The History and Hoax of the Loch Ness Monster
Hint: The iconic photo is not what it seems.
Of all the urban legends, the Loch Ness Monster was the one that always intrigued me. Perhaps this is because I was introduced to it by National Geographic Kids Magazine at a young age. Perhaps because the prospect of a sea creature was more bewitching than a yeti or Big Foot. After all, anything could exist in those murky depths, right? So many waters have yet to be explored, so in theory, the Nessie could be real.
As a slightly more skeptical adult, I decided to explore reopen this myth and to delve into what is known and what is proven.
The History of the Loch Ness Monster
According to Scottish folklore, a monster lurks in Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands. Reports of it date back to ancient times. Stone carvings from the Pict show a giant creature with flippers. A biography of St. Columba from 565 AD. contains the first written account of the creature, which includes the monster biting a swimmer and about to attack someone else when Columba intervened and chastised it. It obeyed him and slipped back into the water.
Although there have been only the occasional alleged sighting, they all seem inspired by Scottish folklore, which is rich with water creatures.
