Monster Character WiKi
Loch Ness Monster
By: Nora Cully
INTRODUCTION
Nessie. The Loch Ness Monster. This water-loving Scot has been appearing in films, literature, and conversations since 1934. Compared to other monsters, we only know a little bit about this aqua-beast. Some say she’s a myth; others say she’s a living dinosaur (plesiosaur) or a sea serpent that swam into the lake before it became landlocked. Whether real or fictional, she is one of Scotland’s most iconic characters.
BIOGRAPHY AND HISTORY
Reports of a mysterious creature in Loch Ness, Scotland go back to around the 6th century, but the legend of the Loch Ness Monster, nicknamed "Nessie," got a boost in the early 1930s with several reported sightings and alleged photographic evidence. In 1934, the English surgeon, R. Kenneth Wilson, took what may be the most famous Nessie photo. This "Surgeon's Photo" supposedly shows a head and neck above the water and indicates a very large creature. Since then, thousands have reported sightings and there have been countless attempts to find and photograph her. Loch Ness (the lake, not the monster) is deep, dark and murky, and about 24 miles long and 700 feet deep in some places. This has helped keep the legend of Nessie alive.
In the 1970s, Robert Rines, a lawyer from the United States, produced an underwater photo that was later dismissed by the British Museum (which said the photo showed gas bubbles, not a long, finned critter). Some have suggested that the creature is a remnant of the Ice Age, some have suggested it is some form of mammal, but most still think she’s just wishful thinking. Even the best photos and underwater cameras have failed to solve this mystery. In 2003, BBC sponsored a high-tech sonar sweep of the entire lake, but no monster was found. However, that doesn’t mean she didn’t out-swim and hide from the BBC.
Nessie is a different kind of monster. She lives in the lake, and although some have claimed to have seen her, there is little evidence. She is mysterious. But given the history and facts about this beast, it should be noted that she is not a very popular monster in the United States/Western Hemisphere. Why is that? The UK and Scotland are very similar countries in terms of culture, values, wealth, and more, but after 82 years since the first alleged sightings, Nessie still has not made a big presence in the USA. Is this merely a communication issue, or something bigger?
LOCH NESS MONSTER NEWS
On April 21, 2015, Google took its Street View cameras on (and under) Scotland’s most famous lake. Does this mean that Google believes that Nessie does not exist, or that maybe Google has decided to branch out from “search engine” to “monster hunter”?
ANALYSIS
Over the past 10 years or so, and especially in the past 5 years, Americans have become infatuated with vampires. I think almost every time I go to the book store, I see another new series that focuses on vampires. Why have Americans loved them so much? I think that when people read these vampire books, they enjoy it and they are hooked because the characters are almost believable and relatable. But isn’t that the opposite of what a monster really is? Isn’t it the grotesque, obscure, freaky, and frightening character a monster? Not someone that could be human or could be monster, because what’s the fun in that?! Someone like Nessie is a monster because she is almost completely opposite of what a human is. She is a true monster just because she is different. Think about it for a minute—isn’t the definition of a monster someone that is different and doesn’t conform to society or to the world at large?
Americans like conformity. As an American, I know that I enjoy conformity. But I also like to branch out, see new things, read new books, and be different. That is precisely the reason why I chose Nessie. She is different, and not many people choose her as a monster to do an analysis on. At least, not many Americans choose her.
After doing some research I found that most of the books and websites are UK-based. It looks like she is a pretty big deal across the pond. Her home, Loch Ness, has become a vacation destination, people hang out around the lake hoping to spot her, and most recently, Google added Loch Ness to its Maps, both above and below the water.
Clearly, Nessie is the UK version of the vampire in America. But why hasn’t Nessie swam across the pond yet? It’s not like she is a “new” monster, she’s been around since the 6th century, and people have been actively searching for her since the 1930s. Surely she should have made it America by now.
In my research, I was unable to come across a clear reason why she isn’t the most popular monster in the US. But after some critical thinking, I can’t help but wonder if she has not had a big presence in American culture because of Robert Rines, the lawyer from the US that produced that underwater photo that was later dismissed by the British Museum. After visiting the British Museum, I found it to be just a little bit pretentious. Some parts of the museum were enjoyable, but with literally thousands of pieces of china and artifacts in glass cases, my tour started to get a little bit monotonous and dare I say, “boring”. I wonder if the British Museum thought it was too good for Nessie, and that is why they dismissed it. And after that, the hot-shot American lawyer told all of his hot-shot friends that the British Museum dismissed him and his photo.
As Americans (and those from other countries that do not live in the UK), we need to just venture out, explore new monsters (especially Nessie!), and forget about the past and focus on getting a really good picture of Nessie that will be accepted by the British Museum!
 Loch Ness MonsterHugo Heikenwaelder’s 1999 Loch Ness Monster Oil Painting. |  Loch NessLoch Ness Lake and Urquhart Castle. |  Loch Ness LakeThe lake where the Loch Ness Monster lives. |
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 NessieNessie at the Museum of Loch Ness. |  Loch Ness MonsterLoch Ness Monster Roller Coaster at Busch Gardens, Williamsburg, Virginia, USA. |
If you are unable to visit the real Loch Ness Monster in Scotland, here are some suggestions on how to get your Nessie fill:
Visit Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, Virginia, and go for a ride on the roller coaster, Loch Ness Monster.
Visit the John Ball Zoo in Grand Rapids, Michigan to see the art-deco Loch Ness Monster sculpture, Nessie.
Literary Works on the Loch Ness Monster
Books:
Bauer, H. (1986). The Enigma of Loch Ness. University of Illinois Press, Urbana.
(Excellent review of the history of the search and of the individuals involved; extensive bibliography.)
Bendick, J. (1976). The Mystery of the Loch Ness Monster. McGraw-Hill, New York.
(kindergarten - 3rd grade)
Binns, R. (1985). The Loch Ness Mystery Solved. Prometheus, Buffalo, New York.
Campbell, S. (1986). Loch Ness Monster: The Evidence. Re-published, 1991, Aberdeen University Press.
Cornell, J. (1977). The Monster of Loch Ness. Scholastic Book Services, New York.
Costello, P. (1974). In Search of Lake Monsters. Coward McCann and Geoghegan, New York.
Dinsdale, T. (1973). The Story of the Loch Ness Monster. Allan Wingate and Target, London.
(elementary school grades)
Dinsdale, T. (1982). Loch Ness Monster. 4th edition. Routledge and Kegan Paul, London.
Editors of Time-Life Books (1988). Mysterious Creatures. Mysteries of the Unknown Series. Time-Life Books, Alexandria, Virginia.
Encyclopedia Brittanica Inc. (1977). "Once more into the Loch" by George Zug. 1978 Yearbook of Science and the Future.
Gibson, J.A., and D. Heppell, eds. (1988). The Search for Nessie in the 1980's . (Proceedings of the symposium held at the Royal Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh, July 25, 1987. Published as Parts 2&3 of the Centennial Volume of The Scottish Naturalist, 1988.)The Scottish Natural History Library, Foremount House, Kilbarchan, Renfreshire, PA102EZ, Scotland, U.K.
Holiday, F.W. (1970). The Great Orm of Loch Ness. Avon, New York.
Mackal, R. (1976). The Monsters of Loch Ness. Swallow Press, Inc., Chicago.
Meredith, D.L. (1977). Search at Loch Ness. Quadrangle/New York Times Book Co., New York.
Michell, J. and R.J.M. Rickard (1982). Living Wonders: Mysteries and Curiosities of the Animal World. Thames and Hudson, London.
Newton, M. (1979). Monster, Mysteries and Man. Addison-Wesley, Reading, Massachusetts.
Rabinovich, E. (1979). The Loch Ness Monster. Franklin Watts, New York and London.
(young children)
Thorne, I. (1978). The Loch Ness Monster. Crestwood House, Mankato, Minnesota.
(elementary school grades)
Periodicals:
Ellis, W. (1977). Loch Ness: the lake and the legend. National Geographic, 151(6), 759.
Lehn, W.H. (1979). Atmospheric refraction and lake monsters. Science, 205, 183-195
Martin, K. (1977). Sonar scores in Loch Ness. Sea Technology, 18(1), 35-37, 49.
Science (1976). Nessie: what's in an anagram? Science, 191(4222), 54.
Scott and Rines (1975). Naming the Loch Ness monster. Nature, 258, 466-468.
Wiley, J.P. Jr. (1976). Cameras, sonar close in on denizen of Loch Ness. Smithsonian, 7(3), 96-105.