ARCHAEOLOGIANo307,DEC1994RELICHUMANOIDSINANTIQUITY HAVINGTRAVELEDACROSSTHECAUCASUSWITH THEALMASTY,(THERELICHUMANOIDDESCRIBEDBY EYEWITNESSESREPORTSGATHEREDTHERE(NO269),ANDTHENDESCRIBEDITSBEHAVIOR(NO276), ARCHAEOLOGIANOWBRINGSYOUBACKTO EARLYHISTORYTOMEETTHEEARLIESTKNOWN RELICHUMANOIDS.WHETHERONANTIQUEPHENICIAN CUPSORINMAJORDOCUMENTSSUCHASTHEEPICOF GILGAMESHORTHEBIBLE,WEFINDEVERYWHERE THESILHOUETTEOFAHAIRYBIPEDWHOSEFEATURES, PHYSICALASWELLASBEHAVIORAL,ARESTRIKINGLY SIMILARTOTHOSEOFTHEALMASTY. byMARIE-JEANNEKOFFMAN

Theforewordofthegreatdramaofhistoryiswhisperedbyfarawayvoices,fromsuchadistancethatonlyafaintechoreachesourearsthroughthecenturies.Transmittedinsomeway,myths,thenameofformerraces,someevents,makeupaconfusingmixturefromwhichonemustattempttoreadsometruths.J.-J.Ampère,1806Itisstrangetofindthatmanymythscorrespond,quiteaccidentaly,tosomediscoveriesofmodernscience.J.Lacarrière,1984.

When,in1957,Sovietscientistsfirstaddressed,mostcarefully,theproblemoftheso-called“SnowMan”,theirfirststepwastolookintothepastandexaminemythology.Theabsenceofthesubjectinoneortheotherofthesedomainswouldhavebroughttonaughtthehypothesisofitssurvivaltoday.Thefirstresultsofthatenquirywerebeyondexpectations:everywhere,the“wildman”,Homosylvestris,Homotroglodytes,accompanytheotherbiped,Man,throughoutitshistory,asthesourceoftheshepherd’ssuperstitiousfear,

thecuriosityofthenaturalist,theconfusionofthetheologian,thereflexionofthephilosopher.Thewildmanisfoundinallmythologies.Itmighthavebeensafertopresentanoverviewoftheproblembyquotingsomefamouscelebrityofscience,medecineorhistory:Lucretius,Plutarque,St.Augustine,Linné,Montaigne,Prjevalsky,Kozlov,orD.Larrey,thechiefsurgeonofNapoleon’sarmies–afewamongmanywhotookaninterestinthenatureof“wildmen”.However,intheinterestofcontinuity,IchosetostartthislongstoryindeepAntiquity.34

Onthepreviouspage,thePraenestecup(Praeneste,Latium),VIII-VIIcenturyBCE.ItsouterfriesetellsthestoryofahuntbyanAssyrianlord,interruptedbytheinterventionofahairybiped,comingoutofacavetorepelthehunterandthenpursuedandkilled.Above,sketchesofeachofthepanelsillustratingtheepisode.HUNTINGAHAIRYBIPEDASSHOWNONAPHENICIANPLATE.Amongthemanyitemsdiscoveredin1876inthegreatEtruscannecropolisofPalestrina,theformerPraeneste,inLatium,oneofthecupsimmediatelyattractedtheattentionofarchaeologists.KepttodayintheMuseoNazionaledeVillaGiulia,thissilver,gold-platedpateraisperfectlyconserved.Itsinnersurfaceisdecoratedwithacentralmedaillon,surroundedbycircularbandsdepictingengravedfigures.ItisclearlyofPhenicianorigin.Thetombinwhichitwasfoundwasdatedtoaround700BCEbutsomeofitsmotifs,ofancientsource,mightdatefrommucholdertimes.Dr.W.Helbigfirstdescribedtheartifactin1876,butitisCh.Clermont-Ganneau,co-directoroftheEcoledesHautesEtudes,whofirstrecognizedintheupperbandthesequenceofepisodesofahuntinthehillsbyanAssyriannoble.

Frame(Tableau)I-II-III-IV:comingoutofthecityinhischariot,thelordreachesthehillsandfindsandkillsadeer,thenbutchersitintheshadeofthepalmtreeswhilehisslavelooksafterthehorsesandsetsupaplaceforhismastertorest.TableauV.Thelordrelaxesintheshadeofhisumbrella.Anurnwithasimpulumrestsonaplinth;themeatcooksonagrill(analtar?).Thankfultothegodswhohavesmiledonhim,thelordraisesanofferingtotheheavens,wherethereappearsthewingeddiskofasolardeity.However,outofthegapingmouthofcavethereemergestheheadofahideous,seeminglyhumancreatureobservingthescene.TableauVI.Suddenly,thecreatureleapsoutofitscave.Itturnsouttobeaman-likebiped,bulkyandcoveredwithhair.Ithasuprootednearbyplantsandwieldsaprojectileinitslefthand.Scaredbythisintrusion,aharefleesawayquickly.Butthegods

arewatching.ThegoddessAstartetakesthelordanditsteaminaprotectiveembrace.TableauVII.Immediately,thelordtakesactionandattacks.Heshootsatthefleeingcreatureandpursuesitinhischariot.TableauVIII.Thelordstepsoffhischariot.Hegrabsthecreaturebythehairwithhislefthand,andstrikesitwithhisaxe,ignoringthewretchedcreature’stimidgestureofself-defenseorcallforpity.TableauIX.Thedayendedwell.Thewholeteamreturnstothecity.InspiteoftheuniquenatureofthePraenestecup,M.Clermont-Ganneauhopedthat“insomecorneroftheMediterranean“onewouldsomedayfindvariationsonthesamethemewhichwouldallowabetterinterpretationofitsmessage”. 35

TheKourionbipedcup.(Cyprus,VIcenturyBCE,asdescribedbyC.Marquand.Butforafew details,itsouterfriesetellsthesamestoryasthePaenestrecup.Thiswishwassoonsatisfied.AmongthetreasuresdiscoveredinCyprusbyMr.diCesnolabetween1865and1876,onefromKourion(Curium)consistedofpilesofdamagedPhenicianpatera,oneofwhichrepeated,slightlymodified,thesame“HuntingDay”anditsprotagonists.Inthisone,thehuntedcraturedoesnottrytofleeintheopen,butseeksrefugeinthehills,climbingovertherocks.Oncecaptured,itistiedupbeforebeingkilled.Thiscup,nowpropertyofthe

MetropolitanMuseumofArtinNewYork,waspublishedin1887byA.Marquandwhosetitsdateoforigin,probablylocally,tothemiddleoftheVIcenturyBCE.Huntingwasapermanentoccupationforthemenofantiquity.Itsdifferenttechniques,thepreysthemselves,bothwildanddomesticated,wereabasicgraphicartelement,harkingbacktothePaleolithic.Thereisnoneedtoinsistonthedegreeofperfectionofanimal

representationbequeathedbyEgypt,Mesopotamia,andPhenicia:theanatomicalauthenticitywhichallowsthemodernzoologisttorecognizemammals,birdsandfish,downtothespecieslevel;therealismofthepostures;andtheaccuracyofthemovement,reflectinglongandintimateco-habitation.Theroleofhuntingsceneswasnotmerelytoentertain,butalsototeach:realismwasimportant. 36

DetailoftheKourioncupshowingtheflightandcaptureofthehairybiped.AmericanJournalofArchaeology,Baltimore,1887,volIII,plateXXX.ANUNIDENTIFIABLETROGLODYTICBIPED…Onecanreadilyunderstandhowthebipedappearinginthe“lord’shuntingday”excitedthecuriosityofarchaeologists.Wellawareoftheprecisionofanimalrepresentationamongtheancients,noonecouldcastdoubtonitszoologicalrealism.Theproblemwastospecifyitstaxonomicpositionamongprimates.Already,itsdiscovererdoctorW.Helbigdidnotdareventureanopinionandsoughtadvicefromanaturalist,Dr.Boll,whowhileadmittingthat“thetypecannotbepreciselyidentifiedwithanyrace”leanedtowardsaCynocephalusmonkey(Cynocephalussphinx).Fr.Lenormant(1876)suggested,“dueallowancebeingmade,”aBarbaryApe,smallmacaqueoftheAtlasmountains.Onlyabout65cmtall,therewouldbeaproblemofproportions.Ch.Clermont-Ganneaualsoconsultedazoologist,M.A.Milne-Edwards.Theyboththought“thattheidentificationasacynocephaluswasmostdoubtful.”Aratherweakobjection!Warily,others

suggested“greatapes”,“anthropomorphictroglodyticape”,“unclassifiablebiped”.ItwasCh.Clermont-Ganneauwho,insistingontheanimalnatureofthesubject,wasthefirsttopropose,withmuchreticence,agorilla.Thepresenceofthedeer,aspecimenofthepalearcticfauna,isinconsistentwithanAfricananimal.Thecave,“appearingtwice”alsoseemstoexclude“anthropomorphism.”…..RELATEDTOGORILLAS?Forlackofabetteridea,Clermont-Ganneaufellbackonthegorilla,awarethattheCarthaginians–andthusthePhenicians–knewabout“gorillaï”fromtheskinsthatHannohadbroughtbackfromhis“Voyage.”Fromthenonrelyingonthefamousexplorer,writerswouldsidewiththegorilla(Marquand,1887;PerrotetChipiez,1885;W.-M.Dermott,1938;B.Brentjes,1965)althoughwithmuchhesitation:“…thearmsaretooshort”,“…thelegsaretoolong”,“…thebeardandthefeetaretoohuman-like”,inDermott’swords,whoneverthelessstucktothegorillainterpretation.

ThereisnopointinrevivingherethecontroversysurroundingHanno’sVoyage,knownonlyfromaGreekmanuscriptoftheXthcentury,1450yearsaftertheevent.It’simpossiblenottomentionithowever,asitispertinenttoourtopic.TheusualinterpretationoftheVoyageisbasedonHanno’smeetingwithhairyprimates,called“gorillaï”byinterpreters,implyingthattheCarthaginianfleethadreachedtheGulfofGuinea,aconclusionsupportedbythementionofafierymountainidentifiedwithMt.Camerounineruption.Manycontradictions–whichneednotbeenumerated-hadfromtheverybeginning,intheXVIcentury,caughttheeyeofscholars.AninventoryofallviewsexpressedonthisissuewaspresentedbyB.Heuvelmansinasolidlydocumentedanalysis,bringing“inabsentia”theknowledgeofspecialistsonPunichistory,ancientgeography,HellenicandAfricanlinguistic,geology,folklore,toponymy,thefaunaandpre-historyofWestAfrica,maritimetechnology, 37

hydrologicalandmeteorologicalcoastalsailingconditions.Theconclusionofthiseruditereviewiscategorical:itisquitepossiblethataCarthaginianfleetmayhavesailedalongtheAtlanticcoastofAfricaintheVthcenturyBCE;itisimpossiblethatitcouldhavereachedbeyond28oN,southoftoday’sMorocco. Astothegorillas,theskinsbroughtbackbytheHannoexpeitioncouldnothavebelongedtothemfortworeasons:wehavementionedone,ofageographicalnature.Hannowasstill5,000kmshortofgorillahabitat.Theother,ofazoologicalnature,isalsoworthmentioning.Attheendoftheirjourney,theCarthaginiansfound“anislandfullofwildmen.Thefemaleswerethemostnumerous.Theywerecompletelyhairyandtheinterpreterscalledthem“Gorillaï”.Wechasedafterthemalesbutcouldn’tcatchanyofthemastheyweregoodclimbersanddefendedthemselveswithstones.Butwecapturedthreefemales.Bitingandscratching,theywouldn’tfollowtheircaptors.WekilledthemandbroughttheirskinsbacktoCarthage..”

Gilgamesh–StelefromKhorsabad,VIIICenturyBCEMuseeduLouvre

Everythinginthisstoryisforeigntothenatureofrealgorillas,heavyandplacidanimals,notlivingincommunity,incapableofrapidtree-climbing,ferociousdefendersoftheirkin,tothesacrificeoftheirownlives,andwhosefemales,incontrast,areeasilyclubbedintosubmission.ConsideringthattheexistenceofgorillasremainedunknowntoEuropeanscienceuntiltheXIXcentury,thefirstskeletonobtainedin1852andthefirstliveindividualin1870,--thatsameyearthatthePraenestecup,buriedfor2,500years,begantobeinvestigated-andthatonehadtowaituntil1902untilthemightymountaingorillawasdiscovered,itismostlikelythatthepeopleoftheMediterraneanwerenotawareoftheirexistence.So,unawareastheworldofwesternantiquitywasoftheexistenceofgorillas,is

itpossiblethatitknewoftheexistenceofsomeotherkindoflargehuman-likeprimate?Themostancientliterarymonumentsofhumanity,theBibleandtheEpicofGilgameshappeartoanswerthisintheaffirmative.ENKIDUINTHEEPICOFGILGAMESHInresponsetothecomplaintsoftheinhabitantsofUrukaboutthearroganceoftheirking,Gilgamesh,thegoddessAnuru“washedherhands,tookalumpofclay”andcreatedawildman,Enkidu,whoserolewastocounteracttheking’sviolence,thentobecomehisfriend,acourageousandfaithfulcoompanionintheirwarringadventures,sooutrageousthateventuallythegodshadtointerveneandindefaultofcondemningGilgamesh

decidedtosacrificeEnkidu.FivemilleniaofliteraturehavenotsurpassedthepoignantbeautyofthosewordsinscribedinclayatthedawnofhistorybyMan,lamentingatthepainofseparation,proclaiminghishorrifiedrefusalofdeathanddespairathishelplessness.However,thereishereanotheraspectclaimingourattention.ItisahunterwhorevealstheexistenceofEnkidu.Frightened,hedescribesittohisfather:“Isawastrangemanfromthehills.Hehashairalloverhisbodyandheadhairlikeawoman,butstanding,likeearsofwheat.…Heisasmuscularasastonefallenfromheaven,heisthestrongest…Heconstantlyroaminthedesert,theplainsandthehillsinthecompanyoftheanimals.HeknowsnothingofManandCountry.Hebrowseswiththe 38

gazelles,anddrinksfromthespringswiththewildprides.“*Strangely,thiscreatureregularlystandsasaprotectorbetweenthehunterandhiswildprey. Thefatherknowshowtotamesuchacreature,withthehelpofasacredwhorewhosemissionis“toteachthisinnocentwildmanwhatawomanhastooffer.”SheconvincesEnkidutoabandonthewilderness.“Shetakeshimbythehandandleadshimtoasheep-pen.”ThesheperdsmarvelathisresemblancetoGilgamesh—theidealMan–andathispowerfulbuildandstrength.Heisofferedbread,which“heexamineswithmistrust:hedidn’tknowaboutbread.”Or“beer”.“Hecleanedhisbodywithwaterandhavinganointedhimselfwithoil,helookedlikeaman.”

FragmentoftheEpicofGilgamesh,TabletXIBritishMuseum,London

Nowtamed,Enkidubindswithhismastersandservesthemfaithfullyagainstwildbeasts.Inathirdstep,thewoman,clearlyabornpsychologistandethologist,continuesherexperiment.ShenowtakesherprotégétoUruk,thecapital.Again,“astoundedcrowdsgatheraroundhim”.Clearly,inspiteofhishavingwashedandoiledhispelt,Enkiduwasstillfarfromlookinglikeaperfecthuman.ItisinUrukthatEnkiduandGilgameshfirstvieinashowofstrngthandthenbecomelifelongfriends,Enkidubecomingtheadvisorandprotectorofhisfriendwhenhuntingdangerousanimalsinthemountains. Thecity-stateofUruk,biblicalErech,wasoneofthefirstcentersofcivilization.Gilgamesh,mostlikelyahistoricalfigure,wasitsfifthking(aftertheflood!)around2,600BCE.Thefirstcontinuousversionoftheepic,*QuotationsfromvariousFrenchandRussiantranslationsoftheEpic,especiallyBottéro’s“L’EpopéedeGilgamesh”,Gallimard,Paris,1992.

fromBabylon,datesfromaround1,650BCE,butitmerelygatherstogetherolderfragments,writteninSumerian,datingfromtheendofthethirdmilleniumBCE.However,itisquitelikely,writesJ.Bottéro,thatmostofthesefragmentsoriginatedearlier,inthedaysofthekingdomofUr(around2,650BCE)ifnotearlier.It’salmostasiftheEpicofGilgameshantedatedthearrivalofitsprotagonist.Thissoundslikeajoke,butitissuggestedbytheviewsofsomeRussianassyriologistswhofindsourcesofthestoryintheIVthmilleniumBCE,atthedawnofwriting.Intheoldestversions,Enkidu,calledEa-bani,isnotGilgamesh’sfriend,butwellandtrulyhisslave.“ThethemeoftheEnkidustory,saysprofessorB.Porchnev,isaboutaman-likeanimal,cleverlytamedbyhuntersandshepherds,andused,firstasaguardianoftheherd,andthenasanauxiliaryinthehunt”handyintrackinganddestroyingsimilar

creatures,perhapsolderandwilder.Italsoseems,afterhearingaboutEnkidu’s“father”,“mother”and“brothers”thatEnkidustandsforawholepopulationofman-likecreaturesliving“betweenthehillsborderingtheeasternMediterraneanandtheSyriandesertandthemidandlowerbasinoftheEuphrates”(B.Porchnev).IwouldaddtothatalsothemuchlargerZagrosrange,muchnearerSumer.Besides,theoldestversionsoftheEpicspeakoftheZagrosratherthantheLebanonintheepisodeofthestruggleagainstHumbaba.J.BottérogatheredandputintoFrench-aformidabletask–themainfragmentsoftheEpic,inSumerian,Akkadianandotherlanguages.Inacuriousside-notehesaysthat:“Ihavetranslatedbytheword“savage,”wheneverthisadjectiveoftenusedindescribingEnkiduappearsforthefirsttime,thewordwhichisregularlyusedelsewhereto 39:

denotethehumanprototype:“asketchofahuman”.IntheEpic,this“sketch”ofahumanisplacedinapreciseecologicalcontextthankstofrequentremindersofitsvariousbiotopes:“borninthesteppe”,“raisedbyagazelle”,fedbythe“milkofthewildass”,healsocomesdownthemountain,whichheknowsaswellastheforest.Gilgamesh’slamentationsoverthecorpseofhisfriendalsosuggestanecologicalcontext:

GilgameshandEkidu.Rolledoutcylindricalseal.FirstChaldeanEmpire.Around1,500BCE.MetropolitanMuseum,NewYork.InG.PerrotandCh.Chipiez,op.cit.volII,p.6

“cryoverhim,pathwaysoftheCedarmountain,narrowmountainpasses,…Mournhim,bears,hyenas,panthersandtigers,goatsandlynxes,lionsandbuffalos,deerandchamois…”ascenewheremountainfaunapredominates.GilgameshandEnkidualsoappearoncylindricalsealsfromtheEuphratesarea,wheretheystrugglewiththeheavenlybull,thesourceoftheirwoes,andofcoursewithalion.Gilgamesh,theman,isdrawnassuch,whileEnkidu,inspiteofhisrepeatedlynotedresemblancetotheformer,isshowninawaywherehisanimalnatureisrecognizable.Man-beast,manemergingfromthebeast,livingantithesisofspiritandbrutishness….theartistisnotconcernedwithmetaphysics.Simplyandlogically,hedrawsEnkiduasahybrid:upperhalfhuman,lowerhalfbeast.Notanywildbeast,whichwouldmakesense,butafamiliaranimal,thefirstdomesticatedbyman,asplit-hoofbeast,abulloragoat. Ashaggyhead,withpointedears,ahumantorso,hairythighsandlegs,atail,forkedhooves:here’sacharacter

destinedforalongandfruitfulcareer!HAIRIESINTHEBIBLETheBiblealsospeaksofhairyman-likecreatures:theHairies,orSe’irim.WhatisthemessagethatRebecca,concernedaboutthestrugglebetweenhertwinsinherwomb,hearsfromJehovahhimself(Genesis,25,22-24):“Twonationsinyourwombtwopeoplefromyourloinsshallissue.Onepeopleovertheothershallprevail,theeldertheyounger’sslave.”So,whoistheolder,whoofthe“twopeople”isthefirsttoappear?Acreaturecoveredwithreddishhair(“allover,aswithacoatofhair”,“hirsutealloverasthepeltofabeast”)whospendshistimeroaminginnature(“amanofthefield”),adumb-wittedbruteunabletogiveanametothestewoflentilshebegsforandwhichhedoesn’thesitateinhiscrudehungertotradeforhisrightasfirst-born,whichhehasnounderstandingof.Heissohairythatinthefamoussubstitutionepisode,whichJacob

fearspreciselyforthatreason(“Esau,mybrotherisahairyman,andIamnot.Myfathermightperhapsfeelme!”)Rebeccahastohidethe(“hairless”)armsandtheneckofherfavoritesonwiththeskinsoftwofreshlykilledfawns,andtocoverhimwithEsau’sclothing,reekingfromhispowerfulsmell.Isaac’sbenedictionisirrevocableand“thefirstpeople”willbeforeverexiledfromsociety:“YourdwellingwillbeawayfromtheEarth’srichnessandfromthedewofHeavenabove”.(Genesis27,39)Thus,whileJacobbecameIsraelandthefatherofGod’s“ChosenPeople,”EsautheHairy(Se’ir),theRed-Haired(Edom),withdrewintothemountainscalledafterhim,longinhabitedby“people”fearedbyIsrael.TheconceptofHairies(Se’irim)wascleartothefirsttranslatorsoftheOldTestamentandtheSeventydidnotequivocateastothemeaningoftheword.ThetranslationbylearnedHebrewdoctorsandtheologians,heldtodayasamongthemostfaithfulbecauseitsage,languageandsource,wasaimed 40

attheJewishdiasporaoftheGrrekworld.Ithadtobeunderstoodinthatcontext.So,theHairiesarepresentedexplicitlyasSatyrs.TheVulgateusesthatwordorsimplyaliteraltranslation:“Pilosi.”“Satyrs“willcontinuetobeusedinallEuropeanversions.OnlytheRussianswillspeakofananimalmorefamiliartothem:the“Lieschi”,orforestbeing:a“Sylvan”.Poland,catholicandalsoSlavic,alsouses“satyr”butspecifiesthattheyarehairyforestpeople.(BibliaTysiaclesia,1965).However,suchintrudersfrompaganmythologybegantobothertheexegetes.WasittheghostofEnkidu,withhisforkedhooves,oraslipintranscriptioncaused

bytheaconfusionofvowels(Se’irandSa’ir)?ItturnedoutthatfromtheXIXcenturyRevisedVersionsonwards,“Satyr”isprogressivelyreplacedby“billy-goat”,orifretained,subjecttopuzzlingfootnotes.Suchas,forexample,thefollowing,offeredbyaadmitedlybrilliantbiblicalsholar:“Satyr–agoat-likedemonlivinginthedesert.”Forazoologist,aratherenigmaticdescription!Or,fromtheOstyBible:“Satyrs–kindoflocaldemonsperhapsimaginedintheshapeofbilly-goats.” Manyreasons,profaneaswellasreligious,castdoubtonthisrevisedinterpretationoftheantiqueideaof“Hairies”.Firstofall,justlikeEnkidu,theHairiesexistwithinawell-

definedfaunisticenvironment.JustlistentoIsaiahcallingforthe“totaldestruction”ofEdomorBabylon,whoselandswillhenceforthbelongtothe“animalsofthedesert”.“Theywilldwellthereovertheagesandwillbetheirmasterforever”decreesJehovah,whosetsthemthereby“hisownhand”.(Isaiah34).“herlandwillbecomeblazingpitch,fromgenerationtogenerationitwillliedesolate;thedesertowlandthehedgehogwilllivethere……sowillthebarn-owlandtheraven…andthesatyrswillloudlycalltoeachother.

TheJerusalemBibleusesSatyrs; M.Chouraqiwriteseitherbilly- goatsorsatyrs.Itwouldseemhowever,thatin suchspecificcasesthezoological contextdoesnotsupport“billy- goat”….itishardtoimaginebilly goatsinhabitingtheruinsand callingeachother. Finally,the“billy-goat” versionbecomesnon-sensicalin thosetextsforbiddingcertain behaviors.Leviticus,themoral andlegalcodeoftheJews, condemnstodeathanyattemptsatinbreeding.Itordains (Levit.17:7)that“Thesonsof Israelwillnolongersacrificeto thosesatyrswithwhomthey prostitutedthemselves..Thisisa perpetuallaw,forthemandtheir descendants.” WeretheHebrewssoshortof spiritthattheysacrificedgoatsto goats? 41

BIBLIOGRAPHYBibliaTysiaclesia,PismoSwiete,Poznan,1965Ch.Clermont-Ganneau.Etudesd’archéologieorientale:L’imageriephénicienneetlamythologieiconologiquechezlesGrecs.ILacoupephéniciennedePalestrina.Paris,Leroux,1880.WolfgangHelbig,“ScavidiPalestrinaenoticie…”Bollet.dell’Instit.dicorrespondenzaarchaeologica,RomaVIgiugno1876.BernardHeuvelmans,Lesbêteshumainesd’Afrique.chap.6“Lesgorillaïétaient-ilsdesgorilles?”Paris,Plon,1980FrançoisLenormand,Compterendudel’Acad.desinscrip.etBelles-Lettres,Paris1876.AllanMarquand,“ASilverPaterafromKourion”.Amer.J.Archaeol.andHist.Arts,Baltimore,dec1887.“Midrashin”-exploration,analysedelaBible.EncyclopaediaJudaica.En17volumes.Jerusalem,1978JohnLyntonMyres,HandbookoftheCesnolaCollectionofAntiquitiesfromrus.NewYork,1914BorisF.Porchnev,Currentstatusoftherelichominoidproblem.USSRAcad.Sciences,Moscow,1963.412pp.BorisF.Porchnev,“Lostatoattualedelproblemadegliominoidiregrediti”Genus,vol.XX,no1-4,1964.AbroadoverviewofPorchnev’sworkpresentedbytheInternat.Inst.Sociology.BernardTeyssèdre,NaissanceduDiable.DeBabyloneauxgrottesdelaMerMorte.AlbinMichel,Paris,1985ThesecondpartofthisarticlewillbepublishedinthenextnumberofArchaeologia.Marie-JeanneKoffmanisasurgeoninMoscowhospitals,PresidentoftheRussianCryptologicalSociety,ahonorarymemberoftheInternationalSocietyofCryptozoology,andamemberoftheGeographicalSocietyaffiliatedwiththeRussianAcademyofScience.

Commentaries.theOstyBible:“Satyrs–theHebrewword(theHairies)describesbilly-goats,andalso(?)localdemons,roaminginruinsand,intheend,idolsandfalsegods.”A.Chouraqui’sBible:“thetermmeansidols,demonsorevilspiritssaidtohauntdesertsandthewilderness.”TheJerusalemBible:“Satyrs”–theHebrewwordmeans“billygoat”andalsoappliestoanimal-likespiritssaidtohauntruinsanddesertedareas.“Apartfromtheproblemsofhavingtodealwithspiritsandgenies,onemustalsolookfortheminruinsorinthedesert.Besides,thereexiststraightforwardexplanationsofthemeaningoftheword“Se’irim”inLeviticus.Thus,theLeviticusRabbah,oneoftheoldestknownMidrashin,andagreatclassicofrabbinicalliteraturehadalreadyaddressedthis.YonahN.binAaron,doctorintheology(1961),remindsusthat,tomakesurethatthecasualreaderdoesnotconfusethe“Se’irim”mentionedinthispassagewiththehairybillygoats(“Se’ireiizzim”)oftheprecedingverses(dealingwithritualsacrificesofbullsandgoats),LeviticusRabbah,theoldestjudaicexegesisspecifiesthat:“theseSe’irimarenoneotherthanthedestructors,thesonsofEsau”.ThesonsofEsau,theHairy,expelledfromhumansociety!Mightitnotbewithaparallelconcernforpolarisationandrejectionofcoarseandheavyman-likecreaturesthatZoroastrianismdenouncesthecultofdevas,hairy,brawnycreatureslivinginthehills,fightingbythrowingrocksorwieldingbrokenbranches,to

whomsacrificesweremadeofpreciousdomesticanimals.DevelopedaroundtheVII-VIcenturyBCE,thisdoctrinedidnotcondemnbeliefintherealityofdevas,whichitacknowledged.Itsimplydemotedthemfromtherankofveneratedbeingstothatof“unclean”,toberejected(Porchnev,1963).AnothernamefortheHairies,Shedim,appearsmorerarelyintheBible,whichseemstopreferthegoatmetaphor.Nevertheless,Shedimarefoundinmyriadsinrabbinicaltexts(B.Teyssèdre).Andtheyareindeedhairyhuman-likebeings,asseenontheornamentalcapitalofaXIVcenturyHaggadah(imageonp.41).The21stletteroftheHebrewalphabet, (sh)issurroundedbyfigureswhichhaveitasthefirstletteroftheirname:lion(shahal),fox(shu’al),lynx,andtwoshedim,inthecompanyofmembersofthefaunadecribedinthetexts.HAIRYBIPEDSONASCYTHIANMIRRORLetsleaveforamomenttheFertileCrescentfortherealmofanotherantiquecivilization,thatoftheScythians,whosetumulicoverthesteppesandthefoothillsoftheNorthCaucasus.Amongtheburialgoodsfoundinoneofthesetumuliin1903inKeremes,therewasalocallycraftedmirror,todayintheErmitagemuseum,witheightgoldpanelsonitsback.Besidestwoorthreesymbolicfigures,theartisthasdrawninthefamouslyrealisticstyleofthesteppepeopleasampleofrepresentativesofthelocalfauna:lion,auroch,wolf,tiger,mouflon,bear,eagle,jackal…andapairofrobusthairybipeds,reminiscentoftheirEtruscanandCypriotcontemporaries..(EndoftheVIIcenturyBCE).42