As part of the promotion for the upcoming book, A Monstrous Commotion, the Daily Mail runs an article on the author, Gareth Williams, and an interesting piece from his book. It concerns a Digby George Gerahty, who claimed to Henry Bauer before his death in 1981, that he was the inventor of the Loch Ness Monster via a series of planted monster stories back in 1933. You can read more in the Mail article.
The story is not unfamiliar to me, I just discounted it as one of the various competing theories promulgated as to what triggered the Loch Ness Monster story. The competing one is the influence of King Kong. The other is road works and blasting rousing the monster. One that also springs to mind is the Italian journalist, Francesco Gasparini, who in 1959 made similar claims:
Italian newsman Francesco Gasparini claimed in an article published in the Milan weekly magazine Visto
that he had invented the Loch Ness Monster. His story was that in
August 1933, while working in London as a UK correspondent for an
Italian newspaper, he saw a two-line item in the Glasgow Herald
about a "strange fish" caught in Loch Ness. Having nothing else to write
about, he expanded on this, turning the fish into a monster, and soon
"other papers began to print eyewitness accounts of the monster being
sighted." Gasparini's claim was not taken very seriously. "The man is
talking rot," one Scot was quoted as saying.
And then there is poor Alex Campbell, long time water bailiff of Loch Ness, who people such as arch sceptic, Ronald Binns, pins the blame on for inventing, embellishing and sustaining Nessie stories to catalyse the Kelpie legends into life.
Who's to blame? All, none or some? As Gareth says, he is not the one to judge, it is down to each of us to form our own opinion. I look forward with greater interest to the release of his book on November the 12th.
The author can be contacted at lochnesskelpie@gmail.com
Yeah right, and Al Gore invented the Internet. Great article.
ReplyDeleteA Monstrous Commotion eh ? that will have to go onto the christmas present list !! hope you'll review it once published...
ReplyDeleteAl Gore never claimed to have invented the Internet.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.snopes.com/quotes/internet.asp
Poor old Alex Campbell eh? He didnt really help himself with his story changing and claims of so many sightings. A bit of an older day George Edwards me thinks!!! But i do wonder if he did have a sighting or two or if he did really believe in the monster! As for abyone inventing Nessie....nah. sightings go back longer than the 1930's ! :))
ReplyDeleteYes, well we have the Courier report from 1930, three years before Gerahty. Is he claiming to have brewed that as well?
DeleteMakes you wonder how someone can right a whole book to back up his claim. Straight to Bargain Books methinks
ReplyDeleteIt's not just about this claim. I doubt it would even make a whole chapter.
DeleteHi all. I'm clued up on Gerahty story. I think there's a lot to be said for it. Ness stories pre 1930 were much like other Scottish Highland stories. Much of northern Scotland was awash with myth and legend of beastly form in earlier times. It was easy to turn one of these stories into a real life rumour and draw the paying public in.
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to being dumb, the question might be better directed elsewhere. For example, who could seriously believe in a monster swimming the loch when we will soon enter 2016 with neither video nor carcass to peruse? For myself that is the most baffling of stances a grown man or woman could take.
Best regards,
S. Jennings
Someone says "I saw Nessie" and you fall about laughing.
DeleteSomeone says "I invented Nessie" and you roll over like little puppies!
That's hyperbole.
DeletePlease cite an example of anyone acting in such a manner, as I've hardly seen anyone merrily prancing at this announcement (particularly since it's a story that goes back as far as Bauer's book in the late 80s).
Yes, I have employed hyperbole to exemplify my point.
DeleteCritical towards big claims of eyewitnesses.
Not so critical towards big claims about inventing Nessie.
See my above post to see that I don't view the world in black and white terms, Roland.
DeleteThe Daily Mail article is just the latest in a long line of debunking contributions to the field. For example, they repeat this infamous one in their piece: "The image was later exposed as a hoax by one of the participants, Chris Spurling, who, on his deathbed, revealed that the pictures were staged." There was no deathbed: he died two years after the conversation. His claims - from a disgruntled relative - were unproven. He wasn't a participant, except in his mind.
ReplyDeleteThe "deathbed" comment can hardly be blamed on Spurling himself, can it?
DeleteRegarding his claims being unproven, how would you suggest it could be proven? The only evidence is the photo itself which has been proven to show an object as small as he claimed.
On what evidence do you base your last comment, "He wasn't a participant except in his mind", Mr Coleman?
"Disgruntled relative"...?
DeleteThe Gerahty claim was debunked by Steuart Campbell many years ago in Skeptic Magazine, I think.
ReplyDeleteCan you elaborate?
DeleteThanks, I'll check that out.
DeleteApparently, Scully is correct. Mr. Campbell did write an article about the Gerahty claim. In The British & Irish Skeptic, the Mar/Apr 1992 issue titled “Who invented the Loch Ness Monster? Was it Digby George Gerahty?” Referenced in Mr. Campbell's Website, but no downloadable link:
Deletehttp://www.steuartcampbell.com/articles.html
Meanwhile, Adrian Shine weighs in on the controversy:
http://www.thenational.scot/news/new-twist-in-nessies-tale-debunks-claims-of-pr-stunt.9608
Hmm... almost sounds as if Mr. Shine is a believer, but in fact, is just shooting down Gerahty's claim.
Skeptics are critical thinkers, John. It isn't simply a matter of squashing lake monsters: it's a matter of looking at all the various aspects of the case and determining what does and doesn't make sense.
DeleteIt's possible to think Nessie is a fantasy and to also discount shaky or fraudulent claims that purport to endorse a skeptical viewpoint.
Oh dont you now ? And you can spell can you anon? Well you obviously cant spell you own name unless you have not the balls to put it in :-)
ReplyDeleteIt's a damned shame that there are only two dudes willing to stick their necks out for Glasgow Boy and this blog these days. That's John Alvarado (good fella IMO), and Jake in his various guises as himself, pseudonyms and anonymous postings. There used to be more of us here willing to give the militant skeptics a run for their money. I'm going to post more now. It'll stop Glasgow Boy, John and Jake from having to defend all day long. And hopefully mean Jake can stop using other aliases.
ReplyDeleteSo for starters this Gerahty story is baloney and it always was. This fine article should put the final nail in that story's coffin. Keep up the good work, Glasgow Boy!
Three cheers for each of Jake's pseudonyms! These are the sort of people to have in your corner as defense against allegations of irrationality!
DeleteAm I the only one who thinks Champlain Warrior is probably just a skeptic (a well known one?) taking the p*** out of Jake and his posts? Looks that way from where I'm sitting.
DeleteWell, nowadays I have become leery of ingratiating, complimentary comments and with good reason. Sometimes I get the felling that others, or the same person is posting with different aliases, making both pro and con comments just to muddle the waters. Suspicious ain't I? We'll just have to wait and see. If it is Jake as multiple posters, at least it's the same person, his intentions are good, his heart is in the right place and he's a faithful ally. It's his idea of force multiplication.
DeleteI keep asking why Roland doesn't make registration a condition of posting, and no one seems to want to answer the question.
DeleteOnly GB could answer your question. But I would assume it would involve privacy issues. Such a restriction would probably discourage most people from posting. Plus, what would prevent someone from having multiple email accounts under different usernames?
DeleteEkm asked me elsewhere if I was "Champlain Warrior" and I am not. In fact, this is my first ever post here. If I have anything to say to Roland, I just send him a message but he knows I support this blog and am a regular reader and sometime contributor, behind the scenes.
ReplyDeleteI think erik forgets he started the insults :) ive never had a problem with sceptics i wud agree or disagree all day without malice. I always welcomed geordie sceptic until he started insulting. I have loads of time for Dick Raynor and even met him earlier this year on one of my ness trips!! Yes i might be a humble bricklayer that likes a beer or two but sorry lads i can still have my opinion. And my opinion stands.... there are ' lots' of stories of sightings before 1930 :))))) yes i might use humble words bur as i said... im a humble lad :))) and before u judge my thoughts on nessie ...dont... cus ive never said what they are!!! Anyway if im away for a while please dont miss me too much and hope u all have a merry xmas and new year !!!!! Lol .....mwaaaaaaahhhh xxxx
ReplyDeleteIf you're the gentleman who perpetrated a stunningly bad hoax a few years back and then became belligerent when questioned, and to whom I bestowed the name of "gonad," then yes: you were a gonad then, and a gonad still. If you're not the same individual, then you're his friend; and if not, then you're inventing insults that never occurred.
DeleteThere you go Jake! Like I said before, you crack me up! Have a Tennents and a belt of whatever whiskey you drink for me. Cheers
DeleteI only drink on holiday anon :)) so wer have we met then ? :)
ReplyDeleteHi. Getting back on topic i seem to remember a Mrs Carey claiming a sighting around 1910 ?
ReplyDelete