The Nasnas
Medieval Arab writers described a creature in Yemen that was half a person: one arm, one leg and half a face, hopping through the trees.
What was reported
The nasnas is a creature from Arabian folklore and the books of medieval geographers. It was said to be half a human being, split from head to foot, with one eye, one arm and one leg, and to move by hopping with great speed.
Writers placed it in Hadhramaut, in Yemen, and in other remote lands. Some said it was a separate race of beings, others the offspring of a jinn and a human.
Explanations offered
The nasnas belongs to a long tradition of 'wonders of the world' described by travellers in many cultures, along with one-footed people in Greek and Indian writings. It may have grown from tales of monkeys glimpsed in the trees. It also appears in the Thousand and One Nights.
- When
- Described since medieval times
- Where
- Hadhramaut, Yemen
- Witnesses
- Arab travellers and geographers
- Status
- Legend
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.
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