Folklore Frontiers - No 012

Magazine Overview

Title: FORTIAN TIMES
Issue: 54
Date: November 1990 (inferred from OCR dates)
Publisher: Fortean Times
Focus: Strange Phenomena, UFOs, Paranormal, Folklore, Hoaxes.

This issue of Fortean Times, titled 'The Journal of Strange Phenomena', delves into a variety of unusual occurrences, mysteries, and reported hoaxes. The magazine features a mix of news items, in-depth articles, and book reviews, maintaining its focus on the unexplained and the bizarre.

Cover Story and Themes

The cover artwork depicts a humorous take on the corn circle phenomenon, with a figure in a field surrounded by thought bubbles offering various explanations, from 'Nature' and 'Crop Rotation' to 'A Kind of Message' and 'Men from Mars'. This highlights one of the prominent themes of the issue: the ongoing mystery and speculation surrounding crop circles.

Newslines: A Collection of Oddities

The 'Newslines' section presents a series of disparate and often bizarre incidents:

• Employee's Revenge (or Joke): This segment rounds up several peculiar incidents. Kurt McInnes found a condom in his Kellogg's Coco-Pops. Margaret Emmery discovered an unrolled condom in her crisps. A printing house apologized for a supplement on sex and prostitution in children's textbooks. A Frenchman hacked rude speech bubbles into the computer game Skweek. Sky TV newsman Bob Friend was pranked into appearing as a transvestite on air.
• Cremation: This theme covers a mix-up where the ashes of an unidentified sailor were mistaken for a bomb and detonated at a submarine base. In another incident, mourners at a funeral were played the wrong music.
• Foundation Sacrifice: A porpoise named Docky, after being fed tuna sandwiches for seven weeks, was 'buried' under the Humber Bridge.
• Rambo Revisited: An article discusses the war myth of US soldiers still alive in Vietnam, linking it to a desire for revenge and the popularity of 'Rambo-style' stories.

News and Reports

• Corn Circles: The issue touches upon the corn circle phenomenon, with a cartoon on the cover and mentions of similar occurrences in Japan. The 'Newslines' section also briefly mentions 'corn circles' in relation to an editorial.
• Strangeways Jail Riot: The reporting of the Strangeways jail riot is discussed, noting discrepancies in body counts and injuries, and the 'mass hysteria' that seemed to affect reporters and officials. Governor Brendan O'Friel's comments on the riot being a 'battle between good and evil' are also noted.
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The controversy surrounding the popularity of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is highlighted, with comparisons to Satanic abuse and even the Nazis. The article notes their appearance on LSD tabs and mentions of them in relation to environmental issues.
• Tattoo Hoax: A hoax involving alleged LSD-laced stick-on tattoos is reported, originating from a warning circular that spread through schools. The circular, based on a US poster, warned of the drug being absorbed through the skin.
• Coca-Cola: Modern tales about Coca-Cola include a claim that a chemical can cut petrol usage and a protest by Jews leading to Coca-Cola being banned in some New York restaurants due to concerns about its kosher status.

Magazine Reviews

The issue features a comprehensive 'Magazine Reviews' section, assessing various publications related to the paranormal and fringe subjects:

• UFO Brigantia: Reviews issues 42 and 43, covering topics like Whitley Striber, John Lennon and UFOs, Celtic comparisons with abductions, and South African crash retrieval hoaxes.
• Terrestrial Zodiacs Journal: Reviews the final issue (No. 3), discussing new zodiac proposals, an 'anti-astrology spoof', and personal zodiac journeys.
• Skoob Occult Review: Reviews issue 2, featuring an interview with artist Chesca Potter, a diatribe on Albion's situation, and articles on Basque-Witch language and alchemy.
• The Ley Hunter: Reviews issue 111, including Australian Aboriginal lore, obituaries, and discussions on ley lines and ancient sites. Issue 112 is also reviewed, covering Christian Ratsch, ley hunting, and a large book review section.
• Pendragon: Reviews issues XX/2 to XX/4, focusing on themes of Rings, Rites, and Round Tables, Arthurian lore, and ancient sites.
• Amskaya: Reviews issue 19, featuring Tony Wedd on orthoteny and hypnotic regression, and issue 20, with articles on UFOs and cultural tracking.
• Touchstone: Reviews issues 25 and 26, including field trips, hypnotic regression, and updates on Chertsey's St Anne's Hill.
• Magonia: Reviews issues 36 and 37, discussing abductee therapists, New Age consciousness, and a critique of abduction reports mismatching folklore.
• Fortean Times: Reviews issue 54, noting its debate on interpreting myth, the disappearance of Benjamin Pathurst, and other Fortean oddities.
• The Cereologist: Reviews issue 1, providing an overview of crop circle studies, and mentioning articles on dowsing, folklore, and Patrick Harpur's evocation of the Mercurius spirit.
• ORCRO: Reviews issue 5, focusing on skepticism towards cult survivor tales, alleged child abuse cases, and investigative journalism into falsified crime reports.
• Northern UFO News: Reviews issues 141-144, with editorials on newspaper stupidity, the state of ufology, and cereology, and a continued conviction in the ionized vortex corn circles model.
• Northern Earth Mysteries: Reviews issues 42 and 43, covering topics like ley hunters, ancient sites, and dowsing.
• Mercian Mysteries: Reviews issue 4, discussing parish churches, Robin Hood sites, and ghost stories.
• The Wild Places: Reviews issue 1, featuring articles on encounter experiences, demons, possession, and the Rapture.

Book Reviews

• Mind Monsters by Jenny Randles: This book attempts to make sense of phenomena like 'goblin universes' by applying modern psychiatry and physics. It covers monsters of land, sea, and air, including yetis, Loch Ness, and UFOs, suggesting variations on a single theme and a 'reflective phenomenon'. The reviewer praises Randles' readable style and insightful theories but questions the focus on 'randomness or chaos' and points out minor inaccuracies.
• Sites of Mystery and Imagination by Charles Walker: This book offers a Eurocentric overview of mysterious places, comparing British research into prehistoric monuments with continental developments. It covers Carnac, Chartres, and the Knights Templar, with the reviewer noting minor scholarly errors but commending the overall study and its illustrations.

Readers' Letters

• Nigel Pennick (Cambridge): Discusses the 'buried train' story in Cambridge, where a locomotive is said to be in a flooded gravel pit, noting its apocryphal nature and comparing it to pneumatic rail vehicles abandoned in London.
• Lucy Fisher (London): Raises questions about the sacred king status of the royal family, Prince Edward's alleged gayness, and a rumour about Edward VIII being injected with a fertility drug.

Contributors

• John Michell: Born in 1933, known for his work on traditions, aragons, and UFOs, including books like 'The Flying Saucer Vision' and 'The View Over Atlantis'. He is described as a keen observer of human nature.
• Paul Screeton: Born in 1945, he was influenced by Michell and has edited magazines since 1969. He published a study of leys and is working on a book about the Hartlepool monkey-hanging legend. This issue features his contribution on child sacrifice and other 'pot-pourri' topics.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue of Fortean Times include the persistent mystery of corn circles, the reporting of unusual and often humorous 'Newslines' incidents, and a critical examination of paranormal claims and their reporting. The magazine reviews a wide array of publications related to the paranormal, UFOs, and folklore, suggesting a broad interest in these subjects. The editorial stance appears to be one of open inquiry, presenting various viewpoints and evidence without necessarily endorsing any single explanation, while also critically assessing the media's handling of these phenomena. There is a clear interest in folklore, mythology, and the psychological aspects of belief and experience.