Bilk - no 044 - 1991 11

Magazine Overview

This document is a scanned issue of BILK magazine, specifically issue number 44, published bi-monthly in November 1991 by Ulrich Magin in Mutterstadt, Germany. The subscription cost is DM 15 per year. The magazine covers a wide range of fortean topics, including reports on unusual creatures, alleged extraterrestrial encounters, and unexplained phenomena.

BEHEMOTH

The "BEHEMOTH" section details several reports of unusual aquatic creatures and disappearances. In Lake Thümmlitz, Germany, a 60 cm creature, described as a German lake monster, was caught; it hissed like a cat and ate raw meat. At Lake Chiem in Bavaria, a teacher named Max Pertl vanished from his boat, with evidence suggesting a large fish was responsible. Biologist Vitus B Droescher suggests catfish could be behind such stories, though the author suspects the tabloid media may have sensationalized the Chiemsee incident. The section also lists recent book reprints and publications related to the Loch Ness Monster and other freshwater beasts, citing various newspaper articles and journals, including "Fortean Times," which featured articles on giant water serpents, Panama lizards, and Loch Ness sightings.

ISIS

The "ISIS" section presents a complex case from Australia involving Hartwig Rüdiger Bayerl and his pregnant friend Susan Zack. Bayerl believed an atomic war would destroy Earth and that lizard-like extraterrestrials, aided by Freemasons, would take over. He built a nuclear shelter in Adelaide in 1984. In 1989, he believed he was Christ reborn and met Johann Manfred Weissensteiner in Cairns. Together, they worked on modifying Bayerl's yacht, "Immanuel," to survive atomic warfare. In September 1990, Weissensteiner was found with the yacht in the South Sea, but without Bayerl and Zack. Weissensteiner is now charged with murder, though no bodies have been found. Newspaper clippings suggest all three believed in an impending doom and lizard men. The section also notes that lizard-like extraterrestrials appeared in the TV serial "V" and the German SF movie "Enemy Mine." Additionally, it references an article by Francois de Sarre on initial bipedism and the theory of early humans being water-dwelling animals.

LEVIATHAN

The "LEVIATHAN" section focuses on sea monsters and large aquatic animals. It mentions the Fiji cave monsters, whose remains have appeared in major fortean magazines, with "Fortean Times" providing a summary of their discovery and listing vague sightings. The article notes that the "Morgawr" episode in Cornwall, initially thought to be a sea monster, was later identified by "Science Frontiers" as dolphin bones. The "Big Turtle News" section seeks information on a booklet about turtles off the Cornish and Devon coasts and mentions that the British Museum identified the Vinnicombe/Rees sea monster off the Lizard in 1976 as a leatherback turtle, reinforcing the author's view that many British sea serpent reports are due to turtles, whales, and basking sharks. Recent leatherback turtle captures in Cornwall are also noted. The bibliography section lists several "Fortean Times" entries on sea monsters and turtle rescues.

KRAKEN

The "KRAKEN" section explores theories about the "Island Beast." While some interpret it as a misperceived giant squid, the article suggests that moving sandbanks and mirages are more plausible explanations for ancient mariners' fears. It references an article from "The Islander" newspaper about Orkney tales, including drifting islands and the "Finn Folk," and the phenomenon of islands appearing to float. The section also discusses "octopus invasions" on British coasts, correcting a mistaken assumption about H.G. Wells' "The Sea Raiders" and clarifying the origin of a reported octopus attack. A 7ft giant squid, "Taninga danae," caught in December 1990 off Massachusetts, is also reported.

WHALES

This section provides brief reports on marine mammal strandings: 50 dead porpoises washed ashore on the Danish North Sea coast; 60 dead dolphins washed ashore in Sicily, Calabria, and Sardinia, attributed to a disease that affected dolphins in Spain in 1990; a 20m fin whale stranded at Walkers Point, Maine; and a significant increase in dead dolphins stranded in Apulia, Italy, since July, with 160 reported compared to 21 in 1990 and 10 in 1989, all killed by a virus.

TIDBITS

The "TIDBITS" section includes a collection of brief, miscellaneous reports: a 19-year-old student killed by a 10 ft shark south of Adelaide, Australia; a 71-year-old man attacked by an alligator in Florida; Ian Wilson's belief that two English ships discovered America in 1481; the discovery of a new species of beaked whale off Peru; and the naming of a new LP by the pop group "The Wedding Present" as "Seamonsters."

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue of BILK revolve around cryptozoology (lake monsters, sea serpents, giant squid, large turtles), unexplained disappearances, and alleged encounters with extraterrestrial beings, particularly "lizard men." The editorial stance appears to be one of reporting on these phenomena, often citing newspaper clippings and other fortean publications, while also offering critical analysis and alternative explanations, such as the role of media sensationalism or natural phenomena like mirages and sandbanks. The magazine seems to maintain a skeptical yet open-minded approach to the subjects it covers, distinguishing between eyewitness accounts, scientific investigations, and speculative theories.