Bilk - no 024 - 1988 09

Magazine Overview

BILK is a publication focused on unexplained phenomena, cryptids, and fortean events. This issue, number 24, dated September 1988, originates from West Germany and was priced at 15 German Marks for a subscription of 6 issues. The content is primarily in German, with some English sources cited.

BEHEMOTH

Loch Ness

The article "Naturwissenschaftliche Rundschau" (vol. 41, nr.4, April 1988) by Hans-Heinrich Vogt is highlighted for providing a balanced perspective on the Loch Ness Monster (LN). It covers the Drumnadrochit exhibition, St Columba, Fr Brusey, the 1933 Daily Mail hoax, and Operation Deepscan. Nessletter 88 (June 1988) is noted as excellent, mentioning two new sightings attributed to wave effects and revealing that L Stuarts' 1951 picture is considered faked, even by Mackal. Janet Bord has informed the publication about a forthcoming book by Richard Frere, a skeptic, titled "Loch Ness", to be published by John Murray in September, featuring a chapter on the monster's history and curiosities.

Lake Karnaci/Karnachi

In Xinjiang province, China, near the Soviet border, lies the 89m deep Lake Karnaci (or Karnachi), situated 1200m above sea level in the Altai mountains. Locals have blamed a lake monster for disappearing animals. In 1985, students and a teacher observed a "big red fish" approximately 10m in length. Scientists from the Nankiang Geographical Institute and the Marine Research Institute of Heilongjiang Province are now investigating the lake using hovercrafts, boats, and nets. The only result to date is a 68cm red, carnivorous fish. The report questions if this is identical to Lake Hanas.

Helgoland (ISIS)

In March 1987, a mermaid was reportedly washed ashore on Helgoland and examined by a biologist, who named it Thalassiovirgo neritica. This event, detailed in "Naturwissenschaftliche Rundschau" (40, 4, April 1987), is described as a parody of the factual style of the CZ-Journal. The hoax was also mentioned in the German satire magazine "Titanic" (July 1988).

Carolinas

The AFN (Frankfort) reported on July 21 that a "lizard man" with red eyes had been observed and pursued near Columbus, South Carolina. On July 23, a similar creature, 7ft long, was spotted in North Carolina. An Arab News UPI report from Bishopsville, South Carolina, described the lizard man as a swamp-dwelling, 2.1m scaly green creature with red glaring eyes that chases cars and frightens residents. It reportedly lives in a swamp 6 km south of Bishopsville. In mid-July, it damaged a car. The Saudi Gazette, citing an AP report, added that 17-year old Christopher Davis was attacked by the creature in Scape Ore swamp around 2 am in June. Davis stated the creature had three-fingered hands and ran as fast as 35 mph. A radio station offered a $1-million reward for its capture. An unidentified man later claimed he shot it, but the scales and blood he presented were those of a fish. Police are not taking the matter seriously. L Coleman and Curious Encounters are cited for more examples of lizard men, with the report suggesting it is a developing myth, possibly symbolizing nature and acting as a frontier-guardian against civilization.

Denmark

Seventy-five years ago, on August 23, 1913, the "little mermaid" statue was erected in Copenhagen.

LEVIATHAN

Djibouti

Jean-Jacques Barloy provided information on the Djibouti monster. In an interior sea near Djibouti, the Goubet, lives an enormous creature, described as a kind of shark or ray with a span of 110m/370ft. It cannot leave the bay due to its size and strong currents. Locals regard it as a god and offer it a live camel in a cage annually, which is found broken with the camel gone when the cage is pulled from the water. Cousteau is said to have described the legend in "Vie et mort de Coreaux" and allegedly filmed the monster, though he denies this. A booklet about the affair, reportedly authored by Cousteau, is also denied by him.

KRAKEN

Argentinia

"Bild am Sonntag" (June 17) reported on the ISC and recent discoveries, mentioning Mackal and Heuvelmans. Two expeditions are planned: one by Hans Fricke to search for the Coelacanth, and another by a team from the University of Chicago to dive in southern Argentinia to search for giant octopi with 30m/100ft arms. No reports of giant octopi from that area are available.

Hokkaido, Japan

J J Barloy's "Enquente sur le serpent-de-mer" Nr 44 (July 1988) mentions a photo of a giant squid in the "Asahi Shimbun" (April 9, 1988). The text describes a giant cuttle-fish of 2m length, wounded, encountered by a submarine instructor at a depth of 12m. Another man photographed the animal. Barloy suggests it could be Sepioteuthis, noting the creature appears larger than 2m in the picture.

USOS (Unidentified Submerged Objects)

Sweden

The Swedish national defense staff issued a pamphlet titled "Our uninvited visitors" asking fishermen to report sightings of subs. Hundreds of people report them annually. In 1988, the Swedish navy conducted 9 separate sub chases, resulting in two confirmed hits of rocks and one possible hit of a submarine. In late June, sub hunters took a three-week vacation. The government stated that "blood will flow" if subs are found again. An anonymous interview with a high-ranking Soviet military official admitted that Swedish USOs were Russian subs, but claimed no visitors had been present since Gorbachev assumed office. This confession generated mixed political reactions but few doubted its authenticity. In late July, a military spokesman announced the navy had taken an "echo-sounder photo" of a mini-sub in Oxelosund. The picture was too fuzzy to determine nationality, but was claimed as proof of foreign intruders. The sub was reportedly hit by underwater bombs but escaped. Oxelosund is known for its mirages, historically thought to be Krakens, sea serpents, or ghost islands.

CRYPTOZOOLOGY

Yeti

Günther Vollmer, interviewed on German TV's "Tele-Illustrierte" (ZDF, July 26), claimed to have taken three photos of a Yeti in Tibet/Nepal. Initially skeptical, he is now a believer, stating the creature resembles a gorilla, though the writer likens it to an erect monkey. The photos were shown on TV and appeared convincing. The ZDF declined to provide Vollmer's address but confirmed the pictures were reproduced in "Bunte" (July 28). However, the writer could not find the pictures or a report in "Bunte".

Separately, over 100 researchers in 12 teams searched Shennongjia in China's Hubei province in June. They analyzed thousands of hair strands and concluded they belong to an unknown high primate. A Soviet expedition is also searching for the "kompolen", the Siberian yeti, based on legends from the Syryan people.

ABC (Australia)

Reports indicate 1500 sightings of pumas north of Melbourne in the last 5 years. Farmers have hunted them in vain as they kill sheep and have attacked humans. Zoologists believe these pumas are offspring of 6 pet pumas that escaped during World War II.

Switzerland

A newly discovered 77cm rodent, 3.8 km long, was found on June 28 in a chicken yard in Mendrisiotto, Switzerland, near the Italian border. It has brown fur and resembles a "monster rat". The report speculates if this could be related to "tatzelwurms". The discovery was not mentioned in the "Neue Zürcher Zeitung".

FORTEANA

Reports include a "swimming island" in Lago Posta Fibreno, Italy, a "Strange Glow Found a Mile Deep in Pacific" off British Columbia, and a mention of killer whale attacks previously noted in BILK.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue of BILK are the persistent mysteries surrounding lake monsters (Loch Ness, Lake Karnaci, Djibouti), cryptids (lizard men, Yeti, pumas, tatzelwurms), and unidentified phenomena (USOs). The publication seems to present a wide range of reports, from scientific investigations and skeptical analyses to eyewitness accounts and folklore. While some reports are presented as hoaxes or parodies, others are treated with a degree of seriousness, suggesting an open-minded approach to unexplained events. The editorial stance appears to be one of documenting and disseminating information on these topics, encouraging readers to consider the possibilities beyond conventional explanations.