Tuesday, July 24, 2012

RAMHORNS!

A reader writes:
Alot of the time I see yeti picture they don't have horns but some have satyr horns or ram-like horns? Are these still yetis or not?

Thanks!

Julia

They are still Yetis!  Here are some examples:
Yeti by Miles Collins

Yeti by Sigrid Rødli

Yeti by ~DogaXIII

TV Movie: Rage of the Yeti (2011)




So why do people sometimes depict Yeti with the curvy horns of a bighorn sheep? Or, for that matter, horns of any kind?  Like, what's with the horns?!

Well, it's certainly nothing to do with cryptozoology. Loren Coleman pointed out it's most likely due to the popularity of Star Wars' Wampa.   After "The Empire Strikes Back", the image of a horned, white-furred snow beast became permanently planted in people's minds.


But perhaps it goes deeper than that.  We've really always liked our hairy monsters to have horns.  Take Krampus, for example, who came out of Pagan traditions:



And be sure to blame the Ancient Egyptians (I do for most things), who were ga-ga about animals with horns and occasionally enjoyed sticking the things on their deities' heads.  Like their cow goddess, Bat.  She could easily pass as a modern day Yeti:



The Romans, being Egyptophiles, were horny for horns too:


They definitely give one a magical, other-worldly appearance. Just ask Tim:



Thanks, Julia!

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