Bilk - no 040 - 1991 03

Magazine Overview

BILK is a bi-monthly publication by Ulrich Magin, based in Mutterstadt, Germany. This issue, number 40, is dated March 1991. Subscriptions are available for DM 15 for 6 issues or one year.

Behemoth

The "Behemoth" section leads with news about the Loch Ness Monster, stating that while Nessie is "proven to exist," it is also declared a "hoax." The magazine references "Nessletter" and quotes from the American tabloid "Sun," which allegedly reported the discovery of "Champ eggs" and a "four feet long egg with a tough, rubbery shell." The article criticizes American tabloids for using and expanding popular myths. It also includes a story from the "Scots Magazine" from June 1990, where L. McP. Fordyce claims to have seen the Loch Ness Monster on land in 1932. The author notes inaccuracies in Fordyce's account, including geographical errors and a misstated date for Nessie's national news debut. Fordyce's description of Nessie as "camel-like" is mentioned, with a note that similar descriptions have been reported before. J.J. Barloy's report "Enquete sur le serpent de mer" (August 1990) is also cited, mentioning a "larve du monstre du Loch Ness (?) dans un vivier."

Iceland

Helgi Hallgrimsson, former head of the Akureyri Museum, stated in a letter dated December 20, 1990, that he was unaware of any sea serpent reports in Iceland. However, he confirmed that "lake monster" sightings are regular, primarily in Lagarfljót, which he attributes to gas (CH4). He has written an article on these sightings in Icelandic. Hallgrimsson also mentioned that goblins or fairies are still seen at specific locations by sensitive individuals.

Po River, Italy

An article from The Daily Telegraph (November 29, 1990) reported on giant fish, identified as catfish, invading the Po River. These catfish are referred to as "freshwater sharks" by locals. Rumors abound of children being bitten by these "monsters," and one fisherman claims a catfish ate his dog. These motifs are noted as being similar to those found in Germany.

Panama

On January 20, 1991, The Observer reported that a five-feet long giant lizard had killed a hunter in the Panamanian jungle. C. Keeling from the Educational Services in Practical Zoology suggested this was "utter fabrication," as the largest lizards in South America do not exceed 6 feet. Keeling proposed the creature might have been a crocodile, a prosaic explanation that cryptologists might dislike. The author, however, finds the idea of giant lizards hunting hunters in Panama appealing.

Operation Congo

Fortean Times 56, page 10, provides an update on Operation Congo, which aims to capture a living dinosaur on film.

ISIS

Cairo Incident

During the Gulf War, an incident occurred at the Iraqi embassy in Cairo. According to the Saudi Gazette (December 12, 1990), Egyptian police were sent to the embassy after guards reported seeing an unidentified human figure swimming across the Nile. Police found a fully clothed 28-year-old woman named Nagda emerging from the river on the island of Zamalek. She claimed she had challenged her husband that she could swim across the Nile.

Saddam Hussein and Dugongs

The Saudi Gazette (February 2, 1991) noted that Saddam Hussein's oil spill in the Persian Gulf threatened to exterminate dugongs, referred to as the "original mermaids." The article suggests he is not someone to have fun with.

Initial Bipedalism

Hypothetical aquatic ancient hominids and initial bipedalism are mentioned in relation to Francois de Sarre's journal "Bipedia" and a French article in "3º millinaire."

In the Bleachers

Leviathan

Reports include a megamouth shark filmed off Dana Point, California (BBC Wildlife, January 1991). Amerindian tales of mermaids and giant serpentine whales are referenced from the Jessup North Pacific Expeditions' Memoirs of the American Museum of Natural History, specifically W. Bogoras's work on the Chukchee people. These tales include descriptions of giant birds on the open sea, giant pikes in Alaskan and Siberian lakes, and mermaid stories, with the author implying a factual basis.

Japan and Sea Serpents

Charles Berlitz has published a new book on the Dragon's Triangle near Japan. The German edition, "Das Drachen-Dreieck," lists several sea serpent reports: Chillagoe (1902), Shimbun (1901), Java (1906), Nestor (with an incorrect date), Georgie (1977 instead of 1877), Zondel (1907), President Grant (1970, identified as a hump-back whale), Santa Clara (1947), and a New Zealand carcass (1977, identified as a shark, not a plesiosaur as Berlitz insists). The 1969 sonar hoax off Alaska is also mentioned, which Berlitz believes in.

Kraken

Fortean Times 56 (pages 14-15) covers the story of a Philippines giant octopus (December 1989), an encounter with a giant squid off Dorset (January 1990), and a photograph of a new globster at Bermuda, similar to the Tasmania beach monster of 1962. The most likely explanation for these blobs of flesh is decomposing whale blubber.

Whales and Sharks

Reports include 55 pilot whales stranded at Squaw Island, Massachusetts (December 13, 1990), a dolphin stranded at Den Halder, Netherlands (December 15, 1990), and several dozens of dead dolphins washed ashore at the Bay of Biscay and the Atlantic coast of South France (early February 1991). A large shark, measuring 10 meters (33 feet) and weighing over 2 tonnes with a 4-meter tail fin, was caught by a French fisherman near Marseille, identified as likely a basking shark.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

This issue of BILK focuses heavily on cryptids, unexplained phenomena, and alleged hoaxes, particularly concerning aquatic creatures like the Loch Ness Monster and sea serpents. There's a critical examination of media sensationalism, especially from tabloids, while also presenting various eyewitness accounts and scientific or pseudo-scientific explanations. The magazine seems to maintain a skeptical yet open-minded stance, presenting different sides of the stories and encouraging further investigation, as indicated by the upcoming "interesting bits and notes" in BILK 41.