Table Of Contenten
At the recent Fortean Times UnConven jectile, and sailed away. There was no
tion {see BackPage) I was shown a copy known airship of this earth that could
LU of a popular weekly magazine, pub have appeared in Vermont in July,
lished in 1925. TP 'sand Cassell 's 1907."
MAGONIA 86 Weekly was edited by T. P. O'Connor, Well the first phenomenon
(incorporating MUFOB 133)
1- an Irish Nationalist M.P. who repre sounds like some sort of astronomical
�
NOVEMBER 2004 sented a constituency in Liverpolo. Un sighting -things which han around for
like the tabloids oftoday, the articles in hours and appear night after night, usu
EDITOR T.P 's Weekly are intelligent commentar ally are. The second is more puzzling,
JOHNRIMMER ies on current events and brief articles but perhaps ball-lightning is not a com
[email protected] 0
on such topics as 'Bards of Modem pletely unreasonable suggestion. So far
Wales', Literary Past of Ipswich -Nei so unremarkable. But the real interest of
ASSOCIATEED ITOR
JohnH amev ther Robust nor Inspiring;, and 'Droll this letter is who it's from. The proud
[email protected] z Fifteenth Century Sermons', as well as winner of the Right Hon. T. P. O'Con
a page of readers' questions. nor's guinea (that's £1.05, to you
CONTRIBUTINEGD ITOR
Marl< Pilkington But our main interest I ies in youngsters) was none other than Charles
[email protected] 'T.P's Post Bag, and in particular the Fort! Fort lived in London for just three
first letter -"A Weekly Prize of One years, spending most of his time in the
REVIEWSE DITOR
Guinea is offered for the most interest British Museum Reading Room. Was
Peter Rogerson
I ing letter printed". And here is that let he, I wonder, a regular contributor to
SUBSCRIPTIOND ETAILS ter in its entirety: the popular press of the era, or was this
Magoniiasa vailabblyee x "SIR,-There are recorded indications letter a one-oti? Maybe he tried to
changwei toht hemarg azines, <( that this earth has, from time to time, augment his income by winning 'most
orb ys ubscriptiaottn h efo llow been visited by explorers from other interesting letter' prizes! If anyone can
ingra tes:
U. K.: £9. 50 (6 issues) worlds. In Nature {May 25, 1893) is throw light on this, or come up with
Europe: 20.00 euros (6 issues) published an account, by Captain Char another Fortean contribution contempo
USA: $20.00 (6 issues) les 1. Norcock, of H.M.S. Caroline. of a rary journals, we would be eager to
Others: £8.00 (4 issues) fleet of lights in the sky, which he saw, learn of it
upon the night of February 24, 1893,
llliiiBB llliiilllliBi!lllliiSIIIIIIiil 11111 111111 111111111 111111
US subscribers must pay in � between Shanghai and Japan. These
dollabri llsWe. are unablteo
luminous objects, if not lights Can anyone explain to me why the
accept checkdsra wn on
American banks. upon several vessels from some other American MUFON organization still
world, moved, sometimes in a massed appears to be taken seriously? The latest
European subscriberss hould 0 formation, and sometimes in an irregu issue of its Journal received at Magonia
payi nE uro notes. lar line. Anything of a meteoric nature has a cover showing a crude drawing of
is excluded, because the duration was a face with large 'alien' -style eyes. This
Chequesa nd money orders two hours. The next night these appear is supposed to depict Raechel (sic], the
must be made payable to
JOHN RIMMER,n ot' Magonia'.I- ances were observed again, moving as if college roommate of a girl called Ma
exploring, for seven hour's and a half. risa, whose mother tells the story.
Allco rrespondence, "Upon July 2, 1907, according Raechel is described as a very strange
subscriptionasn de xchange to an account by Bishop John S. person, and the clear implication is that
magaziness houldb ese ntt o
Michaud, published in the Monthly she is some sort of alien-human hybrid.
theed itor Weather Review (Washington), .1907, The main reason for this seems to be
0
JohnRim mer page 310, a "torpedo-shaped body" ap that she didn't have a boyfriend and had
JohnDe e Cottage peared in the sky, over the city of Bur never heard of Simoo and Garfunkle!
5 James Terrace lington, Ve nnont. For a while it was Raechel seems to have been a
MortlakeC hurchyard LU stationary, and then it slowly moved very lonely person who may have suf
LondonS,W 14 BHB away. "Tongues of fire" issued from the fered from a form of Asperger's Syn
United Kingdom
object. There was a terrific drome and had difficulty socializing.
VisMiatg oniOan -Une at explosion. Because conditions were But in the climate of fear which is be
www.magonia.demotLco.uk stormy at the time, an attempt was made ing promoted by researchers like Budd
to explain the explosion and something Hopkins, such people seem to be in
@ Magoni2a004 . Copyrighitn
signed articles writhe mtahien s that was seen to fall in terms of "ball danger of being marginalised even fur
authors. lightning," but the account is of a vessel ther. This pernicious nonsense is going
which appeared, seemed to fire a pro- to end in a tragedy.
3
Visions Before
Midnight
Witchcraft, Folklore and the Prehistory of
the Abduction Phenomenon
David Sivier
interpret and communicate with
the underlying entities by occult
means are still carried out today.
Ever since Vallee and Keel put pen, or typewriter
One of the most notorious exam
ples of this is arguably Alien H.
ribbon to paper in the 70s, it's been an axiom
Greenfield's Secret Cipher of the
among proponents of the psychosocial Ufonauts, which used Qabalistic
numerological systems derived
hypothesis that the UFO phenomenon is merely from Aleister Crowley to plumb
the cosmic mysteries behind the
the modem variant of a range of paranormal phenomenon. I Thomas Bullard's
research into the 'Old Hag' phe
encounters and visitations by supernatural others.
nomenon, and Persinger' s now no
Despite their technological trappings, modem Far from being en torious hypothesis that such en
counters with objec counters originate in disturbances
UFO sightings are merely the scientistic expres- tively real, nuts and of the brain's Temporal Lobes
bolts extraterrestrial have added further weight to the
sion of deep religious and mystical impulses from spacecraft, UFO visita psychosocial view that alien en
tions, and much of the counters are essentially an internal,
within the human psyche, impulses, which have
culture surrounding psychological experience, despite
given rise to previous ages' myths of encounters them, is a twentieth Bullard 's own view that the Old
century technological Hag phenomenon is an objectively
with angels, demons, elves and ghosts. religious experience. real, rather than folkloric experi-
This is, and always has ence.
been, explicit in the Although the above short
case of UFO religions summary of the psychosocial posi
such as the Aetherius tion is now so well known as to
Society of George King and the appear trite, particularly to its op
Unarius sect founded by Ruth ponents, it's not often appreciated
Norman in California. Although how closely the UFO and Abduc
King and Adamski have passed tion experiences come to their
on, the era of the Contactee with traditional predecessors in religion
his or her extraterrestrial message and folklore. The lengthy com
for mankind still continues, with parisons of a few years ago of
channelled messages about im alien abduction investigators and
pending ecological and planetary medieval witch-hunters by James
catastrophe from 9-foot tall Ple Pontolillo and others, while im
iadian reptilians, Ashtar Space mensely controversial, were almost
Command and any number of literally accurate in their analysis
communicating entities, or given of the relationship between the
to those unfortunates who believe, two. In itself, this was not particu
or are led to believe, that they lar revolutionary. Janet and Colin
have been abducted and medically Bord in the 1970s researched the
tortured by the aliens aboard the similarities between the entities
spacecraft. reported from UFOs, and the de
Furthermore, attempts to mons of medieval theology, based
4
on their reading of Nicholas of Anglia during the Interregnum, the statements given by the violat
Remy's 16th century Demonlatry. cases which parallel the contem ing entities as explanations are es
In confirmation of their research, porary abduction experience, sentially the same. Boreham's
they note that during a conversa though with the obvious difference statement that they fought 'for all
tion with six alien beings a com that these lack the technological of her' certainly compares with
poser from Malvesi, in Narbonne, imagery characteristic of the Streiber's statement that they 'did
France, had on 12 December 1987, Twentieth century. have a right' to carry out their ex
one of the beings in answer to his The origin of some de periments, and indeed Fort's own
question 'So you'r e monic encounters in visions during oft-repeated dictum of an putative
extraterrestrials then?' replied a hypnopogic state is apparently alien presence on Earth, 'I think
'ciel, demon' (sky, demon). 'The born out in Steme's description of we are property.'
use of the word demon goes some Anne Boreham's initiation into The parallels with the
way towards confirming what their company. Boreham 'con Greys of the Abduction phenome
some researchers have long sus fessed that as she awoke out of a non become even closer when one
pected: that the UFO entity phe dreame she saw uglie men (as she considers that the familiars who
nomenon is not peculiar to the thought) a fighting, and asked accompanied these witches were
twentieth century but has occurred them why they fought, who an similarly diminutive. Elizabeth
throughout history, the origins and swered that they would fight for Hubbard confessed that 'she had
intentions of the entities being un all her, and then one vanished three things' come to her in the
derstood in accordance with the away, and then came to her into likeness of children', 4 while Ed
dominant beliefs of the age.' 2 bed, and had the use of her body.' ward W right similarly possessed
Pontolillo, however, took the 3 There are obviously problems to two imps like little boys. 5 Of
accepting such state course, elves had long been imag
ments, along with ined to be diminutive in size, and
other confessions from Lord Bemers · 1534 translation of
the accused at face the fourteenth century French
value, due to the im Huon ofBordeaux describes
mense physical and Oberon, the fairy king as about the
psychological stresses 'but of iii fote' in height. 6 Given
under which those ac the association between fairies and
cused were placed by witchcraft, it was to be expected
their judicial tormen that the attendant imps should
tors in order to extract similarly be envisaged as lacking
confessions of guilt. adult human stature. Even the
Although torture was paradoxically asexual nature of the
not used in England, attacking entities themselves is
and so the number of described in Steme's case studies,
witchcraft cases was just as modem Abduction narra
consequently small, tives describe similar highly sexed,
nevertheless coercive but curiously sexless aliens. One
measures such as walk of Steme's victims, Bush of Ban
ing and watching -by ton, confessed that Satan appeared
which Hopkins and his by her bedside as a young black
cohorts denied the ac man -traditionally the colour of
cused witches of sleep evil, but not yet the Grey of the
-as well as leading Abductionists -'but could not
questions and the un perform nature as man, ' 7 while
bearable psychological Anne Crick stated that 'the Devill
pressures to confess, had the use of her body, but she
comparison one step further to means that it's possible that some, said she could not tell whether he
include the conduct of the Abduc at least, of the testimony obtained performed nature or not.' 8 This
tion researchers themselves, pre from suspected witches was latter, though, could have been due
senting an image of their activi formed, consciously or uncon to the strong social pressures
ties, including the willingness to sciously, to conform to the witch against confessing intimate -and
inflict emotional pain on the vic finders' own prejudices and ex in this case, unnatural-sexual ac
tims of such supernatural visita pectations. Nevertheless, Bore tivities in public, as Crick stated
tions, which the Abduction re ham's statement, along with other clearly that 'she could not confess
searchers naturally found abhor 'spectral evidence', certainly sug before much company.' 9 Al
rent. Nevertheless, the similarities gests the origins of some witch though these encounters probably
between these witch-hunters, past craft cases in encounters with didn't arise from the deliberate use
and present, are very strong and sexually predatory incubi and suc of hallucinogens as a means of al
can provide profound insights into cubi, demonic encounters of much tering consciousness, nevertheless
the nature of the phenomenon. For the same type with the equally they bear a strong similarity to the
example, the writings of John sexually predatory aliens, which 'machine elves' produced by the
Steme, the friend and fellow also rape their human victims. The DMT experience, suggesting that
witchfmder of the notorious Mat only difference here is that these they may indeed be autonomous,
thew Hopkins, contains numerous latter incubi violate their victims but alienated sections of the hu
cases of witchcraft they discovered on high-tech dissection tables, man psyche, rather than objective,
during their reign of terror in East rather than their own beds. Even corporeal entities. 10
5
As for the confused, and to humiliate and control them. The its mythology of government
often tortured emotional state of American sceptical sociologist, complicity and alien conspiracies,
many abductees, this too is paral JeiTrey S. Victor, noted that "Ado are on the contrary deliberately
leled by Steme's description of the lescents who see themselves as acting against its interests to ex
motivations of the purported being "evil" create a psychological pose it as a manipulative and per
witches victimised by himself and environment consistent with their secuting order.
Hopkins. According to Steme, the self-concept. They see the world As for the Abductees
Devil carefully observed his vic as they sec themselves, a place themselves, their experiences also
tims to entrap them when they where malicious evil is more recapitulate the experiences of the
were psychologically most vulner genuine than compassion.' 13 One medieval saints, some of whose 1. See: Steve Moore, review of Secret C�
able, "as when any fall into a pas example where a belief in their torments also seem to have arisen pher of the Ufonauts, by Alan H Greenfield,
sionate sorrow, accompanied with own evil has led to the develop from sleep paralysis. The 1438 llluminet Press, 1995, in Fortean Times no.
solitarinesse for some losse, a ment of pseudo-Satanic beliefs, is English translation of the Golden 81, June-July 1995, p. 62
husband, wife, children or such that of Christina who used 'satan Legend of Jacobus de Voragine,
2. Janet and Colin Bord, Life Beyond
like, the Devil offers himself to ism (sic) to rebel against her par describes such a nocturnal Satanic
Planet Earth, Man's contacts with space
comfort such in their sorrowful! ents· religion ... When her mother assault on Saint Edmund. One people, Grafton, 1991, p.115
melancholy mood.' 11 Of course, asked her directly about her sa night the saint fell asleep at his
to contemporary Christian funda tanic beliefs, Christina told her books before he could meditate on 3. J. Steme,A Confirmation and Discovery
mentalists searching for real, pres mother that there was nothing the Passion of Christ. As a result, of Witchcraft, 1648, repr. University of Exe
ent day servants of Satan, such good in the world that was why 'the feende that had gret envy to ter, 1973, p.32
melancholy behaviour and the she liked satanism (sic).· 14 hym laye so hcvye on Scynt Ed
avoidance of human company is Moreover, Victor elsewhere rec mond that he had no power to 4. Sterne, op. cif., p.26
very much a symptom of occult ords instances where suspected Sa blesse hym with the ryght hondc
5. Sterne, op. cit., p. 26
involvement, rather than a symp tanic criminals have been captured ner with the lyft honde.' /5 Never
tom of a disturbed emotional state using material from the manuals theless, the saint was able to tri 6. G. Edward. Hobgoblin and Sweet Pucj;
that may make an already vulner produced by the Satan hunters umph over the adversary when he fairy names and natures, Geoffrey Bles,
able person particular susceptible themselves as the basis for their finally remembered, by the grace 1974, p. 168
to the delusion that he or she has perverted beliefs. The conclusion of God, Christ's passion, at which
been violated and entrapped by to be drawn here seems to be that the Devil "fylle downe anone fro 7. Sterne, op. cif., p.29
predatory supernatural beings. an exaggerated, repressive empha hym.' 16 Furthermore, the saint
8. Sterne, op. cif., p.30
Here Steme also has a sis on Satan and the power of evil, was able to gain from the De''il
few valuable lessons for today· s far from drawing people to the information on how best to defend 9. Sterne, op. cit., p. 30
Satan hunters, though his com saving power of Christ, produces himself from further Satanic as
ments, from the background of an its demonic opposite. As a result, sault. This was indeed meditation 10. See: R. Rickard, 'Watch the Sky
explicit believer in the reality of Christian ministers would be best on the Passion, which granted Watchers' review of Paul Devereux and
the Devil"s agents on Earth, actu advised to avoid too much hell-fire anyone so occupied immunity Peter Brookesmith, UFOs and Ufolofy,
ally corroborate instead the con and damnation preaching in favour from the Dcvil's attacks. /7 Blandford, 1997, in Fortean Times, 106,
clusions of the Sceptics. Rather of other, more positive aspects of It has been stated that January 1998,p . 55
than demonstrating the fire-and the religion. Unfortunately it's a the Abduction phenomenon has
11. Rickard, op. cif. . p.55
brimstone sermon as a true path to message the fundamentalist Satan part of its origins in late Twentieth
Christian salvation, Steme de hunters don't seem to have re -early Twenty-first century victim 1'2. Rickard, op. cif., p. 59
scribes instances where it has had ceived, particularly those fixated culture, and there is also an ele
the opposite effect on its audience: on the supposedly demonic influ ment of this in the cult of the me 13. J. S. Vtctor, Satanic Panic; the creation
·For I have heard many of them ence of Harry Potter. dieval saints. Apart from the se of a contemporary legend. Open Court,
say, that the Devil hath inticed Back in the world of vere asceticism practiced by them, 1993, pp. 148-9.
them to witchcraft by some ser Ufology, although no doubt the their saintliness was also vindi
14. Victor, op. cif., p. 149, citing A. M.
mons they have preached; as when Abduction researchers currently cated by the spiritual and psycho
Spelz,' Treating Adolescent Satanism in
ministers will preach of the power interrogating their percipients for logical privations they experi Art Therapy', The Arts in Psychotherapy
of the devil, and his tormenting details of their supernatural as enced, such as demonic assault. 17,S ummer 1990,p p.147-155
the wicked' after which the Devil saults would be shocked and deny Although such assaults could con
approached the novice witch, the comparison, nevertheless they tinue throughout the saint's life, 15. N. F. Blake,M iddle English Religious
"asking them, How do you think to do seem to be recapitulating the his sanctity guaranteed that he Prose, Edward Arnold, London, 1972,
be saved?' before promising them aims and approach of the medieval would be able to fend them off, p.168.
that if they gave their soul to him, witch hunters in their pursuit of and even provide comfort and ex
16. B�ke,op. cff,p. 168
he would free them of the tor technological incubi. The main orcism to those who also suffered.
ments of hell. As a result of this, difference between the two groups Indeed, his ability to protect him 17. Blake,op. cff,p. 168
according to Steme, '(i)gnorant of inquisitors is that the medieval self from such attacks through his
people have been thus seduced.' and Early Modem witch hunters personal religious devotion itself
12 acted as the agents of a persecut vindicated his saintliness, marking
Contemporary sceptical ing culture attempting to re him out as one of the elect rather
opponents of the Satanism scare establish threatened socictal and than a demoniac requiring the mys
have come to similar conclusions, religious norms. The tical aid of a true saint.
noting that children with low Abductionists, on the other hand, The Abduction culture
self-esteem may similarly become far from being the agents of the also stresses its adherents· status
involved in pseudo-Satanic crime state or established church, per as the valorous victims of super
through an overwhelming belief in ceive themselves as essentially natural assault, during which they
their own evil derived from an opposed, or at least marginalized, may also receive messages of
authoritarian, punitive background by the establishment, and in the spiritual import. Moreover, as with
in which religious threats arc used case of 'Dark Side' ufology with the 'holy anorexia' and demonic
6
torments of the medieval saints, vival, Stars and Rumours of Stars, as prefiguring the similarly glam
some researchers into the Abduc in which stars were seen to ac orous alien women of the
tion phenomenon have detected a company the preaching of Mrs. Contactee era, such as Aura
similar aetiology behind their su Mary Jones, 'the Welsh seeress' in Rhanes.
pernatural persecutions in hysteria Egryn. It is possible, however, to Moreover, while the ap
and various dissociative disorders, find episodes in 19th century folk pearance of the flying light is
often expressed in trickery, such as lore, which also prefigure the 'in clearly related to the visions of
those of poltergeists, fraudulent terrupted journey' of the Abduc stars documented in the Welsh
mediums or shamans. In this view, tion narar tives and encounters with revival, it is also curiously remi
such experiences are symptomatic sexually alluring, but dangerous, niscent of the UFO visions of the
of a spectrum of hysterical disor supernatural entities. In 19th cen Twentieth Century, such as the
ders of which Multiple Personality tury Shetland, for example, the flying light apparently produced by
Disorder and Munchausen's Syn fairies, as well as being short, Paul Solem before reporters in
drome are the most extreme. The were described as dressing uni Prescott, Arizona, in 1969. Solem
classic example of the latter in formly in dark grey, 20 a feature had experienced his own extrater
conventional Western religion is shared by the machine elves of the restrial epiphany in 1948 when he
probably Benedetta Carlini, a sev contemporary technological psy heard the mental message, 'We are
enteenth century Italian nun who che. Unlike these later creatures, from another planet. You will hear
wounded herself in order to fake however, they were somewhat from us later', as three flying discs
the stigmata, as well as suffering more colourful, with yellow com flew over his head. This initial
demonic attack, as well as posses plexions, red eyes, green teeth and telepathic contact was succeeded
sion by Jesus Christ and a cherub, natural brown wool mittens. 21 by a later meeting with a 'Venu
The yellowish com sian angel.' Unlike the two Ork
plexions also provide a neymen, who felt this was a per
further similarity with sonal message meant only for
some of the early themselves, Solem believed his
Ufonauts, who were experience was of far wider import
often described as hav and began addressing Indian meet
ing a swarthy or orien ings during which he prophesied
tal appearance. an approaching Day of Purifica
Furthermore, tion, in which the faithful would
in the 1870s two be taken by the aliens to safety
young men, C. and S., and happiness on other worlds,
from Deemess in Ork while those not so fortunate would
ney were returning to perish on Earth. 23 The similari
the farm where they ties between this, and other reviv
worked one night alist messages of an approaching
through a low valley apocalypse, are not coincidental,
when they met two both deriving from an essentially
girls wearing what religious impulse.
looked like white night Other Contactees whose
dresses. When they at experiences paralleled that of the
tempted to embrace two Orkneymen included the Sicil
them, however, the ian, Eugenio Siragusa, who heard
two girls vanished, one an inner voice informing him of
appearing to evaporate the 'mysteries of creation' after
into thin air, while the being struck by a brilliant ray of
other melted into the light emitted by a glowing object
ground. Another even in 195 l. After 11 years of this
Splenditello. 18 There is one dif ing, when they were again passing mental instruction, he was finally
ference, however. The Abductees through the same valley, a bright motivated in 1962 to drive to Mt.
are condemned to be perpetual, star, or ball of fire, came towards Etna to meet two silver clad fig
passive victims of their tormen them. As it passed over their ures with long blond hair who
tors, unable to prevent or defend heads, they heard a voice coming gave him a message of intergalac
themselves from their assaults, un from it, saying 'I'm sent.' This vi tic love, fraternity and justice.
like their medieval predecessors, sion was so terrifYing that C. col Significantly, Siragusa received his
though some writers on Abduc lapsed to the ground, and took extraterrestrial revelation while
tions have produced their own so some time to recover. Thinking waiting at the bus stop for the
lutions to this abject state, ranging about it afterwards, however, the morning trip to work. 24 The gen
from the caricature hats in tinfoil, two young men considered it a der of the extraterrestrials isn't
to Greenfield's suggested magical sign 'not to associate with certain noted, but it is significant that
techniques for warding off their girls of dubious reputation.' 22 many of them, whatever their sex,
attacks. 19 While the clerics of the Middle wore their hair long and blond, or
Elsewhere, Kevin and Ages would probably conclude had a peculiar feminine appear
Sue McCiure have discussed par that the vision of the two girls in ance, a further parallel to the
allels between 19th century relig their night atrti e were succubi, in spectral girls sene by the Orkney
ious experience and that of con tent on using their sexual allure to men.
temporary ufology in his analysis ensure the young men's damna The islanders' experi
of the 1905 Welsh religious re- tion, it's also possible to see them ence here and that of the 'inter-
7
rupted journey· may have their demonic phenomena, at least, were for the privations of their
origins in the stresses and psycho illusory. The Canon Episcopi, for poverty-stricken lives by imagin
logical states induced by a long, example, considered the belief that ing they travelled to feast with the
nocturnal journey, those of con women rode out at night with Queen of the Fairies, in return
temporary Abductees, like the is Herodias as heretical, not that such gaining the power to heal, without
landers in the tale, taking place at a night flight objectively occurred. objectively journeying to any such
night. The psychological stresses Similarly, the 15th Munich occult gathering. 28 This follows similar
of a long journey through monoto manuscript contains spells to pro claims by Carlo Ginzburg in his
nous terrain can produce disorien duce the illusion of a mighty cas study of the Benandanti in The
tation and trance-like states in tle, 25 while a 12th century Night Battles: Witchcraji and 18. J. Schnabbel, 'The Munch Bunch', in
travellers -horizon fatigue -and grimoire from Rheims included Agrarian Cults in the 16th and Fortean Times, no. 70, August-September
is recognised as particular hazard instructions for the summoning of 17th Centuries. Even in the British 1993, pp. 23-29
afef cting visitors to the wilder an illusory boat or horse to convey Isles, some folk stories suggest
19. Moore, op. cit., p.62
parts of the Australian outback. Al the necromancer to whichever des this. The fifteenth century account
though Orkney isn't a barren, iso tination he desired. 26 It is possi of the exorcism of the fairy king
20. E. W. Marwick, The Folklore of Orkney
lated, dangerous wilderness on a ble here to speculate on possible Gwyn ap Nudd from Glastonbury and Shetland, Batsford, 1975, p.42
par with the Australian desert, the connections between the sk-y ships Tor by the sixth-century saint Col
two Orkneymen were presumably of Magonia in 8th century France len, which ends with the saint 21. E. W. Marwick, The Folklore of Orkney
also tired after a long day of hard and these illusory vessels, crewed, alone on the hill top, after Gwyn, and Shetland, Batsford, 1975, p.42
agricultural work, and so may according to the Munich manual, his court and indeed his entire
have been drifting towards a by spirits that were neither good palace had vanished, suggests a 22. E. W. Marwick, The Folklore of Orkney
and Shetland, Batsford, 1975, p.98
semi-trance-like state where un nor evil, not in Hell or Heaven, 27 visionary experience not unlike the
usual stimuli from their external though it could simply come from grimoires· description of illusory
23. Bord, op. cit., p. 185
environment could also generate the use of ships as a familiar and magical castles produced by de
bizarre imagery from within their ready means of transport. mons. If the UFO is merely an 24. Bord, op. cit., p. 173
own minds. The bright light they The medieval theologi updated version of these super
observed could have been a me ans formulated their views of the natural flying ships, whose ap 25. R. Kieckhefer, Magic in the Middle Ages,
teor, a briefly glimpsed part of the illusory nature of much supernatu pearance has been modified in line C.U.P. .. 1989, p.6.
Aurora Borealis, or even an Earth ral phenomena for dogmatic rea to produce a suitable technological
26. R. Kiechhefer, op. cit., p.158
light, like those of Hcssdalen on sons: demons, as God's creations, image of an advanced vehicle in
the other side of the North Sea, or could not be seen to usurp the line with the scientistic culture of
27. R. Kiechhefer, op. cit., p.169
perhaps the distorted light from a creative power of the Almighty, no the Twentieth century, then it is
distant farm house. Whatever the matter how powerful they may more than reasonable to suppose 28. G. Henningsen, 'The ladies from Out
precise origin, it may well be that have appeared. Such theological that, as the medieval churchmen side: An Archais Pattern of the Wrtches
this light, distorted by distance and niceties have left contradictions in partly recognised, it similarly Sabbath', in B. Ankarloo and G. Henningsen
fatigue, acted on the men's minds the texts. For example, if the ships shares these ships· illusory nature. (eds.) Early Modem European Witchcraft
to produce a vision of supernatural or horses were illusory, it could be Not all hypnogogic vi Centres and Peripheries, O.U.P., 1990, pp.
191-218.
imagery and import. The phrase asked how they could be expected sions are necessarily malign, how
T m sent" suggests its origin in to convey someone anywhere. The ever. There was one episode, re
29. R. Hunt. The Drolls, Traditions and
traditional religious beliefs re answer to that may be that the corded in the 19th century by the
Suiperstitions of Old Cornwall (Popular Sll
garding celestial omens as things mortal traveller aboard them either folklorist, Robert Hunt, in which a perstitions of the West of England): First se
literally sent from Heaven, while suffered further illusions of the frail old lady in Penberth Cove, ries: Giants, Fairies, Tregagle, Mermaids,
stars themselves have always bene journey to his destination, or per Cornwall, sadly rendered bedrid Rocks, Lost cities, Fire Worship, Demons
symbols of the mystic and numi haps reaJiy did go there, but during den, was entertained throughout and Spectres, Llanerch facsimile reprint of
1881, edition, FeUnfach, 1993, p.120
nous, either directly through as a fugue state brought on by his the day 'day by day, and all day
trology or through images of the occult experiments, similar to the long' by the Small Folk, who
30. R. Hunt, op. cit. same page
Star of Bethlehem in the story of dissociative states during which ·were her only company.· 29 'No
the Nativity. Thus, to religious Abuctees and other experiencers sooner was the old woman left 31. R. Hunt, op. cit. same page
percipients of such celestial prodi have travelled far across America alone that in they came and began
gies these phenomena may auto during UFO flaps. The description their frolics, dancing over the raf 32. E. Conze, Buddhist Scriptures, Penguin,
matically generate numinous feel of such vessels in the Munich ters and the key-beams, swinging 1959, p. 229
ings and imagery, thus accounting manuscript does suggest that the by the cobwebs like rope-dancers,
for the mystical, or supernatural necromancer writing it was think catching the mice and riding them 33. E. Conze, op. cit, same page.
content, of their visions. ing primarily in terms of a solid in and out through the holes in the
Despite the parallels vessel, which he then piously tried thatch. When one party got tired
with medieval magic and witch to reconcile with the church's doc another party came, and by day
craft, there is one important point trine of the illusory nature of de light, and even by moonlight, the
where the contemporary Abduc monic artefacts. old bedridden creature never
tion phenomenon differs consid Nevertheless, regardless wanted amusement.' 30 The per
erably from its predecessors. of the theological origins of their manent confmement of the woman
While some contemporary opinions, the medieval churchmen to her bed suggests that her vi
ufologists and Abduction re may have been substantially cor sions were experienced, or partly
searchers strongly resist the idea rect as to the illusory nature of experienced, while she was sleep
that UFOs are anything except many witches' Sabbaths. Gustav ing or dozing in hypnogogic state.
concrete, objectively real extrater Henningsen has discussed the Si It is possible here to catch a
restrial spacecraft piloted by cor cilian fairy cult of the 'Ladies glimpse of a woman in very poro
poreal, organic beings, the from Outside'-Donas de Fueras health, living in abject poverty, for
churchmen of the Middle Ages, on as arising from a dissociative state whom, like the Donas de Fueras'
the contrary, considered that some in which its members compensated visits to their fairy banquets, the
8
visionary games of her elfin corn- humanity. The Abduction experi- into a rainbow, and you will find
panions were a welcome relief and ence is probably too far gone, too yourself in paradise among the
compensation from the immense delepy entrenched in the contem- angels'. 33 In the case of living,
vicissitudes of a hard life. porary psyche for this, and the ma- secular encounters with the super-
It is a marked contrast to trix of contemporary fears and natural, such spiritual advise may
some of the other stories in which terrors too extreme for this too be of little help, though it does re-
the fairies are responsible for the occur. Nevertheless, this episode, inforce the suggestion that such
theft of goods and children from and others like it from traditional visions can be altered or modified
fairy lore do hold out to a more benign version by the
the possibility of a re- percipient mastering his or her in-
turn to a far more be- ternal states. Otherwise, it offers
nign variety of the comfort that however disturb-
ufological visionary ing the visions and their attendant
experience. horrors are, they are nevertheless
It also sug- illusions, which will pass, leaving
gests that Tibetan the victim to caryr on with their
Buddhist doctrine as life, hopefully unscarred by the
expressed in the Bardo incident.
Thodo/ also known in Thus an analysis of the
the West as The Book parallels between the contempo-
of the Dead (literal rary Abduction phenomenon and
translation: Liberation its predecessors in medieval and
by Hearing in the Early Modem spirituality and
After-Death Plane) magical beliefs strongly indicates
may also be substan- that both share a common origin
tially correct in ascrib- in internal experiences and hallu-
ing the demons and cinations arising from dissociative
monsters encountered or otherwise disturbed mental
after death not to ob- states. The theologians of these
jective spiritual enti- epochs partly recognised this,
ties, but as projections though their continued belief in
from the percipient's objectively real occult forces re-
own mind: 'They ter- sponsible for these illusions,
rify you beyond words, which were nevertheless capable
and yet it is you who of real corporeal and spiritual
have created them. Do harm, resulted in the deaths of
their mortal neighbours. Possibly not give in to your fright, resist countless thousands accused of
the benign nature of the fairies, your mental confusion! All this is such crimes. While the worldview
who came to entertain this poro unreal, and what you see are the and methodologies adopted by
lady resulted from the percipient's contents of your own mind in contemporary Christian funda-
own good nature. The woman her- conflict with itself.' 31 Although mentalist witch hunters and Ab-
self is described as 'a good old the state of the percipients in these duction researchers may differ
creature' who, despite her priva- circumstances differs considerably from their medieval predecessors,
tions, nevertheless enjoyed the -those encountering witches, an- nevertheless their activities reca-
support of her relations, 'who gels and Ufonauts being very pitulate extremely closely the me-
dropped in once a day, rendered much alive, rather than dead or dieval and Early Modern inquisi-
her the little aid she required, and dying as in the case of the audi- tors' attempts to root out super-
left food by the bedside.' 31 Cer- ence to whom the Bardo Thodol is natural evil and their human vie-
tainly her recorded good nature, addressed, nevertheless it suggests tims and agents, the 'women who
and those of the creatures she ob- that these visions do originate in copulate with the Devil', in the
served while in a trance state, who subconscious dissociative states. In words of the Anglo-Saxon witch-
came to keep her company, sug- the latter instance it may well have craft legislation. An awareness of
gest that the content and character arisen in the further breakdown of the essentially illusory nature of
of the creatures produced by the neurological functions in the dying the experience, and the dangers of
subconscious partake or are brain, as controversially suggested emphasizing the ]X)Wer of evil, is a
strongly informed by the character some years ago by Sue Blackmore. powerful weapon for combating
and the mental state of their un- For Tibetan Buddhists, this reve- the extremely harmful claims of
conscious creators. Kevin McClure lation is liberating as seeing both types of modem day witch-
has suggested in the past that if through the troubling visions they finders. Such an approach is no
somehow the Abduction hysteria, may face after death and recognis- doubt disappointing to supporters
and social and psychological ten- ing them for what they are offers of the ETH, for whom Close En-
sions and fears which infonn and the opportunity for the deceased to counters are evidence of objec-
support it were somehow re- gain paradise: 'What you see here tively real encounters with alien
moved, then it's possible that the is but the reflection of the contents entities, though it also suggests
Close Encounter experience itself of your own mind in the mirror of that such experiences, by virtue of
would revert to its earlier form in the Void. If at this point you their internal nature, thus partake
which a traveller, late at night, should manage to understand that, of the rich and complex psychol-
encountered a spaceman on a the shock this insight will stun ogy at the heart of shamanic con-
lonely road with a message for you, your subtle body will disperse tact with the transcendent other.
9
Al i e n M i m i c ry i n
P o p u l a r C u l t u re
M ichael McH ug h
technologies, but as moral and
emotional idiots, with no more
Iafl ieevnresca met oe artthot a rd,er aid
conscience or empathy than so
or sliytma pkpeit cruefso Gra lactic ciopathic career criminals. Their
relationships and interpersonal
Geogarphicg amnzaeiit, a wlaysse meed skills are so stunted and undevel
oped that one wonders whether
tom et ahtt hewyou lddo s ob yd sigusiing
such a society could long survive,
tehmeslevsa ntdh ietre cnholgoyi ns uhc since its members are so wooden,
robotic and zombie-like, usually
aw ayt hat stihmlepyye nbdldei nwi th motivated by fear and power con
siderations.
thneat ivaessm uhca sp osislb.eE tiher
The aliens depicted in
thaotrt, h ewyou lhdie l rolcatso d om uhc No matter whether the Cocoon movies are one excep
their intentions were tion to this, and seem to have so
of thef owtroh reakm n adc ats g udies
sinister, benevolent or cial, emotional and empathic
andit nereptrerEsv.eo nn e art,hp epole neutral, they would try qualities that match their advanced
to mimic humans at technology, but my guess would
whon eetdow orokrd ob unseisisn least to some degree, be that in popular culture, the ali
simply in order to ens from imbalanced, paranoid and
foirngec ountdroit eihssa l tlh temi e,a nd
carry out their tasks aggressive cultures, with stunted
alost rtyol earn sthoigmno ef tnhatei ve without being dis personalities and severe
turbed. In the TV mini psychosocial deficiencies heavily
langgueaa ncdu smtsob efotrheeg yo . series V, for example, outweigh the healthy, benevolent,
the reptilian Visitors well-adjusted ones. It was a run
&0tiil0l00ill0002�M%l0li4i0i00t0t020ili00)0��00i000800&l0li0Mf walkaroundatfirst ning commentary on the fears and
wearing human suits disappointments of the 20th Cen
and talking of peace and love, al tury, and on the loss of faith in
though their disguise wears thin humanity in the wake of two
very quickly when it becomes world wars in thirty years and hor
clear that their real intentions are rors like Auschwitz and Hi
to strip the earth of its resources roshima. There was a very com
and enslave or exterminate the mon assumption that in an ad
population. vanced technocratic society, the
This is one of the main human personality would become
themes running through science narrower, less individualistic and
fiction books and movies. Aliens emotional and more like the ma
who try to mimic humanity are chines that society now relied on
never very successful for long, ei for everything. If the aliens of the
ther because they are so much movies were just a anti-utopian
worse than humans or sometimes vision of what humans feared their
-so much better. Their deficien future would be like, then they
cies are usually on the social and saw themselves evolving into
emotional side, since they are of highly intelligent drones and
ten shown as cultures with highly automatons. Moreover, virtually
developed mental powers and none of the alien societies were
10
free and democratic, but usually an lot to do with this, of course, and 'lost' China and failed to liberate
authoritarian or totalitarian system perhaps it was only coincidental North Korea. lt was probably the
of some kind. that the first big UFO wave was in most dangerous time of the Cold
Three classic films im 1947, the same year that regular War, except for the Cuban Missile
mediately came to mind when I commercial television began Crisis of 1962, and if Stalin had
thought of this genre of aliens try broadcasting in America. made a move in Europe. then the
ing to blend in among humanity: U.S. really would have used its
The Day the Earth Stood Still While not an actual war movie, nuclear weapons.
( 1951) , Invasion of the Body The Day the Earth Stood Still was This was the atmosphere
Snatchers (1956), and Village of made during the Korean War, in 1951 when The Day the Earth
the Damned ( 1960). One reason I which is long-forgotten now but at Stood Still was released, and under
chose these as examples is because the time seemed like the prelude the circumstances, making a movie
they reached a huge audience in to a third world war. For Ameri like this was courageous. It was an
America though television, which cans on the political right, like the ugly and anxious time in Ameri
always had regular slots for sci McCarthyites, it was also an ex can history, and science fiction
ence fiction and horror movies, tremely frustrating war, since it was one of the safer ways to get
like the famous Creature Feature seemed likely to end in a stale dissenting views across. Even so
on WOR TV in New York. Obvi mate. Americans in general were ber and hard-headed types like
ously, Hollywood aimed most of used to having their wars end in George Kennan thought world war
these movies at a juvenile audi complete victory, and their great might break out at any time, so it
ence and whole generations grew est victory of all in 1945 was still is no surprise that many people
up watching them again and again a very recent memory, so it was a were hoping for some act of di
bitter pill to swallow vine intervention or a helping hand
that the country could from friendly aliens to prevent
not work its will in a civilization from self-destructing.
place like Korea. This The horrors of World War 11 were
was not because still fresh in everyone's mind, and
Americans are a natu there was more support in Amer
rally war-like people. ica at the time for a strong United
If anything, they are Nations organization to keep the
natural isolationists peace than exists today.
who would prefer not
to be involved with the This is the message that
outside world in any the benevolent alien Klattu wants
way, and it took ex to deliver when he lands his flying
treme provocations to saucer in Washington D. C. on a
before they joined in summer's day in the Cold War. lf
the world wars. Once humans do not surrender their
they are at war, power to make war to some higher
though, they insist on authority, then they are going to
complete victory, and destroy themselves, an idea even
if this is impossible some presidents like W oodrow
prefer to do nothing at Wilson and Franklin Roosevelt
all. would have agreed with.
Klattula evethse p eopolfee a rthwith as implech oiceei:th geriv eu pth ep owert o
Total victory Klattu is everything we
makae ggreswasri avnedth r eateeanc ohth ewirth nukeosrfa cet otoabllit eraatito nw as no longer possible would expect from a diplomatic
theh andso fG ort. in a world where other representative of a higher civiliza
countries also had nu- tion: polished, urbane, cultivated,
clear weapons. The speaking like the dean of the fmest
on TV, but Day the Earth Stood hydrogen bomb, first tested in English department in the land. In
Still, Invasion of the Body Snatch 1952, effectively meant destructive this movie, the humans come off
ers and Children of the Damned power without limit, and thus badly in comparison to the alien,
were also serious 'message pic rendered traditional concepts of and appear as cynical and self
tures' , using the theme of ETs victory not only impossible but interested, or paranoid, aggressive
mainly as a hook to get the atten meaningless. General Douglas and militaristic, while Klattu looks
tion of the audience. I have no Macarthur had wanted to escalate like he would make a good leader
way of guessing the actual number the Korean War to the nuclear for earth. From the very start of
of people who saw these, but it is level, but President Truman fired movie, when a trigger-happy sol
safe to say that anyone in America him -and privately called him in dier shoots up a communication
who had even a remote interest in sane - for which he suffered the device that Klattu intended to give
such subjects had a chance to see rabid backlash of the right wing to the president, we can tell his
them, not just once but many and the McCarthyites. For years, mission will go badly. The elite
times. If aliens really were visiting the Democratic Party was scared will not listen to him so he de
earth, it was the worst kept secret by the viciousness of the attacks, cides to escape from the hospital
in history, and even among my and presidents like John Kennedy where the government has him
grandparent's generation, it was and Lyndon Johnson were ex confined and live incognito among
already a commonplace that UFOs tremely edgy about right wing ac the common people--in order to
were real and that such sightings cusations about 'losing' Cuba and get a better understanding of hu
were nothing unusual. TV had a Vietnam the way Truman had manity and perhaps decide if it is
