Bilk - no 031 - 1989 09

Magazine Overview

BILK, issue 31, published in September 1989 by Ulrich Magin from West Germany, is a magazine dedicated to exploring unusual phenomena, folklore, and mysteries. The cover features a quote from T.S. Eliot's 'The Dry Salvages' that likens a river to a 'strong brown god,' setting a tone for the issue's exploration of water-related myths and phenomena.

Behemoth: Australia

The issue reports on a protest in Perth, Western Australia, where aboriginees occupied an abandoned brewery on a site sacred to them as the nest of the Wagyl, the rainbow serpent. They demanded the government demolish the building and erect a park, but the government intended to construct a building with a gallery of Australian art. Police arrested protesters, highlighting the importance of mythical concepts of water monsters.

Behemoth: Loch Ness

A recently published hiking guide for Scotland claims that if Nessie is ever caught, Inverness will be destroyed by fire and flood, according to a prophecy of the Brahan Seer. The article notes that this might be a 20th-century invention, as A. Mackenzie's book on the Brahan Seer prints the prophecy without the monster reference, interpreting an apocalyptic vision as the introduction of gas and water pipes.

Isis: Bali

For the past 10 centuries, the inhabitants of Bali believed their water goddess Dewi Danu lived in the crater lake of the Batur volcano. The irrigation system was governed by 'Agama Tirtha,' the religion of holy water. However, the abandonment of these traditional consultations for a more scientific approach resulted in the desertification of the island's once fertile agriculture. Two researchers from the University of Southern California, Stephen Lansing and James Kramer, demonstrated that the ancient rites were ecologically sound and have introduced a computer program based on them to re-establish the old system.

Bibliography: Water Monsters

The section includes a bibliography of related creatures and hypothetical aquatic forms of man, mentioning articles in 'Strange 3,' 'Mysteria,' and the 'Sunday Sport' tabloid which reported a mermaid birth.

Leviathan: Water Monsters

A new book, 'There are Giants in the Sea' by Michael Bright, is reviewed. The book is described as a collection of sightings and anecdotes, largely from existing sources, with little new research. The reviewer notes that 200 new sightings from the 1930s were collected but not included. The book does contain a chapter on big marine animals as stimuli for monster reports and an update on Chessie.

Bibliography: Sea Serpents

This bibliography references an article about a sea serpent caught in Chesapeake Bay in 1840, identified as a leatherback turtle, and also mentions Heuvelmans' work on sea serpents, critiquing his approach to cryptozoology.

USOS: Skandinavia

Recent accidents involving Soviet submarines off Norway are cited as evidence against the claim that the Russians frequently violate Scandinavian territory, suggesting that if they did, the coast would be littered with wrecks. The article references 'Fort' (p.637) which noted blaming the Soviets as a 'conventionalized explanation'.

Britain: Net-Incident

The Times reported that the 50-ton trawler Majestic capsized between Orkney and the Shetlands, believed to be caused by snagging on an underwater wreck.

Soviet Union: Freshwater UFO

In the rural Vologda region of Russia, children observed a UFO landing on a meadow. The object, described as a sphere, split open, revealing a 'headless person in dark garb.' The craft then vanished, and the creature proceeded to the village. This is noted as the only CE III reported from Russia at that moment.

Cryptozoology: Bigfoot

Reports include a Bigfoot sighting in Fort Bidwell, California, by K Sam, who described the creature as 8 ft tall and walking upright. Erik Beckjord is investigating. Another report mentions 45 cm footprints found in Malaysia, and a 'huge hairy creature' scaring people in a Russian town.

Cryptozoology: Others

Other cryptid reports include a hunt for a 30 ft crocodile in Surigao, Philippines, a puma attacking livestock in Argentina, and a lizard found alive inside a concrete pillar in Dawadmi, Saudi Arabia, which had been cast a month prior.

Water Folklore: Miracles

According to Islam, the Zamzam well is the oldest in the world and possesses healing powers. Four people were reportedly healed after drinking its water. The Catholic church has accepted the healing of Delizia Cirolli as a miracle cure from Lourdes water. The section also mentions a boy surviving 20 minutes underwater in Lake Maggiore, Italy.

Water Folklore: Sunken Cities, etc.

This section discusses legends of sunken cities and submarine cities off Borth, Cardigan Bay, Wales. It also mentions mirages and frightening phenomena occurring on Lake Ladoga in Russia and new Soviet ideas about the Bermuda Triangle.

Marine Life

Reports include sightings of two wide-sided dolphins in the East River, New York; whale songs; dolphins in the US Army; a giant sun-fish (mola mola) caught off Weihai, China; a friendship between a girl and a dolphin in Dingle, Eire; a thresher shark causing panic off the French coast; and the potential for more tropical fish off SW England due to the greenhouse effect.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The magazine consistently explores the intersection of myth, folklore, and unexplained phenomena. It presents reports on cryptids, UFOs, and anomalous events, often drawing from international sources. The editorial stance appears to be one of open inquiry, presenting evidence and theories without necessarily endorsing them, and sometimes critically examining the methods of cryptozoologists and the interpretations of folklore. There is a recurring interest in water-related mysteries, from sea monsters to sunken cities and the properties of holy water.