BILK

Magazine Overview

This document is issue #37 of BILK, dated September 1990. It is a publication focused on unexplained phenomena, cryptozoology, and fortean topics. The subscription cost is DM 15 for 6 issues, and the editorial address is in Mutterstadt, West Germany.

Behemoth: Lake and Sea Monsters

The "BEHEMOTH" section reports on several alleged monster sightings. In Scotland, an old man from Arisaig is quoted as saying that locals always talked about a monster in Loch Morar, but he personally had not seen it, attributing potential sightings to insufficient whisky.

Lake Okanagan in Canada is the subject of a report from the Saudi Gazette, detailing a Japanese TV crew's search for a monster. A businessman named Bob Pearson reported seeing a creature about 15 meters long disturbing the lake's surface. Monster expert Arlene Gaal commented on the search, and John Kirk of the British Columbia CZ Club reportedly spotted the Okanagan monster six times in August 1989, though the descriptions are noted as possibly being boat wakes.

Loch Ness continues to be a focus, with "Nessletter," edited by Rip Hepple, reporting a sighting on April 23, 1990, where several witnesses observed a large head and neck. The same issue of Nessletter also discussed a recent video of "Nessie."

Bibliographical entries point to reviews of books on the subject, including Meurger's work in THE LEY HUNTER and Frere's Loch Ness in Fortean Times.

Isis: Cultural and Mythological References

The "ISIS" section notes a cultural reference where singer Madonna used "merman" as part of her show, relating to sirens. It also humorously mentions Christopher Brasher's account in The Observer of hunting for a "river nymph" in the Thames.

Leviathan: Marine Mysteries and Folklore

The "LEVIATHAN" section delves into marine mysteries. A report from Weekly World News, reprinted in Fortean Times, describes an Indonesian trawler catching a 73-foot-long dorsal fin, possibly from a "sea serpent," in the Marianas trench. Skipper S. Gama initially thought it was part of a submarine, but zoologist Yayasan Adnan in Singapore called it a "greatest single discovery in scientific history." Fortean Times speculates this might be an embellished version of a 1977 incident involving a basking shark.

In Barry, South Glamorgan, Wales, fossil dinosaur footprints found on a beach are mentioned, with a speculation by Katherine Briggs that similar finds after storms could have inspired dragon and sea serpent tales.

Rip Hepple's Nessletter (#98) provides a recollection from Val Smith about a sea serpent sighting in the River Usk sometime in late 1959. A man observed a "long necked creature of considerable size" in the mud, and a friend also saw it.

Bibliographical notes refer to articles on the Weston-Super-Mare sea serpent in Fortean Times and a discussion of myths in cryptozoology by Heuvelmans and Meurger. The INFO Journal is noted for reprinting original texts on the Stronsa sea serpent find of 1808.

Kraken: Giant Cephalopods and Other Anomalies

The "KRAKEN" section reports on the capture of a "giant octopus" (identified as a giant squid) in Asturias, Spain. Several fishermen caught a 130-kilogramme squid with 8-meter-long arms near Gijón. The catch was exhibited publicly. The report notes that giant octopuses typically live at depths of 200-400 meters and can reach lengths of 18 meters and weights of 1000 kg. Another giant squid, weighing 256 kg and measuring 9.5 meters, was caught off Luanco in July 1968.

USO: Unidentified Submerged Objects and Earth Lights

Paul Devereux's book, "Earth Lights Revelation," is highlighted. The book covers "ghost lights" and "earth lights," including many observed over the sea and lakes, with a specific chapter on Scottish "earth lights" at Loch Leven. Devereux suggests that lights and monsters might be expressions of elemental forces of water bodies. The book is recommended for fortean and cryptozoology enthusiasts.

Marine Life Updates

This section provides a series of brief news items on marine life:

• Whales: A porpoise lived for six weeks in Hull harbour. Five sperm whales beached in Florida. A mass death of dolphins occurred in the Adriatic Sea, Italy. A fin whale was observed off Biisum, West Germany for a week. Grey whales stranded in the Gulf of Alaska, and pilot whales stranded in Tasmania.
• Sharks: A German was attacked by a hammerhead shark in the Great Barrier Reef. Human feet were found in a tiger shark caught off Florida. A white shark attacked and killed a woman in Mossel Bay, South Africa. Large schools of sharks were seen in the Adriatic Sea. A 500 kg basking shark caused panic in Marseille harbour.
• Crocodiles: A 3-meter crocodile devoured a man in North Australia. Crocodiles killed two hunters in Swaziland.

Cryptozoology: Hoaxes and Discoveries

The "CRYPTOZOOLOGY" section reports on a staged Yeti hoax on the German TV program "Verstehen Sie Spaß?" where host Kurt Felix posed as a Yeti near the Rhone glacier in Switzerland, fooling many tourists.

It also mentions a report in The Japanese Journal of Ichthyology about the discovery of a new species and genus of squalid shark from Japan, with two specimens caught in 1986.

Folklore: Sunken Cities and Rain Dances

Brief mentions of "Sunken cities off Cornwall" from Pursuit magazine and an "Indian raindance" causing torrents of rain are included.

Editorial Notes

The editor notes that this issue is being sent out early due to an upcoming house move. They state that future correspondence should still be sent to the Mutterstadt address, and the next BILK is expected in November.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue of BILK are lake monsters, sea serpents, giant cephalopods, and other unexplained phenomena such as "earth lights." The editorial stance appears to be one of reporting on these phenomena, often citing various international news sources and specialized publications like Fortean Times and Nessletter. While presenting the reports, there is a subtle undercurrent of skepticism, particularly noted in the comment on the Okanagan monster descriptions being "simple boat wakes" and the mention of the Yeti hoax. The editor also seems to connect different types of unexplained phenomena, suggesting that "lights and monsters are two expressions of the elemental forces of bodies of water."