The Himalayan Yeti

The Origin of the Legend

The legend of the Yeti is deeply rooted in Himalayan culture. The term "Yeti" is derived from the Tibetan word yéh-teh, which roughly translates to "rock bear." Which means, it could simply be just that- a bear. But some legends say the Yeti is a being living in a parallell dimension, revered as a spiritual creature. Entering the human world once in a while, and sometimes interact with humans. 

Indigenous communities like the Sherpas and Tibetans have long shared stories about a powerful and elusive creature inhabiting the high mountains. In their folklore, the Yeti is often depicted as a guardian of the wilderness, both feared and revered. It is said that the mountains belongs to these creatures, not the humans. And they are very firm that it is not a bear. 

The Western fascination with the Yeti began in the 19th century when explorers and mountaineers, in their common fashion of having to force themselves and the western ideas onto precisely everything, encountered stories and footprints attributed to the creature. And of course they had to find one, and perhaps capture it to have in a lab or a zoo to experiment and make money out of the poor thing, or kill it and brag about it, selling it by the pound to the highest bidder. Maybe make a brag-necklace out of its teeth and fingernails, turing its coat into a rug or a pelt jacket to show off. You know, like white men do. 

Reports of Yeti sightings proliferated during the 20th century, particularly after British climber Eric Shipton photographed large footprints in 1951 during an expedition to Mount Everest. I wasn't there at that time, but I'm sure he did not pay the proper respects to the mountain and the beings living there, as he "conqured" the mountain. So he should consider himself lucky to be given a footprint in the snow and not aimed at his rear end.

Descriptions of the Yeti

Descriptions of the Yeti vary, but there are some common traits. Reports suggest the Yeti stands between 6 and 10 feet tall. A very big thing with other words. It's said to be humanoid figure with muscular build, covered in fur ranging from grayish-white to reddish-brown. It's also shy and elusive, often described as nocturnal, bipedal creature capable of walking upright but also adept at navigating rugged terrain on all fours. 

Scientific Investigations

Over the decades, scientists and cryptozoologists have sought to uncover the truth behind the Yeti legend. While no conclusive evidence has been found to confirm the Yeti's existence, numerous expeditions have produced intriguing findings. Large, unexplained footprints have been documented in remote regions of the Himalayas. Some scientists argue these prints could be caused by natural phenomena like snow erosion or misidentified animals. Up until now, I had no idea that snow left footprints, but thanks scientists, now I know.  

Other findings in recent years, is hair, bones and scats, which have undergone genetic testing. A 2017 study led by Oxford geneticist Charlotte Lindqvist analyzed samples attributed to the Yeti and concluded that many came from known animals such as bears, particularly the Himalayan brown bear (Ursus arctos isabellinus).

But just because the fur found this far, is from a bear, doesn't remove a whole nations cultural knowledge. Hear me out:  I think that the people living these regions and have done so for generations upon generations, might- just might- know a tad bit more about the nature and wildlife in the area, than some outsider. And I do dare to think that people in the Himalayas actually can tell the difference between a bear and not-bears. Just saying....

Others propose that the Yeti could be a cultural memory of an extinct hominid species like Gigantopithecus, a giant ape known to have lived in Asia. And sure, it could be a cultural memory, it could also be that the Yeti don't want to be explained or found by scientists and also trying to avoid paying taxes, so it just simply avoids humans. 

The Yeti in Modern Times

Despite advances in technology and science, the Yeti remains elusive, fueling ongoing curiosity. Expeditions equipped with drones, satellite imaging, and advanced tracking devices continue to search the Himalayan wilderness, which would make anyone - cryptid or no cryptid- feel like someone is watching them all the time, and that would in and on itself bring about severe paranoia. I mean, I'd run and hide away too, if I had more people after me than the FBI's ten most wanted.

While skeptics remain unconvinced, the lack of definitive evidence doesn't mean it doesn't exist. 

I cannot say that the Yeti do or don't exist, I never been to the Himalayans. But, as an indigenous person myself, I have developed an allergy towards people's dissmissivness regarding a whole nations collective knowledge. It is quite arrogant to come from the outside, claiming to know the truth and simply assuming that a whole nation is wrong and can't tell the difference between animals. 

So Yeti, if you're out there: stay hidden!