Beithir

Beithir
Grouping Cryptid
Sub grouping Lake monster
Similar creatures Loch Ness Monster
Country Scotland
Habitat Caves and lakes

Beithir is a large snake-like cryptid reported in Scotland.[1] Its origins can be traced back to Scottish folklore.[2]

Folklore

The Beithir was considered one of the Fuath. They were said to be sighted on summer nights when lightening strikes occurred.[2] It was written by John Gregorson Campbell that if a snake is killed then its head must be removed and disposed away from the body. Otherwise, the two parts will come together and the snake will come back alive as a Beithir.[3]

According to Celtic mythology scholar James MacKillop the word beithir may be derived from the Norse for bear or possibly thunderbolt.[4] Writing in the Celtic Review in 1908, folklorist E. C. Watson described the beithir as an inhabitant of mountainous caves and corries adding that it was a "venomous and destructive creature".[5] He considered the basis of the folktales were founded in the destructive forces of lightning and the characteristics of a serpent.[5]

Reported sightings

In the 1930s, Beithirs were reported on ground near Loch a’ Mhuillidh in Glen Strathfarrar and Sgùrr na Lapaich.[1] A group of fishermen saw a 9–10 foot (2.7–3.0 m) long creature coiled in a gorge in near Kilmorack in 1975. The creature became agitated upon sighting the fishermen and swam away towards Beaufort castle.[1]

Possible explanations

One possible explanation is the grass snake (Natrix natrix). It grows up to 6.5 feet (2.0 m) in Southern Europe. However in England and Wales, specimens larger than 5.75 feet (1.75 m) have not been reported. Another possible explanation are European eels (Anguilla anguilla). They spawn in the Atlantic Ocean and swim upstream into freshwater. They can grow up to 4 feet (1.2 m).[6]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Karl Shuker (2003). The Beasts That Hide from Man: Seeking the World's Last Undiscovered Animals. Cosimo, Inc. p. 208. ISBN 978-1-931044-64-6.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Theresa Bane (4 September 2013). Encyclopedia of Fairies in World Folklore and Mythology. McFarland. p. 53. ISBN 978-1-4766-1242-3.
  3. ↑ Gary R. Varner (2007). Creatures in the Mist: Little People, Wild Men and Spirit Beings Around the World : a Study in Comparative Mythology. Algora Publishing. p. 129. ISBN 978-0-87586-545-4. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
  4. ↑ MacKillop, James (2004), "beithir", A Dictionary of Celtic Mythology (online ed.), Oxford University Press, retrieved 8 December 2014, (subscription required (help))
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Watson, E. C. (July 1908). "Highland Mythology". The Celtic Review 5 (17): 68. doi:10.2307/30069982. JSTOR 30069982. (subscription required (help)).
  6. ↑ George M. Eberhart (1 January 2002). Mysterious Creatures: A Guide to Cryptozoology. ABC-CLIO. p. 44. ISBN 978-1-57607-283-7. Retrieved 8 December 2014.