Hans Schiltburger (mentioned briefly in part one) was a Bavarian nobleman who is known for the oldest written reference to Asian wild men (so far). His book was written in the 1430s.
Hans was unfortunate enough to be captured during a battle by Mongols of the Golden Horde. A merchant named Egidi bought him from the soldiers as a slave. He traveled extensively throughout the conquered lands of the Golden Horde for several years until he eventually returned to Europe. There he was sold to a Christian who then set him free, enabling Hans to return to his home. It was there he wrote his memoirs including his experiences with the 'wild men'.
He explained how the "wild people" had nothing to do with "normal" human beings. They were "fur" covered over their entire bodies except for the hands and feet. Hans said the creatures ran around the hills like animals and ate foliage and grass and whatever else they could find.
A Lord of a territory where these creatures roamed made Egidi a gift of two of the wild people, a man and a woman. They had been captured out in the wilderness along with three wild horses and a few other animals that were unfamilar to Hans and remained unnamed. The horses he described were a species known as Przewalski's wild horse which were commonly found in that area of asia. Many feel this gives a ring of truth to the rest of his account.
In 1664, a medical book, "The Mirror of Medicine" was published during the Qing Dynasty. It was a compendium of wild animals that could be found in northern China and Mongolia. The book talked of flesh, bones, and other body parts of animals and the various ways they could be used in traditional medicine.
Among the listings of unquestionably real creatures is listed the "wild man". It goes on to list the wild man who "lives in the northern mountains and his origins are like that of the bear. His body resembles that of a man and he has enormous strength. His meat may be eaten to treat mental disease. His gall cures jaundice." Included was a small illustration. It showed a basically human figure standing on a rock with it's left arm upraised. The entire body of the creature, except for hands and feet, were shown covered in dense fur. Even the eyes and mouth were surrounded by hair. The author of the book seemed to consider the wild man as quite ordinary, common in fact.
In the 1890s, it was said an Almas woman was captured, but the story was only revealed in 1910 when a Kazakh herdsman told V. A. Khaklov, a Russian zoologist, of his childhood memory of having seen a wild woman. He explained that she had been captured by some farmers. They were keeping her chained up when he saw her. The woman usually remained quiet but if someone came near her, she would bare her teeth and scream at them. The herdsman spoke of seeing her when she slept. He said she would rest on her knees and elbows, placing her forehead on the ground. Her hands would be folded on the back of her neck. Her diet was raw meat and vegetables and she would drink by lapping it like a dog. It was said the farmers released her after a few days and she fled back into the forest.
Nancy
"I'll spark the thought; what you do with it is up to you."
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