1974 07 00 SAGA - John Keel - Ancient Astronauts Modern Mysteries

Magazine Overview

This issue of SAGA magazine, titled "Ancient Astronauts Modern Mysteries," delves into unexplained phenomena primarily centered around Scandinavia. The content focuses on mysterious sightings of phantom submarines in Norwegian and Swedish fjords, inexplicable aerial objects, and strange occurrences in lakes.

Mystery Subs Return

The article "Mystery Subs Return" details a series of phantom submarine sightings in Norway and Sweden, spanning from the 1960s to the early 1970s. These unidentified craft have been observed in deep fjords, often miles inland, and have repeatedly evaded extensive military searches. Researcher Finn Kalvik of Bergen, Norway, compiled a list of incidents, including a sighting on September 17, 1973, in the Sognefjord, Norway, which was the site of a previous massive submarine search in November 1972. Other reported incidents include sightings in Grotsundet, near Tromso, in 1968; a collision with a fishing vessel near Torsvag in 1968; sightings near Tosnes and in the Hardangerfjorden in 1968 and 1969; and a report from Mr. and Mrs. Ole Sagen of a submarine conning tower and periscope rising from the Sognefjorden over 100 miles inland in November 1969. The Norwegian Defense Command dismissed this report as impossible. In November 1970, the crew of the ferry Tysnes reported seeing a submarine on the surface of the Hardangerfjorden. The article notes that these fjords are deep but dangerous for submarines due to ice-bound waters, and that sightings often follow a discernible time schedule, usually around the 12th of the month between September and November.

Things From The Sky

This section addresses the phenomenon of inexplicable objects seen in the skies over Scandinavia. Since the 1930s, local researchers have cataloged 27 cases of airborne objects crashing into local lakes. The latest incident occurred in July 1973 when something crashed into a swamp at Ovre Soppero in Lapland, leaving three large holes, which the Kiruna Geophysical Observatory is investigating. A notable sighting occurred in December 1959 when Lorentz Johnson of Skomsvoll, Norway, witnessed a glowing, cigar-shaped object, about 150 feet in the air, that dropped two long objects into the fjord. A woman on a nearby farm heard a strange noise and a splashing sound at the same time. Later, fishermen Reidar Hartvigsens and Schonning Bugge reported finding a large, unidentified object on the fjord's bottom using sonar. In 1968, the Norwegian UFO-Center launched an investigation, renting a boat with sonar equipment. They discovered a mysterious object 6-7 feet high and 20 feet long at a depth of 90 meters. Scuba divers could not reach it but observed strange wheel-like tracks on the fjord bottom that disappeared into deeper water.

Lake Mysteries

Northern Scandinavia is described as being dotted with lakes, and many reports of lake monsters resemble submarine sightings. The article questions how submarines could reach these remote, shallow, inland lakes. One witness at Bullaren Lake in Bohuslan described a sighting that looked like "a boat I would say, yet a boat or a sub can't go in this lake... It had a hump that looked like a glass tower." Swedish journalist Jan-Ove Sundberg provided accounts of alleged lake "monsters." An item from the Motala Tidning on July 26, 1950, describes a "monster" in Lake Rasvalen that appeared three times within three hours. Sigvard Barnstrom described seeing a creature about 5 meters long, black, and looking like an upside-down boat or a black whale. It submerged in a peculiar way when approached. Similar sightings of an "upside-down boat" have been seen on Storsjon Lake. At Stensjon Lake, a conning tower of a submarine was observed. Vasterbotten's Tavelsjon Lake has also yielded reports of an elongated "something" behaving like a submarine. At Vattern Great Lake, witnesses saw two "torpedoes" about 40 feet long that submerged abruptly when an airplane flew over.

Phantom Boatmen

Researcher Lennart Karlsson has investigated legends dating back to 1456 about an underwater connection between Lake Mossarpegolen and Lake Yxningen in Ostergotland. Lake Mossarpegolen is described as a dense forest-surrounded lake, about 300 feet wide and 600 feet long. People vacationing at the lake have claimed it lights up from below with a strong reddish color, a phenomenon last observed in July 1972. Karlsson and journalist Sundberg report that locals have seen a "mystery boat" on Lake Mossarpegolen with two figures resembling humans. On dark nights, the boat and figures would disappear with a sharp, blinding light. This "mystery boat" is considered an old legend, with local inhabitants claiming to have observed it for many years. The article notes that while fish are present in the lake, no one knows the identity or origin of the figures or their boat. The section also mentions lore about mysterious frogmen climbing from small lakes and inlets in diving gear, waddling ashore, and entering waiting black limousines. The late Ivan T. Sanderson is mentioned as being intrigued by such stories, speculating that strange phenomena may be occurring at the bottom of oceans, lakes, and fjords, rather than in space.

Singing Rivers

During the great flying saucer wave of October 1973, the Pascagoula, Mississippi, incident involving two fishermen allegedly taken aboard a UFO gained publicity. The Mississippi River is known as a "singing river" due to a mysterious humming sound, similar to buzzing bees, that has been heard for years. Similar sounds have been associated with UFOs. The article notes that flying saucers frequently interact with bodies of water, diving into rivers and reservoirs worldwide, and that many famous UFO contacts have occurred on beaches and river banks. Ancient myths, such as the Babylonian god Oannes, describe alien beings emerging from water to teach humanity. Scandinavian researchers are investigating events in Norwegian and Swedish fjords and lakes, while John Magor and other Canadian ufologists are exploring similar events in Canada. The article concludes that a busy UFO belt extends across the top of the world from Scandinavia to Greenland, Labrador, and British Columbia, suggesting there may be more phantom submarines in the waters than UFOs in the skies.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the persistent and unexplained presence of unidentified submerged objects (USOs) in Scandinavian waters, and the observation of anomalous aerial phenomena (UAPs) in the same regions. The magazine also explores the intersection of folklore, ancient myths, and modern sightings, particularly those involving water. The editorial stance appears to be one of open inquiry into these mysteries, presenting multiple accounts and research efforts without definitive conclusions, but suggesting a potential connection between these diverse phenomena and an earthly or waterborne origin rather than extraterrestrial. The focus on Scandinavia highlights a specific geographical nexus for these unexplained events.