Folklore Frontiers - No 032

Magazine Overview

Title: Folklore Frontiers
Issue: 32
Date: May 1998
Publisher: Paul Screeton

Folklore Frontiers is an independent magazine dedicated to exploring various aspects of folklore, including urban and rural belief tales, ancient and modern traditions, and contemporary culture. It is edited and published by Paul Screeton.

The Diary

The editor's diary touches upon his upcoming book on Northumbrian dragon legends, featuring a foreword by cryptozoologist Dr. Karl Shuker. It also humorously addresses Shuker's media portrayal and clarifies his academic work. The diary then recounts an amusing incident involving Sergeant Eddie Bell and an escaped mouse that gave birth after being found in a police car exhaust pipe. Other items include a mention of a new species of backward-swimming fish called Maororia discovered off New Zealand, and a sensational claim by a teenage girl in America about being pregnant with Bigfoot's child.

"Invisible Prince" of Worksop

This article by Paul Screeton investigates the legend of the "Invisible Prince" associated with the fifth Duke of Portland and his eccentric subterranean constructions at Welbeck Abbey. The author explores claims of a tunnel wide enough for two coaches running from the abbey to Worksop railway station, a story partly fictionalized in Mick Jackson's novel "The Underground Man." While the direct tunnel exit at the station is unsubstantiated, the article delves into the duke's penchant for underground chambers, including a subterranean library and a planned bachelors' hall. The author also recommends Jackson's book as a blend of fiction and fact, touching upon themes of madness and descent.

Local Eccentricities and Strange Tales

This section highlights various unusual local stories and observations. It includes an account of a woman animal lover who rescued a pheasant and caused a three-car pile-up. There's a brief mention of a breastfeeding baby with two teeth. The article also touches upon the world of golf, mentioning Lee Westwood. A more somber note is struck with the story of a funeral where a coffin was too wide for the grave. A postscript details the Druce case, which involved claims of a tunnel connecting a London residence to stables and a purported identity swap with a deceased merchant.

"BEER GARDEN PARTY UFO"

Paul Screeton recounts an experience at a Travel and Earth Mysteries Society garden party where a UFO was reportedly sighted. He notes the ironic reaction of some ufologists, who were more interested in chatting than observing the phenomenon. The author shares personal anecdotes of missing UFO sightings due to politeness or distraction, including a sighting of a black panther during a car trip. Another story involves photographers at a wedding seminar who witnessed a large cat-like animal but failed to capture evidence due to not having their cameras ready. The article concludes by questioning why some Forteans shy away from uncanny events.

"Whites put faith in hippo grease"

This article from The Times discusses the use of traditional African medicine, or "muti," by South African sports teams, including the national football team, Bafana Bafana. It highlights the growing popularity of traditional healers among white South Africans, who seek their services for sporting, sexual, and business enhancement. The article mentions the use of lion fat and hippopotamus grease for strength and describes the rituals performed by "nangus" (male traditional healers) and "sangomas" (female healers). It also touches upon the dark side of muti, including alleged witchcraft and ritualistic murders for body parts.

Letters to the Editor

This section features several letters from readers:

• Steve Middleton (Brighton): Shares a story about a man who bought a large tropical spider and released it into the wild after it killed a sparrow. He also mentions reports of harmless relations to the black widow spider thriving in Sussex and wonders about bird-eating spiders' actual diet.
• Editor's Note: Responds to Middleton's spider story, asking if readers have heard it or know if bird-eating spiders eat birds.
• Bradford Anecdote: A rumour about a shopkeeper selling Peter Sutcliffe masks after the Yorkshire Ripper's arrest.
• Tait's Gallery (FF31): A reference to a "wanking contest" story appearing in a literary context, specifically Jean Genet's novel "The Miracle of the Rose."

Book Reviews

• "The Unexplained" by Dr. Karl P. N. Shuker: Reviewed as a comprehensive guide to paranormal mysteries, covering UFOs, crop circles, mystery beasts, and more, with a rational approach.
• "A History of Christianity" by Owen Chadwick: Described as a well-rounded overview of Christianity's spread and its relationship with the state, Reformation, and secularization.
• "Mysterious Scotland" by Michael Balfour: A heritage book featuring accounts of Scottish mysteries, including circle builders, Pictish symbols, and the Loch Ness Monster, though criticized for too much general history.
• "Ghostly Tales & Sinister Stories of Old Edinburgh" by Alan J. Wilson, Des Brogan and Frank McGrail: A collection of tales about the darker side of Edinburgh's history, including feuds, assassinations, and supernatural occurrences.
• "Companion to the Cosmos" by John Gribbin: A guide to the universe, covering topics like the Big Bang, black holes, and relativity, aimed at those interested after the Comet Hale-Bopp sighting.
• "The Underground Man" by Mick Jackson: Reviewed as a serious and absorbing novel about an eccentric duke who built a massive tunnel system, exploring themes of paranoia and self-trepanation.

Magazines

This section provides brief descriptions and subscription details for various niche magazines:

• LETTERS TO AMBROSE MERTON: Covers moral panics, Princess Diana jokes, origins of "gremlins," Guy Fawkes, and press cuttings.
• MYSTERY MAGAZINE: Features paranormal and Fortean topics, including West Yorkshire black panthers, astronaut Gordon Cooper's alien beliefs, and UFO reports.
• MAGONIA: Focuses on contemporary vision and belief, with articles on ufology, political dimensions, Rendlesham Forest, and early evolutionary speculation.
• NORTHERN EARTH: Covers topics like alien vehicular involvement at Nazca, ancient sacred groves, alien big cats, and prehistoric ritual complexes.
• THE LEY HUNTER: Discusses geomancy, megalithic sites, Stonehenge, and UFOs, with a focus on objectivity and discernment.
• N-MAG RAG: A newsletter from the Northern Mystery Animals Group, detailing mystery big cats and other local phenomena.
• THE DRAGON CHRONICLE: Compares Chinese and European dragon legends, discusses paranormal beasts, and includes short stories and poems.
• STRANGE MAGAZINE: Investigates the Patterson Bigfoot film, a secret UFO invention, and cryptozoology.
• NORTHERN UFO NEWS: Reports on UFO contacts, triangular aircraft, men in black, and challenges the ethics of republishing old articles.
• FORTEAN TIMES: Covers UFOs, anti-gravity, cryptids, paranormal phenomena, and conspiracy theories.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The magazine consistently explores themes of folklore, urban legends, cryptozoology, and ufology, often with a focus on local British phenomena and anecdotal evidence. The editorial stance appears to be one of open inquiry into unusual and unexplained events, encouraging reader participation and investigation. There's a clear interest in the intersection of myth, belief, and contemporary events, often presented with a blend of serious reporting and a touch of wry humor.

Title: Black Comedy Country
Issue: 20
Date: Tuesday, May 5, 1998
Publisher: Emisay
Country: United Kingdom
Language: English

This issue of 'Black Comedy Country' presents a collection of bizarre, often disturbing, and darkly humorous news items from around the United Kingdom and beyond.

Evil Beasts of Prey

The lead story, 'EVIL BEASTS OF PREY' by Jerry Lawton, exposes a grim competition among poachers. These individuals chop off animal ears to accumulate points, with a rare deer's ear fetching ten points. The article highlights the discovery of a sheep with its ear stripped off, leading to a major police investigation. Detective Sergeant Peter Cafford of Cleveland police condemns the act as 'depraved' and expresses determination to end the practice. The contest has even prompted information from members of the criminal fraternity, who apparently cannot tolerate such cruelty. The practice is likened to historical big game hunting, where animal parts were used as trophies.

Unusual Animal Encounters and Behavior

Several short articles detail peculiar animal incidents:

• Crab Pheromone Tests: Welsh boffins discovered that male crabs are attracted to mates by their pheromones, but will go for the smell regardless of its source, even being fooled into bonking tennis balls in tests.
• Confused Pelican: A pelican was found perching on a telephone pole in Trysil, Norway, a town 1,200 miles north of its normal Mediterranean home. Experts believe it can survive if it can find its way south.

'Scope Pervs

A 'PAY-AS-YOU-VIEW' telescope installed on a hilltop in Burton Dassett Hills, Warwickshire, was removed after only three weeks. Locals feared that 'perverts' were using the zoom lens to spy on villagers, offering 'peep-shows' for 10p. One resident expressed general dissatisfaction with the installation.

Dad's Life! with Peter Barron

Columnist Peter Barron shares a lighthearted anecdote from his childhood. He recounts how, as a five-year-old, he won an annual prize for the best collection of pressed wild flowers every year. He attributes his success to hiding his pressed flower book under the settee cushion every Sunday before his three 'stout' aunts came to tea.

The Things They Do

This section features a story about Jim McMillan, a farmer from County Durham, who claims he can speak 'SNAKE LANGUAGE'. He planned to live for a record-breaking week with 100 poisonous snakes in a glass room in a Bangkok shopping mall. Boonruang Buachan, aged 29, stated he was more concerned about the air-conditioning than the snakes, asserting they were friends and understood each other. He also claimed to have been a snake in a former life and was attempting to break an unofficial world record.

The SPORT Section

This section contains several brief news items:

• T-shirt Girl's Snake Shock: Jaqul Sanders, a secretary from Wigston, Leicester, was delighted to receive a T-shirt from her boss's safari holiday in Namibia. However, she discovered a poisonous snake inside. Initially thought to be a deadly Black Fang, it was later identified as a slug-eater with toxic saliva but no fangs.
• Baffled Cops and Python: Police in Hampshire are investigating after an 8-foot python was found dead on a beach near Hayling Island. A spokesman stated there was no evidence it was washed ashore and they were clueless as to how it got there, as it was some distance from the nearest houses.
• Stephen MacDougal's Snake Scare: Stephen MacDougal, 32, was shocked when confronted by a six-foot Black King snake at his home in Jarrow, South Tyneside. The snake had been missing since Christmas from a neighbour's.

Printing Information

The magazine was printed by Emisay, located at 17 Langbank Avenue, Rise Park, Nottingham.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The magazine consistently features a blend of the bizarre, the cruel, and the unusual, often with a darkly comedic undertone. The editorial stance appears to be one of reporting on strange occurrences and societal oddities without overt judgment, allowing the absurdity of the events to speak for themselves. Themes include animal cruelty, unusual animal behavior, human-animal interactions, and peculiar human endeavors, often presented with a sensationalist or attention-grabbing headline.