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On this day in 2001 the NEAR Shoemaker became the first spacecraft to touch down on an asteroid when it landed on Eros.
And now, the news:
Bull turns tables on tiger
Giant Hamster: pictures of Caplin Rous the pet capybara at home in Texas
Melbourne zoo's baby elephant meets the public
Resurrection: ancient humans 'rise from dead'
Sick boy inspired to walk by lame duck
Mugger steals dog's coat
The dog who is allergic to cats and only eats potatoes
Potato dogs are great.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
MUIRHEAD`S MYSTERIES: MYTHOLOGY OF IRISH ANIMALS PART ONE
Today I return to Irish animals but not from a cryptozoological perspective this time; rather a mythological or folklore perspective. Of course these areas overlap. This series does not pretend to be exhaustive; I am relying on two documents: Irish Superstitions and Legends of Animals and Birds and Birds by Patrick O`Sullivan (1991) and Myth, Legend & Romance An Encyclopaedia Of The Irish Folk Tradition by Dr Daithi O'Hogain. (1990) I do not know how many parts this series will run to but there will be enough parts to give credit to the subject.
BIRDS IN IRISH MYTHOLOGY
'The most celebrated bird in Irish mythology must surely be the swan. The children of Lir, Fionnuala and Aedh, Fiachra and Conn,were transformed into swans by their jealous stepmother, Aoife. Under this terrible enchantment they were obliged to spend three hundred years on Loch Dairbhreach, three hundred years on Sruth na Maoile and three hundred years at Irrus Domnann and Inis Gluaire. When the treacherous Aoife cast her spell upon her stepchildren she said:
Out out, upon the waters child swans of Lir
Fortune smiles not on your days of glory
Well may your friends bewail your fate
With clamorous birds shall be your doom' (1)
The swans were later (900 years later!) converted to Christianity on the island of Inis Gluaire by a holy man.
THE HEDGEHOG
'The hedgehog with its spiny coat scarcely needs to be described. It hibernates in winter and during hibernation its temperature drops…It was said to steal milk from cows in some parts of the country. Its most distinctive behaviour pattern is,of course, to roll itself into a ball for protection, when its sharp spines must surely seem intimidating even to the most fierce of predators. Travellers were believed to be very fond of the flesh of the hedgehog. There was a fairly widespread belief that they rolled it up in a ball of clay and cooked it in that fashion. When the animal was cooked, the clay would crack,the spines and skin coming away with the clay. The flesh was then ready to be eaten.' (2)
THE SHREW
'In many parts of Ireland the shrew was held to be a relative of the weasel, which it is not. In olden times there was at least one curious superstition regarding this diminuative animal. A cow that had been walked upon or run upon by a shrew would develop terrible swellings and would die if immediate action were not taken to remedy the situation. Such a cow was said to be `shrew-struck`. It was thought that the only way to save the cow`s life was to burn the body of a shrew and apply the ashes to the swellings.' (3)
THE OTTER
'The otter is related to the stoat and the badger…The otter eats a great variety of fish but in Irish tradition his speciality was the salmon. It was widely believed that when he grabbed a salmon, he turned it down with the flood, and the flooding waters choked the fish…According to tradition, Lord Belmore of Florencecourt kept an otter as a pet…[The otter`s ] skin was also highly valued, and accounts of otter hunts were a regular feature of local newspapers throughout the nineteenth century and well into the twentieth century.
'An interesting tale of an otter hunter goes as follows:
Once there was a man who spent a great deal of his time hunting and killing otters. On one occasion he caught an otter and when he was removing it from the trap, the otter snapped at his hand and inflicted a deep wound. The man tried one remedy after another but none of them worked and there was no improvement in the condition of hand. Then someone told him that he should kill another otter and eat the flesh and that would effect a cure. He did this and it is said that his hand was cured.
'According to the old saying, the otter was one of three things that never rested - the others being a steep waterfall and a demon from hell.' (4)
1.P. V.O` Sullivan Irish Superstitions and Legends of Animals and Birds (1991) p.21
2.Ibid p.60
3.Ibid p.60
4.Ibid p.60-61
BIRDS IN IRISH MYTHOLOGY
'The most celebrated bird in Irish mythology must surely be the swan. The children of Lir, Fionnuala and Aedh, Fiachra and Conn,were transformed into swans by their jealous stepmother, Aoife. Under this terrible enchantment they were obliged to spend three hundred years on Loch Dairbhreach, three hundred years on Sruth na Maoile and three hundred years at Irrus Domnann and Inis Gluaire. When the treacherous Aoife cast her spell upon her stepchildren she said:
Out out, upon the waters child swans of Lir
Fortune smiles not on your days of glory
Well may your friends bewail your fate
With clamorous birds shall be your doom' (1)
The swans were later (900 years later!) converted to Christianity on the island of Inis Gluaire by a holy man.
THE HEDGEHOG
'The hedgehog with its spiny coat scarcely needs to be described. It hibernates in winter and during hibernation its temperature drops…It was said to steal milk from cows in some parts of the country. Its most distinctive behaviour pattern is,of course, to roll itself into a ball for protection, when its sharp spines must surely seem intimidating even to the most fierce of predators. Travellers were believed to be very fond of the flesh of the hedgehog. There was a fairly widespread belief that they rolled it up in a ball of clay and cooked it in that fashion. When the animal was cooked, the clay would crack,the spines and skin coming away with the clay. The flesh was then ready to be eaten.' (2)
THE SHREW
'In many parts of Ireland the shrew was held to be a relative of the weasel, which it is not. In olden times there was at least one curious superstition regarding this diminuative animal. A cow that had been walked upon or run upon by a shrew would develop terrible swellings and would die if immediate action were not taken to remedy the situation. Such a cow was said to be `shrew-struck`. It was thought that the only way to save the cow`s life was to burn the body of a shrew and apply the ashes to the swellings.' (3)
THE OTTER
'The otter is related to the stoat and the badger…The otter eats a great variety of fish but in Irish tradition his speciality was the salmon. It was widely believed that when he grabbed a salmon, he turned it down with the flood, and the flooding waters choked the fish…According to tradition, Lord Belmore of Florencecourt kept an otter as a pet…[The otter`s ] skin was also highly valued, and accounts of otter hunts were a regular feature of local newspapers throughout the nineteenth century and well into the twentieth century.
'An interesting tale of an otter hunter goes as follows:
Once there was a man who spent a great deal of his time hunting and killing otters. On one occasion he caught an otter and when he was removing it from the trap, the otter snapped at his hand and inflicted a deep wound. The man tried one remedy after another but none of them worked and there was no improvement in the condition of hand. Then someone told him that he should kill another otter and eat the flesh and that would effect a cure. He did this and it is said that his hand was cured.
'According to the old saying, the otter was one of three things that never rested - the others being a steep waterfall and a demon from hell.' (4)
1.P. V.O` Sullivan Irish Superstitions and Legends of Animals and Birds (1991) p.21
2.Ibid p.60
3.Ibid p.60
4.Ibid p.60-61
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
MANY THANKS..
I want to offer most sincere thanks to Adam Barak of Hampshire for his most generous donation, which will go towards equipment for the next expedition (details to be announced shortly).
JANUARY'S HIT PARADE FROM CFZ PRESS
UK
1 The Amateur Naturalist #7 (-)
2 The Mystery animals of Britain: Kent by Neil Arnold (4)
3= The Owlman and Others by Jonathan Downes (-)
3= Predator Deathmatch by Nick Molloy (-)
5= Big Bird by Ken Gerhard (-)
5= The Smaller Mystery Carnivores of the Westcountry by Jon Downes (-)
5= Extraordinary Animals Revisited by Dr Karl Shuker (1)
5= Dark Dorset - Calendar Customs by Robert Newland (7)
5= The CFZ Yearbook 1996 (-)
10 Man Monkey - In Search of the British Bigfoot by Nick Redfern (3)
US
1 Big Bird by Ken Gerhard (3)
2 Extraordinary Animals Revisited by Dr Karl Shuker (2)
3 Dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals on stamps by Dr Karl Shuker (5)
4= Monster - the A-Z of Zooform Phenomena by Neil Arnold (1)
4= Giant Snakes - Michael Newton (-)
6= Man Monkey - In Search of the British Bigfoot by Nick Redfern (-)
6= Animals & Men Collected editions Vol 2 (Issues 6-10) (-)
8= The Owlman and Others by Jonathan Downes (6)
8= In the wake of Bernard Heuvelmans by Michael Woodley (5)
10 The Mystery animals of Britain: The Western Isles by Glen Vaudrey (10)
Last month's positions in this pinky colour, which I think is called cerise.
Back to normal, sales-wise; normal for the recession that is, which is a little disappointing after such a groovy Christmas. I made a judgement call this month - the biggest seller was one of our journals rather than a book, but they are all produced by the same process, and through the same distributor.
1 The Amateur Naturalist #7 (-)
2 The Mystery animals of Britain: Kent by Neil Arnold (4)
3= The Owlman and Others by Jonathan Downes (-)
3= Predator Deathmatch by Nick Molloy (-)
5= Big Bird by Ken Gerhard (-)
5= The Smaller Mystery Carnivores of the Westcountry by Jon Downes (-)
5= Extraordinary Animals Revisited by Dr Karl Shuker (1)
5= Dark Dorset - Calendar Customs by Robert Newland (7)
5= The CFZ Yearbook 1996 (-)
10 Man Monkey - In Search of the British Bigfoot by Nick Redfern (3)
US
1 Big Bird by Ken Gerhard (3)
2 Extraordinary Animals Revisited by Dr Karl Shuker (2)
3 Dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals on stamps by Dr Karl Shuker (5)
4= Monster - the A-Z of Zooform Phenomena by Neil Arnold (1)
4= Giant Snakes - Michael Newton (-)
6= Man Monkey - In Search of the British Bigfoot by Nick Redfern (-)
6= Animals & Men Collected editions Vol 2 (Issues 6-10) (-)
8= The Owlman and Others by Jonathan Downes (6)
8= In the wake of Bernard Heuvelmans by Michael Woodley (5)
10 The Mystery animals of Britain: The Western Isles by Glen Vaudrey (10)
Last month's positions in this pinky colour, which I think is called cerise.
Back to normal, sales-wise; normal for the recession that is, which is a little disappointing after such a groovy Christmas. I made a judgement call this month - the biggest seller was one of our journals rather than a book, but they are all produced by the same process, and through the same distributor.
LINDSAY SELBY: Lough Fadda interview
In view of the interest and discussion on the Lough Fadda sighting I have scanned in the interview by Ted Holiday and the passage about what happened when they dynamited the Lough. For the pedants amongst you it comes from The Dragon and the Disc by F. W. Holiday 1973 ed. published by W.W. Norton New York. (hardback).
Click on the pictures to enlarge.. OLL LEWIS: 5 QUESTIONS ON… CRYPTOZOOLOGY - TANIA POOLE
Our guest today is Tania Poole. Tania is a Fortean and cryptozoological researcher from Australia. Recently Tania has been to Bungay in Suffolk researching the Black Dog myth and history with David Waldren who is set to publish a book on the phenomena, for which Tania has illustrated the cover.
And so, Tania Poole, here are your 5 questions on… Cryptozoology.
1) How did you first become interested in cryptozoology?
In the early 90s I used to read books in high school about 'Unsolved Mysteries' - ghosts, occult, monsters, disappearances - things like that I've always had the fascination, especially since I got heavily into UFOs at age 13. I was 27 when I became re-interested in it thanks to the CFZ and buying Fortean Times.
2) Have you ever personally seen a cryptid or secondary evidence of a cryptid, if so can you please describe your encounter?
This is probably nothing but I saw something strange at night once in the countryside at Moorabool, outside Geelong in Australia, which is Big Cat country. I passed a dark shadow by the paddock fence; it had absolutely no shape or features and I had my highbeam lights on. I did a u-turn but it disappeared through the paddock fence when I drove back towards it. It had no shape to it - it was just a shadow. It could have been anything - it was weird, but could probably be explained.
3) Which cryptids do you think are the most likely to be scientifically discovered and described some day, and why?
Probably ABCs, a few sea creatures that have not been explained and maybe even the orang pendek. The thylacine might rear its head again one day; I know quite a few people who have seen one.
4) Which cryptids do you think are the least likely to exist?
I think the chupacabra because I am yet to really hear of a true description, and it seems to be a joke now - people who see something weird now just call it a chupacabra. Its just not believable anymore.
5) If you had to pick your favourite cryptozoological book (not including books you may have written yourself) what would you choose?
I enjoyed Bunyips and Bigfoots by Malcolm Smith, Alien Animals by the Bords. Nick Redfern's book Three men seeking monsters covers a lot of interesting stuff too. There is so much I still have to read!
And so, Tania Poole, here are your 5 questions on… Cryptozoology.
1) How did you first become interested in cryptozoology?
In the early 90s I used to read books in high school about 'Unsolved Mysteries' - ghosts, occult, monsters, disappearances - things like that I've always had the fascination, especially since I got heavily into UFOs at age 13. I was 27 when I became re-interested in it thanks to the CFZ and buying Fortean Times.
2) Have you ever personally seen a cryptid or secondary evidence of a cryptid, if so can you please describe your encounter?
This is probably nothing but I saw something strange at night once in the countryside at Moorabool, outside Geelong in Australia, which is Big Cat country. I passed a dark shadow by the paddock fence; it had absolutely no shape or features and I had my highbeam lights on. I did a u-turn but it disappeared through the paddock fence when I drove back towards it. It had no shape to it - it was just a shadow. It could have been anything - it was weird, but could probably be explained.
3) Which cryptids do you think are the most likely to be scientifically discovered and described some day, and why?
Probably ABCs, a few sea creatures that have not been explained and maybe even the orang pendek. The thylacine might rear its head again one day; I know quite a few people who have seen one.
4) Which cryptids do you think are the least likely to exist?
I think the chupacabra because I am yet to really hear of a true description, and it seems to be a joke now - people who see something weird now just call it a chupacabra. Its just not believable anymore.
5) If you had to pick your favourite cryptozoological book (not including books you may have written yourself) what would you choose?
I enjoyed Bunyips and Bigfoots by Malcolm Smith, Alien Animals by the Bords. Nick Redfern's book Three men seeking monsters covers a lot of interesting stuff too. There is so much I still have to read!
RARE CATS ON FILM
Lindsay, (bless her) sent me this link which is apparently the first film ever taken of the Sundaland clouded leopard in its natural habitat. I would make a bunch of Geordie football jokes, but they are beyond me at such an early hour of the morning.
However, on the same page of the BBC site I also found this video, also taken this year, which is apparently the first ever film taken of wild Sumatran tigers.
Goodness me.
However, on the same page of the BBC site I also found this video, also taken this year, which is apparently the first ever film taken of wild Sumatran tigers.
Goodness me.
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