Barbegazi

Creatures from Swiss and French mythology.

The name probably came from the French "barbes glacées" — "frozen beards".

He looks like a little man covered in white fur with a long beard and huge legs. He rides down the mountains on his huge feet as if on skis. 

The usual sounds they make when communicating are similar to the whistle of a groundhog. To communicate at a long distance, barbegazi emit an intimidating howl, which can be mistaken for the whistling of the wind or the sound of an Alpine horn.

During the summer months, barbegazi hibernate and come out of their burrows only in winter after the first heavy snowfalls.

They are usually friendly towards people, but try to avoid any possibility of meeting them. Some people living in this region claim that barbegazis help them a lot, but more often credit is given to St. Bernards.

Others believe that these small creatures warn of the approach of avalanches by whistling or howling.