to Stephen J. Gould, “Historical many publishers, at last succeeded in finding changes in classification are the fossilized one who published it in 1991. I sorted out in it indicators of conceptual revolutions.” volumes of published folklore of many Blumenbach’s monumental change in the peoples in the Soviet Union, focusing on the Linnaean classification was then a conceptual most realistic descriptions of the appearance, counter-revolution, which lasted nearly a behavior, and habits of their “demons.” hundred years, until resisted and reversed by Academic folklorists and demonologists Darwin’s “bulldog,” Thomas Huxley, who refer to the heroes of their books, i.e. “devils,”

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“goblins,” “brownies,” etc., by such names as territories occupied by the latter. As this “fabulous beings,” “creatures of ,” process went on, homins became viewed as “irreal characters,” “mental constructions,” lords of nature and eventually worshiped as etc. Accordingly, they focus attention on the heathen gods. Food offerings to placate them fabulous and imaginary. In this respect the turned into religious sacrifices. hominologist’s objective is the opposite of Div (dev, dav) is a common name for the theirs. To get at goblin and ethology “wildman” in Persia (modern ) and the he has to amass and sort out as much folklore adjacent countries. Initially divs were material as possible, from as many lands and worshiped like gods by heathen peoples, and regions as possible, taking into account first this explains the fact that the words in other and foremost not what folklorists say, but Indo-European languages, such as “Deus” and what their folk informants related. That is why "Divus" in Latin; "Zeus" in Greek; "divine" it has to be a comparative study. Folklore not and "divinity" in English, are etymologically only supports what we learn from related to the word “div”. It may be contemporary eyewitnesses, but provides noteworthy that according to Greek details and particulars gone unnoticed, mythology, Zeus was born in a cave. because folklore contains knowledge amassed With the advent of major religions, such as and compressed over hundreds of years. Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Christianity, and In Theodore Roosevelt’s book, Wilderness , the heathen gods and their hominid Hunter (1893), Roosevelt’s native companion prototypes were condemned and relegated to did not want to go into a certain area for fear the status of demons. This dramatic process is of the “devils” there. Roosevelt called them marked by Persian rulers’ relentless struggle “forest .” The parallels evidenced against divs, which is vividly described by in the ethnic ‘demonology’ of Russia and Firdausi (940-1020) in the epic Shah Namah, America, provide further opportunities for which set standard for Persian poetry (Fig. 6). hominology. Characteristic in this respect are the following What follows is a brief synopsis of words in the epic: “Take divs for hostile information presented in my book in Russian creatures. They are of those who have not on folklore and demonology (Bayanov, 1991). been blessed by God, who have deviated Relict hominoids (alias homins) are different from man’s way (my emphasis – D.B.), take from all other cryptids (objects of him for a div, don’t call him a man” (Korogly, ) not only in anatomy and 1983: 43). Thus centuries on, the notion is behavior but also in the place they hold in echoed in The Oxford English Dictionary human culture. I dare say there is no other (1989, Vol. IV): “The div of ancient Persia is living creature, except man himself, which supposed to be the same as the European devil figures so prominently in religion, mythology, of the middle ages.” Divs and their folklore, and the arts. counterparts elsewhere were condemned not We can imagine that in the hoary past, when only on account of their beastly appearance, humans were a minority confronted by an but also and mainly because of their beastly awesome preponderance of non-human behavior. Sources of abundant relevant bipeds, they had no choice but to find a way of information in this area range from the co-existence with the homins. The latter Babylonian epic of Gilgamesh, to -tales, effectively dominated the environment. So to widely used sayings and proverbs. humans offered a part of their hunting trophies Quite impressive is folklore on the origin of to homins in order to placate them and be demons. Hebrew folklore has it that God allowed to hunt and gather food in the created demons on the Sabbath eve, and

HOMINOLOGY 31 therefore did not have time to make them fully the theme, including the belief that demons human (Fig. 7). But Russian peasants had a arise from dead people who were not buried or different opinion on the matter. When the were buried the wrong way. What is peasant’s son inquired, “Daddy, what is meant interesting and important for the hominologist, by the devil, the , the ? What is as found in such tales and , is people’s the difference between them?” The adult wish to explain both great likeness and great peasant answered, “There is really no difference between man and demon, and not difference. They say when God created man, the essence of the explanations, arising from Satan was eager to create, too, but no matter fantasy and . how hard he tried he could only make devils, Folklore on demons confirmed all I knew not men. When God saw that Satan had about the homin anatomy and behavior and already produced several devils, He ordered added things I did not know. The demonic Archangel Gabriel to dump Satan and his beings are hairy manlike bipeds, sometimes goods from heaven. Gabriel did so. The devil bigger and always stronger than man. There that fell on a wood became the leshy (wood are male and female demons, as well as their goblin), another, that fell on a field, became offspring. A shock of hair is sometimes the polevoy (field goblin), and a third, that fell mentioned on the heads of males, but bald- on a house, became the domovoy (domestic headed demons are on record as well. Females demon, ). That’s how they came about boast of long-hanging or flying head hair, and got different names. But actually all devils sometimes disheveled, and sometimes are alike.” (Fig. 8). brushed. In Bielorussia, folklorists recorded the The Komi people in the north of Russia say following : “Adam and Eve had a dozen their wood goblins have hair-covered ears. pairs of children. When God came to look at One folklore item in Siberia mentions hair on them, they showed Him six pairs, and hid the female breasts. The hair color ranges from other six pairs under an oak. So, like we come black to white, with lots of browns and reds, from those six pairs shown to God, they (the and is likened to the fur of animals native to demons) come from the other six pairs. Their the particular geographic area (reindeer, bear, number is the same as ours, only they are camel, goat, and buffalo). The attribute of invisible because they are hidden from God.” hairness is present in the local names of Less civilized people, living in the lap of demons, from the Hebrew se’irim, to the nature, had a different and more realistic view medieval European pilosus, to the Russian on the subject. Thus the Mansi, living in the volosatic and volosatka (literally hairy one for taiga of Siberia, say that in making people, male and female). The color of the skin is gods used two materials: clay and larch swarthy, with a reddish, or yellowish, or timber. As soon as people made of larch were grayish tinge. The pointed cone-shaped head produced, they dashed into the forest. Those is a usual feature, even reflected in the names are menkvs (wood goblins). Slow moving of Russian devils and wood goblins: shishko, beings, made of clay, became ordinary people. shishiga from shishka (cone). The eyes appear Their lifespan is short; arms made of clay, legs big at night when they shine “like stars.” made of clay, what’s the use of them? If man Facial features are not attractive and folklore falls into water, he drowns; if the weather is uses the word “muzzle” in reference to a hot, water comes out of him. If men were demon's protruding lower face. Lack of a neck made of larch, they would be harder and is mentioned in one item from Siberia. wouldn’t drown in the water. Folklore dwells a lot on the enormous size of a There are many other folklore versions of female demon’s breasts, calling them “huge”

DMITRI BAYANOV 32 and even “frightening.” discovered a crying goblin child in the fishing Demons in Russia are fond of tree-climbing, net and let it go. Ever since then he always swinging on the branches, and diving from had good catches. Ethnic Russian fishermen trees on the river bank into the water. They are would throw a bast-shoe into the water and excellent swimmers and divers, as well as yell: “Hey, devil, drive fish into our net!” jumpers and runners. They also dancing But the demons’ greatest contractors were and merrymaking, especially all kinds of herdsmen. It is reported that in Russia they pranks, so that Russian peasants called them made secret “contracts” with wood goblins, “jokesters” and “pranksters.” A favorite prank who helped pasture the herd, find lost cows, of (aquatic female demons) was to and protect them from wolves and bears. The catch wild geese on the river and entangle the service was paid for with food and animals feathers of their wings so that the birds could from the herd. Such deals were popular with not fly. Or they would let the fish out of the the peasants, but kept strictly secret because fishermen’s net and fill the latter with slime they were viewed as very sinful by the and water-plants, or divert themselves by Orthodox Church. It is worth mentioning that putting out a fishermen’s or hunters’ campfire in ancient Rome fauns were said to protect with the water dripping from their hair herds from wolves, and a celebration was held covering. in their honor on the 15th of February, called One folklore item from European part of Lupercalia. Russia says that in olden days hunters “had to Another kind of interaction and category of prepare gifts for the ‘lord of the forest’ for homin I call “visiting demons,” are those who allowing them to hunt on his property.” In approach human habitation for one reason or later times the relationship “progressed” and another. The most common is food, another, an item from Siberia says that hunters there clothes, a third, the warmth of the hearth. An engaged in barter trade with wood goblins – item from Tajikistan says that when the the latter supply squirrels and in exchange children asked their mother to give them more receive generous gifts of vodka. pancakes for supper, the mother answered, “If Folklore strongly recommends hunters not I give you more, what shall we leave for the build their cabins on the forest path of wood adjina? She will come at night, and finding goblins. And custom forbids whistling in the nothing may become angry.” forest and in the home so as not to alert and There are stories in Tajikistan that when the invite the goblin. Interestingly, I heard a cry of an infant is suddenly heard from a barn, similar belief regarding the “creek devil” from it means that a demon has given birth. People a local teacher, during my visit to the Yurok give food to her, “she eats, takes the baby, and Indian Reservation in Northern California, in goes away.” September 2003. In Georgia, the ancient clan of Naraani was Folk demons also actively interact with said to have befriended a dev. They “fed him fishermen. Not only do homins steal from well,” leaving food warm in the ashes of the fishermen’s catches, but they reportedly can hearth. When the family went to sleep, he also help people catch fish. According to would come and have his fill. If food is not Georgian folklore, all fish in the river are offered, the demons would steal it, all kinds of controlled by a water goblin. If a fisherman it, especially vegetables and fruits from leaves food and a jug of wine on the bank and gardens and orchards. speaks nicely of the demon, he will send a lot As a rule, demons are seen naked, but there of fish into the net. are many exceptions, and clothing is the next A Mordva fisherman (in the area) item of interest motivating contact with

HOMINOLOGY 33 humans. It is advised, when encountering a sayings, which people still use commonly goblin in the wood, to offer it bread or a piece today. Every proverb has two meanings: one of clothing, even a torn-off sleeve if nothing direct and literal, concerning real life, the else is available. On record are Ukrainian and other indirect and figurative, alluding to Bielorussian songs telling how rusalkas beg people's behavior. Thus, when we say "A bird human girls to give them shirts, no matter how in the hand is worth two in the bush" or "One old or tattered. No wonder, demons usually shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth," we sport threadbare garments, often worn the use literal, real-life meanings in a figurative wrong side out. As a result, when Russians way. So what is the real life meaning of the saw a man in a shirt worn inside out, they used numerous proverbs and sayings referring to to say: “Look, he is (dressed) like a leshy!” the devil and other demons? The leshy were said to approach campfires The Russians say "The devil is not so ugly built by lumberjacks or hunters in order to (or fearsome) as he is painted.” The English warm themselves in cold weather, and it is say "'The devil is not so black as he is said that they “turned away their muzzles,” painted" or "to paint the devil blacker than he apparently because of the bright light. They is." The Russians also say, "The devil is also took care that flying sparks did not touch swarthy from birth, not from the sun," and their hair. they say, "Brown devil, gray devil, still a Seeking warmth they also entered peasant devil." This means that the creators of these bath huts or barns for crops stocked there. It is proverbs were with the look of the reported that a leshy, festooned with icicles, devil. entered a barn and put out a fire with melting The Russian equivalent of the English, “Still ice. In contrast, in the summer they would waters run deep,” is “Devils dwell in a quiet come up to a campfire not for warmth, but to slough (pool).” The famous 19th Century put it out. lexicographer, Vladimir Dahl, offers other Folklore is insistent that demons love human proverbs and sayings reflecting the devil’s children. Hiding from adults, they often come aquatic preferences. “To be led to the devil, in view of children and even play with them like the devil to the marsh,” “Given a marsh, when adults are not around. They are also said given the devils,” “When devils dive nothing to calm down crying babies and, inevitably, as but bubbles arise,” “A job (a work a result of such fondness occasionally take assignment) is not a devil, won’t disappear human children with them. In Bielorussia, a into the water,” “Worms in the earth, devils in wood goblin was “charged” with stealing a the water, crooks in the court, where can a cradle with a baby and hiding it in a birch tree. man go?” In the Novgorod province, a boy of 13 was Some more sayings from Vladimir Dahl’s kidnapped by a wood goblin. Four years later Dictionary of the : “You are the boy returned naked and unable to speak. as big as the devil (or leshy) but still small in The demon’s voice is usually described as the mind,” “You are clever and strong but “vociferous,” and their sound mimicking can’t beat the leshy,” “Leshy is mute but ability is often mentioned. In Russia, for vociferous,” “To roar like a leshy,” “Infected example, the leshy is said to be able to imitate with the devil’s fleas and lice,” “The devil the voices of human males, females, and brushed himself and lost his brush.” babies, he can neigh like a horse, squeal like a An Arab proverb goes “Azrata min ghoul” pig, bark like a dog, meow like a cat, and cry (stinking like a ghoul); also quite a familiar like a cock and hen. sign. A synonym for “demon” in Russian is Demons are mentioned in proverbs and “unclean .” Demons collectively are

DMITRI BAYANOV 34 referred to as “nechistaya sila” (unclean parallel First Nation tale was published in power). When the Kabardians say “to catch 1929 in Canada by J.W. Burns and reprinted the almasty by head hair,” they mean to pull a by John Green in The Sasquatch File (1973: thing off. The advice and wish “Go to the 11). devil!” and “The devil take you (him, her)” Cases of demons imprisoned by humans are seem to be international. When a needed also numerous in folklore. A creature, person appears at last after a long wait the especially young, could get entangled as Russians say, “Where has the devil been already mentioned, in a fishing net. To catch carrying you?” Enlightened by the Albert migratory birds, the Russians used to hang a Ostman case1, the hominologist knows that the huge net on the trees of a forest vista. It latter saying is a reflection of real life as well. happened sometimes that instead of wild There are many examples of demon killings ducks and geese, the hunters found a devil in in folklore. According to one item from the net. The technical term for this kind of net Siberia, a reduction in wood goblin numbers is “pereves.” So there appeared a proverb, there was due to the appearance of hunting “popalsya kak bes v pereves,” (caught like a guns. Some tales relate that hunters, having devil in a net). killed a demon, cut off parts of its body, From Tatar folklore we learn that the sometimes the head, as souvenirs and valuable inhabitants of a village, tired from the tricks of trophies. Obviously, encounters with human a shurale (wood goblin) that troubled their beings wielding firearms boded no good for herd of every night, spread tar on the “mythical beings” and that is a reason for their back of the best horse and by this ploy caught legendary seclusion. a she-demon who had tried to ride that horse. There are also plenty of beliefs that demon But the surest and most ancient method of killers suffer inevitable retribution for the catching demons was by intoxicating them deed. Chuvash folklore intimates that in a with alcohol. In ancient Greece it was used by village where “upate” (literally half-man) King Midas, who caught a silenus. In a temple were killed, human population no longer of Silenus “drunkeness is represented in increased. Tatars had similar beliefs, and giving him wine in a cup,” (Pausanias VI, 24); when they saw a little poor village, they used in Italy by King Numa Pompilius, who caught to say, “Shurale kargagan” (condemned by a faun. Being so rare and impressive, these shurale, the latter word meaning wood events were recorded by legend. The only goblin). An example from Azerbaijan modification in the method in Russia is that mentions a hunter who fired pointblank at a wine is replaced by vodka. A tale from “biaban-ghouli” who fell to the ground, then had it that a wood goblin that stood up and ran away, leaving behind a meddled with hunters’ traps was caught only bloody trail. After that, the hunter sold his gun after imbibing a bucketful of vodka. and never hunted again. Asked why, he Of special importance among the sources of answered, “After that all my children died.” A information is the Bible. The beings of our interest are mentioned, for example, by Isaiah

1 In 1957, Canadian Albert Ostman testified before a in his prophecy against Babylon. The magistrate of being carried off by a sasquatch some says that Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, thirty-three years previously. He claimed to have been shall be destroyed, turned into a waste land, held with a family of four sasquatch for six days before and "wild animals of the desert" shall come to he managed to escape and return to civilization. His full live there. Along with such denizens of the account can be found in John Green, Sasquatch: The Apes Among Us, Seattle: Hancock House, 1978, pp. 97- desert as ostriches, jackals, and hyenas, the 112. Bible in Russian mentions the leshy (wood

HOMINOLOGY 35 goblin). habituated and befriended the half-man half- How come wood goblins to be in the desert? beast Enkidu with the help of the priestess of The discrepancy intrigued me and demanded the goddess of love Ishtar. Enkidu is said to an answer. In search of it I discovered that the have been shaggy with “hair that sprouted like earliest edition of the Bible in Russia specifies grain,” he ate with the gazelles and drank with the “devil” instead of' “wood goblin” in those the wild beasts at their waterholes. He verses of Isaiah. I then looked up the protected wild animals from hunters, so a Authorized Version of Isaiah in English and hunter went to King Gilgamesh with a request discovered "satyrs" in the corresponding for help. The king recommended that the verses. So I opened the Encyclopedia hunter take a priestess of Ishtar with him to Britannica (1965, vol. 20: 11), and read in part the waterhole and instruct her to disrobe, thus the following: "Satyrs, in Greek mythology, enticing Enkidu away from his animal friends. spirits half-man, half-beast. (...) In Italy often The ruse succeeded and the wildman enjoyed identified with the fauni. In the Authorized the woman’s favors for a week, being Version of Isaiah 13:21; 34:14, the word gradually persuaded to eat bread and drink "satyr" is used to render the Hebrew se’irim wine with the shepherds. He became their (hairy ones) – a kind of demon or friend and helped them by driving lions away being, known to Hebrew folklore as inhabiting from the flocks. Subsequently Enkidu found waste places. They correspond to the "azabb himself in the palace of Gilgamesh and al-'aka-ba" (shaggy demon of the mountain- became the king’s best friend and aid in pass) of old Arab superstition.” hunting. He also helped Gilgamesh in fighting So what were the "hairy ones,” alias the the monstrous demon Humbaba, actually "shaggy demon of the mountain-pass,” alias another Wildman, in the forested mountains of wood goblins, alias satyrs, alias devils, doing Lebanon. (Reder, 1965) (Fig. 9). on the ruins of Babylon? Various translations Lustfulness is a distinguishing trait of satyrs of the Bible into English answer as follows: in ancient Greece. Ancient historian Diodorus they "will leap about," they "will dance," they Siculus (c. 90-21 B.C.) wrote about satyrs: "shall call to each other," they "shall cry out “this animal (emphasis added – D.B.) one to another." Well, I thought, Isaiah could shamelessly seeks crossbreeding" with well be considered a forerunner of humans (Diodorus, 1774). Pausanias, in hominology. After all it was not he who called already quoted Description of Greece, citing the “hairy ones” by such names as “goblins,” Euphemus regarding the danger encountered “satyrs,” and “devils.” He used the term by mariners on the Isles of the Satyrs, derived from the creatures' biological inhabited by “wildmen,” says that the satyrs characteristic, i.e. their hairiness. “ran down to the ship, and without uttering a I then turned to the New International attempted to get at the women in the Version of the Holy Bible, and an alternate ship. At last the sailors, in fear, cast out a rendering. Here "wild goats" were mentioned barbarian woman on the island, and the Satyrs instead of "satyrs" – "And there wild goats outraged her most grossly.” (Pausanias, 1913: will leap about," "and wild goats will bleat to 33). As a result, European languages have each other.” What a leap from the original acquired such ancient medical terms as intent of the reference! satyriasis and nymphomania. The erotic aspect of hominology is reflected Among the commandments that Moses gave most prominently both in ancient literature to Israel, was this: "And they shall no more and world folklore on the subject. According sacrifice their victims to devils, with whom to legend, the Babylonian King Gilgamesh they have committed fornication. It shall be an

DMITRI BAYANOV 36 ordinance forever to them and their posterity" with real demons, and people who fell victim (Leviticus 17:7, The Holy Bible, Douay to certain man-like animals, mistaken for Version, reproduced from the first edition of demons. Accordingly, Sinistrari's work has a The Old Testament, printed at Douay in 1609). long and instructive title: Another translation in The Holy Bible, London, 1850: "And they shall no more offer On demonism and the animals, their sacrifices unto devils, after whom they incubi and succubi, where it is have gone a whoring. This shall be a statute proved that there are reasonable forever unto them throughout their creatures on earth, apart from man, generations.” A third version, published in which have like man a body and a The New English Bible, Oxford, 1970: “They soul, which like man are born and shall no longer sacrifice their slaughtered die, which are redeemed by our beasts to the demons whom they wantonly Savior Jesus Christ and capable of follow.” salvation and damnation (Sinistrari, Let us note that, according to the Hebrew 1875; my translation from the text, Moses did not use the words "devils" or French). "demons" in this commandment by the Lord. Again the term se'irim (hairy ones) was used, Sinistrari mentioned popular names of these which presented a sticking point for the animals, such as folletto in Italy, follet and translators. "Hairy ones," and moreover in France, and duende in (all sacrifices to and fornication with them, called translated as “goblin”). His main argument for for an explanation; “wild goats” would not fit why these beings are animals, not evil spirits, in this case. So “devils” and “demons” were is this – they are immune to . It found to be preferable terms, for who does not happens, he wrote, that they "meet exorcism know that devils and demons are seducers and with a grin," or "even beat up exorcists and corruptors of humankind? tear up sacred clothes." Hence, it is clear they Christianity also condemned "pagan gods" "are not evil spirits or angels, nor are they for lustfulness. “St. Augustine in his City of human beings, even though they are endowed God brackets fauns and sylvans together as with reason." incubi, and then proceeds to explain that both Further biological traits of these animals, ‘desire women and act carnally with them” pointed out by Sinistrari, are the following: (Bernheimer, 1962: 97; Civitas Dei, 15, 23). . they seek sexual intercourse with In 1484, “Pope Innocent VIII issued a bull humans; against witches. It has been estimated that . from such intercourse children are during the next three centuries 300,000 to born who, when grown up, become 2,000,000 persons were executed as witches” very tall, strong and daring; (The Encyclopedia Americana, 1973, Vol.29, . these animals' vocalization resembles ). A standard charge by the whistling; Inquisition for its victims was intercourse, . these animals are attracted by horses including sexual, with a demon. In this and like to plait their manes (this has connection of special interest is the work by been reported elsewhere in Eurasia and Italian theologian, Luigi Maria Sinistrari the Americas – D.B.); (1632–1701), jurisconsult of the Inquisition's . these animals throw stones and pile High Tribunal in Rome. Sinistrari argued that them up; it was necessary for the Inquisition to . it is very difficult to see these animals, distinguish between culprits, who associated being seen either by chance or of their

HOMINOLOGY 37

own volition; stables and mines. In the latter the . they are capable of feeling and trolls usually dig out, hollow and suffering, but being very swift and cleave blocks of stone and load them nimble in avoiding danger, it is in barrels. (…) Other trolls are very surprising that they get killed or harmful, like the one who ran so wild injured at all. This can happen when in the mine at Anneberg a few years they are asleep or in some other ago that it slayed twelve miners.” inadvertent way. (Niclas Burenhult, personal commun- ication of October 9, 1990). Thus we see that the biological nature of the creatures, regarded as evil spirits by some and As for Russia in past centuries, I am not as figments of the imagination by others, was aware of court actions against people apparent to a theologian consulting the interacting with homins, but I know that the Inquisition. We do not know if Sinistrari's Orthodox Church regarded any such distinctions saved any people from death relationship as a great sin. This attitude is during the witch-hunt in Catholic countries, reflected in Bielorussian folklore by an but in Lutheran Sweden death sentences were incantation, an enchantment, which is a kind passed even in the 18th century for sex with of instruction to a young peasant telling him female trolls, called skogsra. I have this what to do if he is accosted by a , a information from the late Norwegian female homin. It is pointed out that the man hominologist Erik Knatterud. He has should not look at her but at the ground, and uncovered references to court documents of say the following: the 17th and 18th centuries regarding these cases (personal communications of June 23 "Water dweller, wood denizen, wild, and July 2, 2003). unruly and whimsical girl! Go away, Incidentally, in 1990, I was in contact with a get away, don't show up at my university student in Sweden, Niclas homestead! (...) I kissed the golden Burenhult, who was studying cultural cross and abide by the Christian faith, anthropology, and wrote me that “In 1555 so can't mix with you. Go to the pine Olaus Magnus published his ‘Historia de forest, to the forest lord. He has gentibus septentrionalibus.’ (…) Olaus prepared a bed of moss and grass and Magnus was the last Catholic archbishop of is waiting for you. You are to sleep Sweden. This work is said to be a unique with him, not with a Christian like me. insight into medieval Scandinavia. The author Amen." (Shein, 1893). travelled throughout Sweden and described the geography, animal life, history, traditions, Sexual ralations of humans with demons is a etc., of the country. In a sense he was a sort of topic present in many works on folklore and early Linne” (Linnaeus – D.B.). Magnus natural history that I read and referred to in (1490-1558) happened to touch on the subject my book. The 12th century Persian scholar of trolls, and Burenhult translated for me from Nizami al-Arudi, mentioned earlier, wrote that the Swedish the following extract: “the Nasnas (…) is very curious about man. (…) And if it sees a lonely man it abducts him “It is an established fact that the and is said to be able to conceive by him.” inhabitants of the north experience (my emphasis – D.B.) (Nizami, 1963). great services and assistance from the One such success story in crossbreeding is trolls. This is most often occurring in reported by Kazakh folklore, telling of a horse

DMITRI BAYANOV 38 herdsman who encountered a female almasty shape.” This hominologist tends to both agree (wildwoman) in the steppe and thought, “Be it and disagree with the ancient scholar. The a or a human, it doesn’t matter.” He beings in question seem very different from cohabited with her and “they had three ordinary humanity, and at the same time they children born to them.” are like human beings not only in shape but in If we give credence in this respect to many other respects as well. folklore, then hominology is faced with the The ancients believed satyrs to be gods and question: What is the genetic status of demi-gods, which did not prevent Hesiod from “demons,” i.e., homins, in relation to Homo saying that these “brothers of mountain sapiens? (were) an idle and worthless race” “Good” species are not supposed to produce (Strabon, 1964). If this means that satyrs and fertile crossbreeds. Still, division into species their ilk do not earn a living by labor, it is and subspecies of closely related organisms is correct. For all we know today, they lead an often a matter of speculation and concensus. animal way of life. Primatologists are aware of fertile hybrids of We also know today that some animals different monkey species. Another case in make and use tools that help them obtain point is the example of wolves and coyotes, nourishment. How about demons in this considered to be different species. Yet they respect? There is mention of clubs in the carry the same number of chromosomes and hands of wood goblins, but no mention of there exist no genetic barrier to their stone tools2; more often use of stones as interbreeding. If not for behavioral projectiles. There are also references to tools differences, which keep them separate, one taken from man. Rusalkas, for example, were species would have long ago absorbed the seen with a pestle in the hand; they were often other. described combing their hair with combs, The homin-human situation appears to be apparently taken from peasant bath huts which similar; the barrier to crossbreeding is likely they visited. behavioral, not genetic. On this basis it could A peasant once observed a rusalka standing be overcome in principle and in practice, but in the water and looking into it as if into a the process has been censored and censured. mirror, smarting herself up. This indicates a The history of man’s relations with homins level of self-awareness shared only by is full of ambivalence. The wild hairy bipeds humans3. Other accounts suggest that rusalkas were believed at one time or another, or used to erase their footprints on a sandy river simultaneously, to be gods, demi-gods, devils, bank. Folklore avers that they make wreaths half-men and wildmen. Accordingly, views on of flowers, sedge, and tree branches, and put their gifts and abilities have been varied and them on their heads. Let us also note that often contradictory. One exception however is satyrs, nymphs, fauns, etc., are often depicted the unanimity of opinion regarding their adorned with wreaths. physical endowment. All popular demons of Pan, the god of flocks and shepherds, when both sexes are far more athletic than humans. tired of striking panic into man, would start Many folk tales relate of physical playing on a flute. There are also pictures of competitions between man and demon, and satyrs on Greek vases doing the same. Pan is every time man would resort to ruse and even credited with inventing the shepherd’s trickery to “win” the round. On record is Pliny the Elder’s phrase in 2 Editor’s note: with a few possible exceptions, e.g. Natural History: “the Satyrs have nothing of Shackley, 1983: 105. ordinary humanity about them except human 3 Editor’s note: and to a lesser degree apes, elephants, dolphins, and magpies, as evidenced by mirror tests.

HOMINOLOGY 39 flute, the syrinx. Satyrs, nymphs, oriental bake bread because they burn their hands. In , and Russian rusalkas love dancing and regard to fire, it is clear that demons are not merrymaking, which is credible enough, but I afraid of it. They approach campfires and always doubted that demons not only dance hearths to warm themselves and they are able but also play music and invented a musical to put out fire, but are never said to be able to instrument. So I wondered why the Greeks make it. credited them with such gifts. Then I Demons can laugh; in sorrow their women happened to read Henner Fahrenbach’s report and children would weep. They can sing, on sasquatch imitating “even short phrases on whistle, and imitate cries of various animals a flute.” Indeed, the sasquatch has and voices of people (males, females, and traditionally been associated with a whistling babies). call. This prompted me to think that when a As for the crucial question of speech, the Greek shepherd played on a flute, Pan and answer in folklore is usually negative. The company, well hidden in the wood, simply Jewish Talmud recommends a method for imitated the sounds, and hence the origin of detecting a demon in the dark. If you happen the legend. to run into someone in the dark, the Talmud Demons can wear clothes, given by humans recommends saying “Shalom!” (Hello). If the or stolen from them. The clothes are usually greeting is not returned, chances are you are old, tattered, and worn inside-out. There is facing a demon. (The Universal Jewish mention of wood goblins tearing off bast from Encyclopedia, “Demons”). The same device is trees and trying to make bast shoes, maybe in mentioned in Georgian folklore, using imitation of similar work by peasants. One Georgian “Gamarjoba!” instead of “Shalom.” item tells of a rusalka that made a cradle for Folklore mentions demons resorting to her baby out of a birch-tree bark. In this gestures and fingers when communicating connection let us recall Albert Ostman’s with humans. Vladimir Dahl writes that words about sasquatches: “… they had some demons “sing without words,” that their kind of blankets woven of narrow stripes of mumbling heard from a distance can be taken cedar bark, packed with dry moss. They for speech, and peasants would interpret it in a looked very practical and warm – with no jocular way (as if meaning “Walked, found, need of washing.” (Green, 1978: 105) lost” or “Worse off every year”), but when There is mention of various activities of coming face-to-face with a demon it would demons helping humans – in hunting, fishing, become clear that he is speechless. pasturing, as well as in household work. Such But if homins have not crossed the “rubicon activities are viewed very positively in of mind” associated with the faculty of folklore, with only a few exceptions. For speech, there is little doubt they have come example, regarding the Georgian dev close to it, and some may even have stepped mentioned earlier, it is said that when people into it. This follows from evidence in different were making hay on a hill, during the night habitats (central Russia, the Caucasus, the dev carried all the haystacks to the hilltop, Tajikistan, China, North America) of their while hay was needed in the valley below. sound-imitating ability, which is condition “The people thought to themselves: ‘Why sine qua non in the origin of speech. And it is wouldn’t he carry the stacks down instead of noteworthy that if not all, then at least some uphill?’ The next night the dev brought all the homins have been reported to be capable of hay down.” utterances resembling words. No ape is The work of house-hold she-demons is capable of such mimicry, being capable of highly praised, but is noted that they cannot mastering only the simplest of monosyllabic

DMITRI BAYANOV 40 utterances such as “ma.” and mountains, but above all it lurks hidden in the "forests of the mind." If not for these CONCLUDING REMARKS forests, the problem might have been resolved long ago. The task of hominology is to take Folklore is a rich source of information for the creature out of these dark forests and into the discerning hominologist and, at the same light of objectivity. time, an obstacle that has to be overcome on One final relevant question: How to the way to the truth. The book Wood Goblin correlate relict hominoids with the fossil Dubbed Monkey serves this double aim. It record of ? According to concludes with the question: “Will goblins Krantz (1980), Neanderthals had more traits in help the world of science to open its eyes on common with than with Homo what was clear to Boris Porshnev over twenty sapiens, so that they “could all be classed with years ago?” erectus.” He also wrote: “Homo erectus Folklore suggests that human-wildman existed for over a million years with relatively relationship throughout the millennia has been little change – a kind of evolutionary plateau – one of a love-hate kind. The lords of nature and then was transformed rather quickly into have been deified and condemned, offered Homo sapiens” (Krantz, 1980). sacrifices and hunted as valuable game for Could it be that today’s wild bipedal homins food and medicinal purposes. We also learn are relicts of that evolutionary “standstill,” that various specimens have been captured, which lasted long enough for them to tamed and exploited as warriors, hunters, penetrate and settle the Old World before the unskilled laborers. Why then have they not advent of Homo sapiens? Adapting to local been turned into slaves, or a kind of most environments, these pre-sapiens must have sophisticated domestic animal? Wolves have more or less departed in their physique from always been man’s enemies, but transformed the fossil erectus-grade forms presently into dogs have become man’s best friends. known to science. I therefore propose that Why hasn’t this happened with pre-human homins reported in central Eurasia are relicts homins? of the Homo erectus-Neanderthal stage of I think the answer is evident: genetically evolution. they are so close to humans that they tend to Lastly, some concluding thoughts from my interbreed with our kind. But, unlike human address at the International Bigfoot slaves, they are unable to understand and obey Symposium in Willow Creek, California, in human rules and customs of sexual behavior September 2003. I think that one of the great or respect a ban on interbreeding with scientific results of the 20th century was the humans. This may explain the homins’ special discovery of relict hominoids, popularly role and place in human history and culture. known as abominable snowmen, yeti, yeren, Perhaps for this reason information about our almas, almasty, Bigfoot, sasquatch, etc. wild hairy cousins has been concealed and Actually, it was a re-discovery by kept secret throughout ages, why it has been hominologists of what had been known to so greatly mythologized, having reached us western naturalists from antiquity to the abundantly by way of myth and folklore and middle of the 18th century, when wild bipedal much less by way of natural history and primates were classified by Carl Linnaeus as science. Homo troglodytes. As for eastern scholars and Cryptids are usually hidden in forests, rural populations in many parts of the world, mountains, lakes and oceans. The object of they have always been aware of wild hairy this research is likely hidden in natural forests bipeds, known under diverse popular names.

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Thus, on the agenda is not their discovery, Russian). Moscow: Eastern Literature Publishing but general recognition of their re-discovery in House. Pausanias (1913) Pausanias’s Description of Greece. the last century. Such recognition is expected London: MacMillan. to make a tremendous impact. Pliny (1979) Pliny the Elder’s Natural History. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. Plutarch (1792) Plutarch’s Lives. London: Dilly. LITERATURE CITED Porshnev B (1963) The Present State of the Question of Relict Hominoids (in Russian).Moscow: VINITI. Bayanov D (1991) Wood Goblin Dubbed Monkey (in Porshnev B (1974) The Troglodytidae and the Russian). Moscow: Obshestvo po izucheniyu tain i Hominidae in the Taxonomy and Evolution of zagadok zemli. Higher Primates. Current Anthropology 15(4): Bayanov D, Bourtsev I (1974) Reply (to Comments). 449-450. Current Anthropology 15(4):452-456. Reder D (1965) Myths and Legends of the Ancient Land Bayanov D, Bourtsev I (1976) On Neanderthal vs. of the Two Rivers (in Russian). Moscow: Nauka. Paranthropus. Current Anthropology 17(2):312- Sandgathe DM, Dibble HL, Goldberg P, McPherron 318. SP, Turq A, Niven L, Hodgkins J (2011) On the Bernheimer R (1952) Wild Men in the Middle Ages. role of fire in Neandertal adaptations in Western Cambridge: Harvard University Press. Europe: Evidence from Pech de l'Azé IV and Diodorus Siculus (1774) Bibliotheca Historica de Marsal, France. Paleoanthropology 2011:216- (translated from Greek into Russian). St. 242. Petersburg. Part I, p.141. Schiltberger J (1879) The Bondage and Travels of Genus (1962) Vol.18, No.1-4, p.4. Rome, Italy. Johann Schiltberger. London. Green J (1978) Sasquatch: The Apes Among Us. Shackley M (1983) Still Living? Yeti, Sasquatch and Seattle: Hancock House. Neanderthal Enigma. New York: Thames and Korogly K (1983) Interactions of eposes of the peoples Hudson. of , Iran, and Azerbaijan (in Russian). Shein P (1893) Materials for the study of everyday life Moscow: Nauka. and language of the Russian polulation of the Krantz G (1980) Sapienization and Speech. Current North-Western Region (in Russian). St.Petersburg. Anthropology 21(6):773-792. Vol. 2, p. 526. Linnaeus C (1758) Systema Naturae. Stockholm: Singh J and Zingg R (1942) Wolf-children and Feral Laurentii Salvii Holmiae. Man. New York and London: Harper. Linnaeus C (1760) VI Anthropomorpha. Amoenitates Sinistrari L (1875) De la demonialite et des animaux Academiae. incubes et succubes… Translated from Latin into Lucretius T (1947) De rerum natura. London: Oxford French by Isidore Liseux. Paris. University Press. Strabo (1964) Geographica (translated from Greek into Masudi A (1841) Ali Masudi’s historical encyclopedia. Russian). Leningrad: Nauka. p. 449. London: Spenger. Wagner M (1796) Beitrage zur philosophischen Nizami A (1963) Chahar maqala (translated into Anthropologie. Vienna.

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Figure 1. Boris Fedorovich Porshnev (1905–1972), the founder of Russian hominology.

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Figure 2. As nimbuses serve to identify divine persons in Christian art, so horns, hoofs and tails indicate heathen gods of hominoid origin in ancient art. Here is an image of the ancient Greek god Pan, patron of herdsmen, hunters (circa 100 B.C.).

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Figure 3. Sculpted portryal of silenus found in excavation of Nyymphaion, an ancient Greek colony in the . The term “silenus’ denoted an “old satyr.”

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Figure 4. A portrayal of the hominoid side by side with Homo sapiens in the 13th century sculpture of a peasant and a wildman on the north portal of Notre Dame, Semur-en-Auxois, Burgundy, France.

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Figure 5. Troglodyta Bontii, alias Homo sylvestris, witnessed and depicted by Jacobus Bontius in Java in the 17th century (published in 165 8).

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Figure 6. A traditional Persian style illustration in which the lassoes and captures a div, whose image is far removed from biology into devilry.

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Figure 7. Jewish demon, a “hairy one” in the original Hebrew text and “devil,” “satyr,” “wild goat,” and “he-goat” in various Bible translations.

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Figure 8. A Russian domovy as drawn by artist , who studied and illustrated Russian folklore. The drawing was made in 1934, long before the birth of hominology.

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Figure 9. Assyro-Babylonian demon Humbaba, lord of the cedar forests in the mountains, who did not allow people to cut them.