We have all heard of Lake Como, right? What do you think of when you hear the name? Beautiful old mansions in meticulously manicured gardens? celebrities on holiday? Ridiculously expensive real estate? This article tells me that in 1946 that there was a monster spotted there that had, excitingly, a great horn and gigantic scales. This unexpected monster was 100ft long and, after overturning fisherman’s boats, roared and disappeared.
- Morning Bulletin. 22 Nov 1946.
This article from 22nd November 1946(http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article56408745) uses the word mastodom. I just love it when people come up with vaguely technical words to describe something they know nothing about (see an earlier post ’Lusus Naturae’).
If you google mastodom you had really better be interested in heavy metal. I was unable to find any giant fish under this name.
A Mastodon is an elephant-like beast that existed for millions of years until fairly recently (over 11,000 years ago) and is quite difficult to describe as a giant fish. I wonder what word the journalist was really thinking of? Were they just hoping the masses were so uneducated that they would accept any monstery sounding word?
I am sure that if an elephant appeared from the tranquil depths and tipped over my boat before disappearing I would be quite surprised but I don’t think that this is what ’Polo Giovo’ was referring to. (I think they really meant Paolo Giovio. A historian in that area who died in 1552.)
There are not enough monster sightings these days, mores the pity….. I am dying for this monster to reappear and take out a random movie star after overturning their luxury cruiser.
I hope it attacks Kanye West.