Debenat takes us on a whirlwind tour of Asia and its extension in the European Caucasus in the footsteps of prominent Wild Man explorers. A presentation of the possible existence of wild men in Asia. The author outlines the expeditions of explorers and researchers, Peter Byrne, Marie-Jeanne Koffmann, Reinhold Messner, Vera Frossard and Zhou Guoxing, and complements historical findings with the search for mythological traces of vanished races. Originally published in French. The possible existence of large humanlike/apelike creature, a Wild Man, in remote regions across the world continues, to fascinate scientists, artists, explorers, & the general public.This wild man exists in myths, religious ritual and folkloric traditions in many diverse cultures, but is there any basis for believing he really does lurk in the mountains throughout Asia? Following in the footsteps of many who have studied and searched for the yeti, almasty and yeren Dr. Debenat documents their experiences and their attempts to answer the question of whether these creatures really ever did exist and, if so, do they still haunt the vast reaches of the Asian wilds? Dr. Debenat presents historical and modern findings, along with the mythology through which native cultures have explained their wild man experiences, and provides readers with a deeper understanding of this most fascinating anthropological mystery.
Jean-Paul Edouard Debenat was born in 1943 in the departement of Vend's in the west of France. His father, a railway stationmaster, had to move to a different town every four to five years. Jean-Paul developed a taste for traveling,and dreamed of becoming an airline pilot so he could travel the world. His dream was shattered when a medical exam revealed weak eyesight, so Jean-Paul turned to the study of English at the University of Rennes. He taught French in Glasgow, Scotland and at the University of Notre-Dame, Indiana. Jean-Paul enjoyed a friendship with novelist and mythologist Jean-Charles Pichon; and he became acquainted with Dr. Bernard Heuvelmans. Pichon and Heuvelmans knew each other and their erudition stimulated Jean-Paul's creativity. Next came a sabbatical in the state of Washington (1994) studying the bigfoot/sasquatch phenomenon. His first book on the topic was published in French (Editions JMG - Le Temps Present, 2007)
"This excellent book by my friend, Jean-Paul Debenat, is well worth reading because, among other worthy inquiries, he has gone to great lengths to accurately explore and document an area of cryptozoology hitherto unknown to many, making the possibility of the existence of wild hominids, especially in the Himalaya, an exciting prospect." -- Peter Byrne, FRGS, author The Monster Trilogy Guidebook: How to find a bigfoot, a yeti and the Loch Ness monster, published by Hancock House Publishers Ltd
