Magonia Supplement - No 29 - 2000 07

Magazine Overview

MAGONIA Monthly Supplement, Issue No. 29, dated July 2000, is a publication focused on interpreting contemporary vision and belief. Edited by John Harney, this issue delves into ufology, cryptozoology, and urban legends, offering critical analysis and personal accounts.

Editorial

The editorial section addresses reports of burglars using narcotic sprays to disable victims, citing an incident from Italy and similar reports from South Africa. The article mentions a story from The Sunday Telegraph about housebreakers in Durban using a concoction involving hyenas' tails to incapacitate occupants before ransacking their homes in 'wealthy white suburbs'. The editorial expresses uncertainty about the veracity of such stories.

Literary Criticism

Stanley L. Jaki. God and the Sun at Fatima, Real View Books, 1999

This section reviews Stanley L. Jaki's book on the Fatima miracle of the sun on October 13, 1917. The reviewer praises Jaki's erudition and his meticulous approach to sifting fact from fiction, noting that the book gathers first-person testimonies and critically assesses their credentials and accounts. A key point highlighted is the 'embarrassing indifference' of Fatima devotees and commissions to gather testimony about the solar miracle, with many early accounts focusing on other aspects of the apparitions. The review notes that the solar miracle has been improbably called the 'greatest UFO case of all time'.

Jaki's work points out that while tens of thousands witnessed the event, detailed testimony was not systematically collected for decades, leading to the erosion of its value and the introduction of false details, such as a witness claiming the sun zigzagged 14 years later, despite being only 7 at the time. Early accounts, unlike later ones, often mentioned clouds being present, allowing people to look directly at the sun, whereas some later interpretations suggested it was a UFO due to its resemblance to a falling leaf effect.

The reviewer discusses Jaki's hypothesis that the solar miracle was an illusion with a strong meteorological component, possibly involving a diaphanous veil of clouds. Jaki's attempt to explain the falling sun using Donald Menzel's discussions of lenses of air is critiqued as a misunderstanding of Menzel's work, which pertained to images of cars on hot roads. The reviewer suggests that William Corliss's work on halos, mirages, and anomalous rainbows, and the potential role of ice crystals or aerial impurities, might offer better explanations. The phenomenon of the sun appearing to spin is also discussed, with the reviewer suggesting it could be related to retinal physiology, particularly at high brilliance levels, and potentially explaining repeat performances reported by witnesses.

Jaki maintains that the meteorological nature of the miracle does not diminish its miraculous character, arguing that biblical miracles often work through natural laws. The proof of the miracle, for Jaki, lies in the child visionaries' prediction of its occurrence, which drew tens of thousands to the Cova de Iria. The reviewer concludes that Jaki's book is a valuable, state-of-the-art history of the solar miracle with no peer.

Cryptozoology Reviews

This section reviews three books on cryptozoology:

• Loren Coleman and Jerome Clark. Cryptozoology A-Z, Simon and Schuster, 1999. £11.99: Described as the most scholarly of the three, following Jerry Clark's encyclopedic approach with illustrated articles on unknown animals and organizations involved in their search, and including a comprehensive bibliography.
• Paul Harrison. The Encyclopedia of the Loch Ness Monster, Robert Hale, 1999. £14.99: This encyclopedia is considered less authoritative than Coleman's. It focuses on individual witnesses, but the reviewer notes that most detailed monster photographs have turned out to be hoaxes. The book acknowledges difficulties in explaining Loch Ness sightings by a single animal type.
• W. Haden Blackman. The Field Guide to North American Monsters, Three Rivers Press, 1998. £9.99: This is a light-hearted survey of American monster lore, presenting monsters from modern cryptozoology, Native American traditions, cowboy humor, and urban legends. Blackman suggests these creatures share a common origin as symbols of the 'absolute otherness' of wild nature and the raw power of creation and destruction.

Discussion on Cryptozoology and Mythology

Peter Rogerson's contribution discusses the approaches to cryptozoology presented in the reviewed books. He critiques Coleman's association with the International Society of Cryptozoology, suggesting it fosters a reverential tone towards figures like Bernard Heuvelmans and Ivan T. Sanderson, while ignoring or dismissing opposing skeptical viewpoints. Rogerson notes the omission of certain key figures in cryptozoology from biographical entries and criticizes the tendency to present cryptids as literal flesh-and-blood animals rather than as potentially symbolic entities.

Rogerson also examines the idea that monsters can represent the 'absolute otherness' of wild nature, drawing parallels with Andy Roberts's 'Big Grey Man of Ben MacDhui'. He argues that modern cryptids can be seen as secularized descendants of cosmic beasts, symbolizing the raw power of nature. The review touches upon the potential for real animals to lose their symbolic power, leading people to seek monsters elsewhere, including in the faces of strangers or in mythologized 'primeval wildness'.

A significant concern raised is the ease with which covert racist fantasies, such as the depiction of Neanderthals as dark and hairy without evidence, can infiltrate cryptozoology. The reviewer criticizes the mythologizing of the third world as a 'primeval wildness' populated by dinosaurs and indigenous peoples unaware of modern concepts, suggesting this reflects a colonialist perspective.

Other Book Reviews

• Robert M. Youngerson. The Madness of Prince Hamlet and Other Extraordinary States of Mind, Robinson, 1999. £7.99: This collection of short articles covers various mental states like Munchausen syndrome and Capgras syndrome, with superficial looks at paranormal topics such as superstition and alien abductions. The reviewer finds some articles fascinating but notes a tendency to avoid deeper explanations for puzzling evidence.
• Sergio Della Sala. Mind Myths: Exploring Popular Assumptions about the Mind and the Brain, John Wiley, 1999: This book is described as a collection of largely skeptical pieces examining popular beliefs about the mind and brain, aimed at students and professionals. It covers topics like near-death experiences, hypnosis, false memories, and the paranormal, including a critique of the myth that humans only use 10% of their brain. The reviewer highlights its value in assembling critical material on various topics.

Letter

The letter section features a personal account from Edoardo Russo, who confirms the implausibility but frequency of stories about burglars using narcotic gases in Italy. He shares his own experience where a thief attempted to enter his house by spraying gas into open windows, managing to steal items from three apartments. Nausea, sleeplessness, and headaches were reported by residents, and sticky footprints were found in one room. Russo notes that Italian newspapers often blame non-Italians, such as Slavs or Gypsies, for these crimes.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue revolve around the critical examination of extraordinary claims, whether they be historical miracles like Fatima, the existence of cryptids, or anecdotal accounts of criminal activity. The magazine adopts a skeptical yet open-minded stance, encouraging rigorous investigation and the sifting of evidence, as exemplified by the review of Jaki's book. There is a clear emphasis on scholarly analysis and a critique of sensationalism and unsubstantiated claims, particularly in the fields of ufology and cryptozoology. The editorial and letter sections highlight the tension between anecdotal evidence and established fact, and the role of media in shaping perceptions of these events.