In ancient times, a rumor spread among the tribes of the Altai Mountains that a strange monster of snow and ice had appeared in the Altai forests—a yeti, for some reason called White Ear, likely because one of its ears was whiter than snow.
The leader of one of the tribes possessed untold riches. He heard of the yeti and, to gain fame among the other leaders and surprise them, decided to capture the monster. He declared that whoever captured the yeti would receive a generous reward— half of his wealth.
Dozens of warriors set out to find this mysterious creature. They searched for it for many days and nights through the mountains and forests until they finally found it. The hunters spent a long time hunting White Ear, who fiercely defended himself and refused to surrender to his enemies, accustomed to living in freedom. Then, seeing that they would not capture the yeti alive, the heroes killed him, hoping to receive a reward for his death. The yeti fell to the ground, exposing his dazzling white ear to the sun's rays. The heroes approached to carry him away, but, mighty as they were, they were unable to lift the monster, and they were forced to return empty-handed.
In the place where the White Ear fell, a tall mountain grew. Its peak, always covered in snow, juts out like an ear. People, looking at this mountain, named it Belukha, in memory of the proud yeti.
The Legend of Mount Belukha
- By word of mouth