May 2014 Entry - The Dark Journey

[lostatsea]

Just another attempt at getting the size right.

[jtougas]

Great !! and great story too. You know me and story I can't get enough.

[lostatsea]

Thanks JTougas I needed some encouragement to get back on track.
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[lostatsea]

Still Have some details to finish but the basic layout is set. Have some encounters to add.


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Oxford Dictionary of Celtic Mythology:
beithir
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[Scottish Gaelic, bear, serpent, wild beast; dragon (?)]

A word in early Scottish Gaelic narratives for an undetermined savage creature. It may be a translation of the Norse word for ‘bear’, but it may also mean ‘thunderbolt’. The beithir may have a long tail, but it never appears to be the fiery winged dragon of Germanic tradition. In more recent oral tradition the beithir is a class of fuath who haunts caves and corries (narrow circular valleys with high walls). It may also imply ‘lightning’ or ‘serpent’. A mountain south of the entrance to Glencoe is named Ben Vair or Ben Vehir, thought locally to commemorate a beithir who took shelter in Corrie Lia.

THE STORY

Excerpt from the journal of Colin McLean PHD
Professor of Anthropology University of St Andrews

April 1,2014

Received a strange message from a Mr. Niall Stewart. .It seems Mr. Stewart is a antique assessor from Aberdeen .Recently he was called upon to assess the estate of the late Breandan Burrell . Most of the chattels were your run of the mill Furniture and whatnots. But up in the attic , tucked behind an old bureau he found two items that totally baffled him. First was a handmade Journal dated from the late 1800s ! The second was a large shield made from bone. He stated it sort of resembled a kite shield in size and shape but the markings ;(perhaps a map) was very primitive so perhaps it was from some aboriginal culture from Africa or Australia .
The snap he sent via phone was very poor but the artifact definitely isn’t a kite shield nor at first glance from any culture that I am familiar with. I made arrangements to view both the book and the “Shield”in person next weekend.


April 8,2014

Well over the weekend I managed to get a look at the artifacts. The “Shield” is truly a magnificent specimen ! At nearly two meters tall it is impressive. It appears to be a leatherback sea turtle shell that has been “Cured” by some unknown method. The surface has been blackened by some kind of pitch like substance. Engraved or etched into the surface is a map ? Perhaps map isn’t quite the right word ? It is a map but also a travelogue. It is a bit hard to describe! It is unlike anything I have ever seen . Even searching the university library and the internet yields nothing similar . Seems I’ll have to dig deeper to solve that mystery . As for the book it is an expedition log written by the first assistant to one Professor Klaus Hauwitz. It accounts an expedition by Professor Klaus Hauwitz and eight students from Austria. The purpose was to come to Scotland to find Archeological proof of the famous Beinn Bheithir Dragon Of Scottish folklore. Seems Professor Klaus Hauwitz was a bit of an eccentric. Known for his insistence that cryptids were based on historical existence. The expedition arrive in Edinborough on May 12 1886. The plan to go and search out the proof was changed suddenly after the professor shared a tankard or two with a un-named Irish tinker. The professor became obsessed with the new location and the group set out for Monock Freiceadan. Strange syntax here but closest translation is Monok watch or guard. Monok doesn’t translate so must be a proper name but definitely not Scottish . Curious !! It seems to be a village that once stood near Loch Monar. Hmm Monar Monoch perhaps just a mis-spelling ? Anyways they arrived at the village to find themselves most unwelcome. They had to camp outside the village , they were refused service at the pub and supplies at the stores. . As time progressed the attitude of the town folk went from uncooperative to down right hostile. Despite being harassed and impeded by the locals they eventually found a cave to the north. The cave had been sealed up with a masonry wall. It took them eight full hours to unseal a hole big enough to slip into the cave. From there out the story becomes more and more surreal. A chamber was found which contained crude tools mostly made of bone and in the center was hung what the Professor came to call the spirit shield of Monok. The description matches the shield I examined. In an antechamber they found an offal pit. It contained a wide variety of remains including human. Some very old some fresher. The rest of the script becomes increasingly hard to read and follow but it claims the villagers ambushed their camp that night killing three of the students. And later a “Creature” mauled to death another student and the rest fled for there life. The description of the Creature is preposterous and leads me to believe someone dress in a bearskin did the foul deed. The script ended there . On the back cover there is what appears to be a partial hand print in blood.


April 15 2014

I have exhausted all the resources at my disposal to corroborate the manuscripts story . The official version as stated in various historical documents is that the expedition did indeed happen and that a series of unfortunate accidents left three students dead after the wagon they were riding on left the trail and went over a cliff and another dead by a bear attack. The bear was tracked and killed later by local villagers. One student ran off and was never found. Three went back to Austria. And the Good Professor was taken into custody and put into an asylum in Arberdeen. During his stay there and in spite of all treatments of that day he insisted that they had let the Bheithir loose and the carnage would continue unless it was again imprisoned !. The Professor escaped custody two months later never to be seen again. As a side note the village of Monock Freiceadan suffered a series of unfortunate setbacks in the following years and was abandoned. Loch Monar Lodge is built in the vicinity and is a prime stop for peak baggers. I have holiday coming perhaps I’ll go give the area a look.





Note from Constable Furtho May 31 2014

On May 15 2014 professor Colin McLean arrived at Loch Monar Lodge to do some hiking. He disappeared on one such hike on may 20 th. An extensive search was carried out . His rucksack was found as was a bloodied and tore flannel he was witnessed to be wearing when last seen. The current whereabouts and condition of the Professor or his remains is not known !

[lostatsea]

Man am I TIRED !!!? I hope I didn't screw too much up !!I am done unless the contest lingers. Tomorrow is LAWN Day WAHOO !!!

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