Merlin and a new old story

Time goes so fast that I did not have time recently to report here on this blog a piece of news that got the former academic and medievalist that I am very, very happy: they found a "new" XIIIth century manuscript telling the story of Merlin at the University of Bristol. As you may know, I specialized in Arthurian literature, so this is right up to my alley. when I read something like this, I wish I was still in academia and I envy the lucky team of experts that will investigate things further. It especially reminds me of the time I was studying paleography some twenty years ago. Now I hope the text will soon be available to the general public. Or I might just book this family a short holiday to Bristol...

The return of the Bristol crocodile

The title of this post sounds very much like the title of a B movie. It may become one some day. Anyway, I blogged before about this urban legend when it first appeared in February this year. There had been sightings of a crocodile in Bristol. Well, England is full of legendary beasts and not so long ago, and even now, people believed that the countryside was full of unknown beasts. Anyway, the Bristol crock has been sighted again, and this time someone took a few snapshots... that don't show much. I am still very skeptical about it, as I was then. Four months down the line, the crocodile managed to remain off the radar and out of sight? I find it difficult to believe, especially in this day and age, when you can take pictures and videos so easily. I mean a video showing more than what looks like a log. Nevertheless, I find it a fascinating urban legend and new chapter of English cryptozoology. But until there is more evidence, I will remain skeptical. It can always become the inspiration for a good fictitious story.

A crocodile in Bristol?

Sometimes, the news take a turn to the bizarre and the improbable: a crocodile has been seen beneath a bridge in Bristol. There even has been a second sighting. I am, to say the least, skeptical. A snake, I would find this plausible, a small saurian, even. But a six foot crocodile? This sounds highly unlikely. So until there is proper evidence shown, I think we have here the beginning of an urban legend, like the one about the sewer alligators of New York, which fascinated me as a child. But this is one of those urban legends I wished was true, just because it is so darn outrageous and because a croc on the loose in England is kind of cool.