One of the most interesting parts of Bhutanese culture are the intense followings of superstitions & religion. I got to see firsthand one of the most revered & storied creatures in this Asian country. There is a preserve just north of Thimphu setup & founded by the WWF hoping to insure the survival of this "threatened" species.
Their national animal is a takin & it is unlike any animal I have seen. A strange cross between a yak & goat, its docile nature & calm disposition make it an animal fitting for such a culture. So strange of a creature it in fact cannot be closely related to any other animal on the planet. So different it has its own genus & species classification. The takin is almost entirely endemic to Bhutan.
This only helps to add to the stories of its creation. The most common concerns the Divine Madman. It is believed that while he was visiting a small village they asked him to perform a miracle. First he said he needed to be fed & the villagers brought him a yak & goat. Once he was finished, he took the skull of the yak & placed it on the body of the goat. It instantly sprang to life & began grazing.
Somehow I missed this one before now....thanks for the link! Interesting. Whose knows what elese I've missed I'm going to have to reread it all!
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