Events | 2009.12.22
From the archive: Yeti scalp (they say it's 240 years old) is here – by air
Originally published on 23 December 1960
Sir Edmund Hillary and Mr Desmond Doig, who have been on a yeti-hunting expedition in Nepal, arrived in London by air yesterday with the scalp of what is believed in Khumjung village to be a yeti. With them was Khumjo Chumbi, village headman, who is guardian of the scalp.
Sir Edmund said he would rather withhold his theories until the scalp had been examined by a zoologist, and until French and American experts had completed tests of the hair. But unless "something turned up" concerning the scalp he did not believe in the existence "of a strange new animal."
Khumjo Chumbi, however, was in no doubt about the scalp\'s nature. He said he had heard a yeti crying three times in one day, and his children had seen one.
"We don\'t believe in giraffes and lions in Nepal because there aren\'t any there. Likewise you don\'t believe in yetis because you have none in your country."
With the scalp on a table in front of him Sir Edmund said: "The scalp was in the house of a frightening old woman, believed to be a witch, in Khumjung. It has been in the possession of the village for 240 years.
"The villagers hold it in great respect as a good luck charm, and we had a lot of trouble getting it out. The old woman said bad luck would befall the village if it left.
"Eventually we took it under three conditions: that we gave a donation to the village monastery; that one of the headmen came with us; and that we must give a donation towards a new village school.
"If we are not back by January 5 three Sherpas who were with us will forfeit their lands."
Khumjo Chumbi gave five low cries when asked to imitate the call of the yeti. He said: "My children saw it. They called out and it ran away. It had a human head and ran like a dog. It is about the size of a ten-year-old child."
The three men were booked to fly in the DC 8 which crashed in Brooklyn last week.
Sir Edmund was asked if he thought the good luck scalp saved them. "Personally I don\'t believe in good luck charms," he said. "We didn\'t fly on that plane because we had more work to do in Chicago. The amount of prayers that Khumjo Chumbi says before we board a taxi or plane look after us sufficiently."
When the three left the airport together for talks with the Royal Geographical Society Sir Edmund declined to say where they were staying. "I shall be spending Christmas with my sister in Norwich," he said.
For more information, please visit
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/dec/23/yeti-scalp-nepal-edmund-hillary
