Once upon a time, an Irish monk lived on the hillside above a lake. Over the waters of this lake there floated an air of mystery; the scent of existence and a fog of life that was reflected in its deep waters. The monastery was not far from the banks, and the Irish monk knew in his heart that in the depths of the lake an unusual creature dwelt. He had never seen it, nor had he ever spoken to anyone of his intuition. One day, one of his disciples saw a boat sinking on the lake. The disciple decided to swim into the lake to bring in the boat. There was a dense fog, and a fine mist was spread over the watery chasm. While the disciple was swimming over to save the sinking boat, a fearsome monster rose suddenly to the surface and sped towards him with a great roar. The sea serpent was real. The Irish monk made a sign of the cross and invoked the name of Christ, and the monster spared the terrified monk. Thus was born the legend of the Loch Ness monster, in the sixth century A.D.
Time went on, but the legend endured. Over the centuries, many anecdotes would feed into the myth. One diver reported having seen an enormous frog-like creature while he was exploring the wreck of a fishing trawler. He was stricken with fear, and refused to go back into the water. Another time two friends, who had both been sceptical about the monster’s existence, told of how they saw the back of a huge creature emerge from the water when they were out fishing. As they approached to see what it was, their boat was surrounded by three distinct humps, all the same colour. They made their way back to the shore, while one of the three humps followed them for a hundred metres. After that there were many expeditions to try and find the monster. Volunteers tried to catch it with simple tools: barrels, fishing nets, hooks and bait. Later, people would use more costly means and technologies to try and locate the Loch Ness Monster, employing sonar, radar and submarines in their attempts to capture the beast.
Myth or reality? Although somewhat far-fetched, the Loch Ness monster became a global attraction. Every year, millions of tourists rush over the long Scottish roads bordered lakes, mountains and ruined castles. According to the locals, this part of the country is populated by ghosts and sheep, but also by a strange monster named Nessie who is none other than the Loch Ness Monster, a sort of eel-like dinosaur with several humps. Almost a hundred years ago, in the Highlands of northern Scotland, many people reported having seen a strange monster emerging from the depths of the lake. The news shook the whole region, and rippled all over the world. The lakeside communities were overrun with reporters and tourists from all over Europe, hoping to espy or capture the beast. Some say it is an animal with a long tail, somewhere between the size of an elephant and a dinosaur. Others say it is a giant fish or sea serpent. So what does Nessie really look like, and does she really exist?
These London firemen have created their own image of the beast, 30 feet long, 14 feet high and 10 feet wide. This wonderful sculpture was made with oil barrels and paper maché. It is equipped with an amplified roar, can breathe fire from its nose and carries a hidden camera to record interactions. The sculpture was created to raise money for the fire station, and its creators hope the power of the legend will bless them with good fortune.
Alan Alfredo Geday
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