I've seen that story, and the picture that went with it. It's a bear paw. Forefoot at that. Somebody got a little over anxious I'm afraid.
On Neanderthals
There are stories out of Siberia about surviving neanderthals. locals call them almas. Said to live up in the peaks, coming down on occasion to hunt or trade. The sort of trade where one party leaves something at a site and goes away. Then the other comes buy, leaves something of their own, and, in the long run, swapping of goods occurs. It can take a few days of taking stuff up, taking back stuff the other side didn't want, taking up stuff they might be interested in. Finding new stuff you're really not interested in and leaving it where it lies. Coming back later to find the stuff you didn't want replaced by other stuff that might be more interesting. And so on and so forth.
The Gaunches are now known to be descended from an ancient pre-Arab population. One possessing archaic features dating back to prehistoric days.I have heard that the oldest Gaunches settlements in the Canaries are almost as old as the first Aboriginal settlements in Australia. The Basques themselves have some cro-magnon features, as do other 'remnant' populations throughout Western Europe. In addition, they once worshipped the bear as a cult animal, before converting to Christianity. And there may still be an active bear cult in Basque country.
Russian Cults
Which brings us back to Russia, and to those famous dancing bears. The remnant of an ancient bear worshipping cult in Russia. It is said that when you see a Russian performing bear act you are seeing an ancient ritual enacted to bring health and prosperity to the land.
And this brings us back to the alma. Not only the alma, but the yeti and sasquatch as well. For there are those who insist that yetis, sasquatches, and almas must be bears. This despite the fact they really don't know what they're talking about.
Aint it amazing what some people will do when they won't acknowledge that they might be wrong?
On Neanderthals
There are stories out of Siberia about surviving neanderthals. locals call them almas. Said to live up in the peaks, coming down on occasion to hunt or trade. The sort of trade where one party leaves something at a site and goes away. Then the other comes buy, leaves something of their own, and, in the long run, swapping of goods occurs. It can take a few days of taking stuff up, taking back stuff the other side didn't want, taking up stuff they might be interested in. Finding new stuff you're really not interested in and leaving it where it lies. Coming back later to find the stuff you didn't want replaced by other stuff that might be more interesting. And so on and so forth.
The Gaunches are now known to be descended from an ancient pre-Arab population. One possessing archaic features dating back to prehistoric days.I have heard that the oldest Gaunches settlements in the Canaries are almost as old as the first Aboriginal settlements in Australia. The Basques themselves have some cro-magnon features, as do other 'remnant' populations throughout Western Europe. In addition, they once worshipped the bear as a cult animal, before converting to Christianity. And there may still be an active bear cult in Basque country.
Russian Cults
Which brings us back to Russia, and to those famous dancing bears. The remnant of an ancient bear worshipping cult in Russia. It is said that when you see a Russian performing bear act you are seeing an ancient ritual enacted to bring health and prosperity to the land.
And this brings us back to the alma. Not only the alma, but the yeti and sasquatch as well. For there are those who insist that yetis, sasquatches, and almas must be bears. This despite the fact they really don't know what they're talking about.
Aint it amazing what some people will do when they won't acknowledge that they might be wrong?
