Loch Ness Monster Myths Essay

Myths and legends are often ideas spread as a result of a somewhat unexplainable event, and much like rumors spread as quick as wildfire. However, as most rumors eventually die down, many myths and legend remain throughout the decades and many times become associated with certain cultures, ethnicities, religions, etc. Though many of these myths and legends may seem far-fetched and unbelievable, some of them have some truth behind them. They offer a sense of security, an explanation, or a warning depending on the myth or legend. However, as time goes by, the original cause of the legend can be lost and it will simply become a silly story told by the generations as a cultural tradition.
In the case of the Loch Ness monster, the origin of the
legend comes all the way back from the 7th century. The story goes that a Christian missionary, Saint Columba, was spreading religion in Scotland when he came across a group of people burying a man. (The Origin of the Loch Ness Monster) The people explained to Saint Columba that a monster in the river ness had bitten the man. Saint Columba wanted to see the monster for himself so he asked another man to swim across the river Ness. Upon entering the water, the monster immediately rose from the depths and Saint Columba, holding a cross, banished the monster. At that moment, the monster descended to the depths of the river Ness not to be seen for many years after that.
The next documented sighting of the Loch Ness monster was not until more recently in 1933.
This sighting was much different from the original. George Spicer and his wife were driving on a road near Loch Ness when a creature walked across the road in front of their car. “The creature supposedly had a huge body, long neck, and they couldn’t see any limbs before it lunged toward the Loch Ness.” (The Origin of the Loch Ness Monster) After this sighting, a similar account occurred just weeks after. This was the beginning of a spiral of many more sightings. The question remains, however, are these sightings reliable evidence in the existence of the loch ness monster? Although the legend of the Loch Ness monster seems far-fetched and some sources may not be reliable, the Loch Ness monster could exists because of reliable sightings, the possibility of prehistoric creature survival, and physical evidence pointing to their
existence.
In order to separate reliable sources from unreliable sources there is a fine line.
In the case of the Loch Ness monster no one really knows exactly what it looks like. Most of the reported sightings are of “black humps or black figure jetting across the water.”(The Sightings) As with many legends, there are hoaxes involved. People will try to recreate the legend in order to fool others or to make them believe their opinion. According to lochnessmonsterfactsandstuff.com there are so many sightings between 1933-2014, that if a person were to list all of them it would fill up nearly two whole pages.
One of the most popular sightings of the Loch Ness monster was in 1933 along with many of the other sightings. Dr. Robert Kenneth Wilson’s sighting stood out from the rest due to his photographic evidence. He had snapped a picture of what seemed to be the Loch Ness monster. The image showed what looked to be a serpent-like head and neck coming out of the Loch Ness. This image created quite a stir in the scientific world. Scientific investigations became very serious. However, it wasn’t revealed until 1992 that it was openly admitted to be a hoax. (Watters)
In a short article submitted by Dr. Barbara Rommer “An Atheist and the Loch Ness Monster” she
says,
An Atheist was spending a quiet day fishing when suddenly his boat was attacked by the Loch Ness monster. In one easy flip, the beast tossed him and his boat high in the air. Then it opened its mouth to swallow both. As the man sailed head over heels, he cried out, “Oh, my God! Help me!” At once the ferocious attack scene froze in place, as the atheist hung in mid-air, a booming voice came down from the clouds, “I thought you didn’t believe in
Me!” “Come on God, give me a break!!” the man pleaded. “Two minutes ago I didn’t believe in the Loch Ness monster either!” (Rommer)
This is one of the many humorous articles on the topic of the Loch Ness monster. Although this is a humorous article, it has some truth behind it. Many people’s beliefs are based upon what they have seen. If a person believes they saw a monster on Loch Ness, they are likely to stick to their claim. “Seeing is believing” can be a huge contributing factor. It is hard to un-see things that are so vivid. Along with that is the fact that people do not want to be seen as fools. If a person changes their claim after it has been made, their claim becomes a less reliable source.