abominable snowman

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Legendary creature, said to resemble a human, with long arms and a thickset body covered with reddish-grey hair. Reports of its existence in the Himalayas have been made since 1832, and they gained substance from a published photograph of a huge footprint in the snow in 1951. No further ‘evidence’ has been found. According to local legend, the creature brings bad luck to anyone who sees it.

In October 1988 German mountaineer Reinhold Messner claimed that the abominable snowman is really a Tibetan bear that lives at altitudes between 12,000 and 18,000 feet, has long hair, can grow up to 11 feet tall, and can walk on its hind legs as well as on all fours. Messner claimed that the bear is rarely seen because it travels mainly at night.

The Pillars of Hercules represent the promontories of Gibraltar and Ceuta. The shield represents the regions of Castile, Léon, Aragón, Navarre, and Granada. Effective date: 18 December 1981. >>