They called him the Avenging Lama or the False Lama, and said he had no navel.

A number of weird characters – adventurers, maverick scientists, bona fide gods – ran footloose in that area comprised between China, Russia, Tibet and Mongolia, in the final years of 19th century and in the early 20th. Their lives and adventurea have long been one of my interests.

Among the gods – or at least demi-gods – Ja Lama is one of the least famous, and most colorful. Continue reading →