Nessie's 75th Birthday
The Loch Ness Monster, aka Niseag, aka Nessie, celebrated its 75th birthday this year without a great deal of fanfare. But after the enigmatic entity first hit the headlines in 1933, are we really any wiser to what the creature actually is?
The Vita Columbae, written by Saint Adomnan of Iona, is often said to contain the earliest mention of our favourite lake monster. Adomnan documented how Saint Columba, travelling around the region in AD 565, bore witness to a 'ferocious monster' attacking a Pict (a tribesman indigenous to the region) who was trying to cross a body of water. Columba invoked the name and signs of God, terrifying the water monster which then fled the area. Several problems arise when trying to link Nessie to this account. The geography is slightly wrong, the story taking place along the River Ness and not Loch Ness, and Nessie's typically shy profile is at odds with Adomnan account. Finally, Columba is also said to have encountered and fought off many other fantastic creatures, suggesting that events attributed to him may be slightly exaggerated or complete metaphor.
The Loch Ness Monster, aka Niseag, aka Nessie, celebrated its 75th birthday this year without a great deal of fanfare. But after the enigmatic entity first hit the headlines in 1933, are we really any wiser to what the creature actually is?
The Vita Columbae, written by Saint Adomnan of Iona, is often said to contain the earliest mention of our favourite lake monster. Adomnan documented how Saint Columba, travelling around the region in AD 565, bore witness to a 'ferocious monster' attacking a Pict (a tribesman indigenous to the region) who was trying to cross a body of water. Columba invoked the name and signs of God, terrifying the water monster which then fled the area. Several problems arise when trying to link Nessie to this account. The geography is slightly wrong, the story taking place along the River Ness and not Loch Ness, and Nessie's typically shy profile is at odds with Adomnan account. Finally, Columba is also said to have encountered and fought off many other fantastic creatures, suggesting that events attributed to him may be slightly exaggerated or complete metaphor.
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