"Now and again, I’m asked for my views on the so-called Alien Big Cats - or ABCs as they are also known – of the UK. Britain, of course, is not home to any sort of indigenous cat of the exotic and large kind. Yet, people report seeing such creatures all the time, and usually of the black or tan-colored variety. I’m convinced that some of these beasts are flesh and blood in nature. Others, however, I’m not quite so sure about, since I have more than a few reports on record of ABCs vanishing in the blink of an eye, or even seen in association with strange lights in the sky.
"So, what might these other ABC’s be, if not wholly flesh and blood? For a possible answer, we have to turn to an old and sinister tradition known as the Taigheirm. Merrily Harpur, a British big cat researcher and the author of Mystery Big Cats, said of the Taigheirm: 'This was an infernal magical sacrifice of cats in rites dedicated to the subterranean gods of pagan times, from whom particular gifts and benefits were solicited. They were called in the Highlands and the Western Isles of Scotland, the Black-Cat Spirits.'"
That's how my latest Mysterious Universe article begins, and which continues right here...
The issue with Merrily's book is of course the fact that it classes many 'big cat' sightings in the UK as supernatural, when they clearly aren't. Lynx were indigenous to the UK - and with evidence such as scat, sheep/deer kills, paw prints, etc turning up I have to wonder why such a 'mystery' has ended up in the folklore/paranormal realm! Cats and our lore pertaining to them is very mysterious, but I see no relation between them and 'UFOs', and as for sightings of them vanishing in the blink of an eye, I'd rather suggest that the witnesses were incorrect rather than stating such an animal vanished into thin air. Cats are incredibly elusive and with stealth can easily seem to dissolve into the undergrowth. It's their nature.
ReplyDeleteHey Neil,
ReplyDeleteYes, I agree that most cases in the UK are down to real, flesh and blood animals. But, there are those "rogue" cases that most ABC investigators receive now and again, or even only once.
In my view, the ABC mystery is largely flesh and blood-based, but it's hard for me to dismiss personal testimony, where I have personally spoke to the people involved.
I have no less than 3 very weird such cases from the Cannock Chase, where I personally spoke to the people concerned, and who were adamant about the weird aspects of the events.
I wrote about them in a previous Mysterious Universe post, which you can find here:
http://mysteriousuniverse.org/2011/04/britains-paranormal-big-cats/
That's cool mate, but three cases isn't a lot to be honest - if receive one or two seemingly very weird reports I have to dismiss them unless I have consistency, and a number of sightings that suggests a trend, and in 'big cat' lore that just doesn't happen. I just don't trust a majority of eye witness reports, but I do agree that there are meant to be sightings of ghostly 'big cats' every now and then as well as bears, exotic birds, apes etc
ReplyDelete