Cooper's claim about Fighting Dragons
Later in the 15th century, according to a contemporary chronicle that still survives in Canterbury Cathedral's library, the following incident was reported. On the afternoon of Friday, 26th September, 1449, two giant reptiles were seen fighting on the banks of the River Stour (near the village of Little Cornard) which marked the English county borders of Suffolk and Essex. One was black, and the other 'reddish and spotted'. After an hour-long struggle that took place 'to the admiration of many [of the locals] beholding them', the black monster yielded and returned to its lair, the scene of the conflict being known ever since as Sharpfight Meadow.
Rebuttal: The fight was between 2 wyrms and may have been based on either a fight between 2 rival crocodiles or is used as a metaphor of a great war between 2 armies that fought along side of the river with the victor taking the spoils of war for themselves just as the victorious dragon ate up much of the spectators who have come to watch in the story.
Cooper's Claim about the dragon living in St Leonard's Forest
As late as August, 1614, the following sober account was given of a strange reptile that was encountered in St Leonard's Forest in Sussex. The sighting was near a village that was known as Dragon's Green long before this report was published: 'This serpent (or dragon as some call it) is reputed to be nine feete, or rather more, in length, and shaped almost in the form of an axletree of a cart: a quantitie of thickness in the middest, and somewhat smaller at both endes. The former part, which he shootes forth as a necke, is supposed to be an elle [3 ft 9 ins or 1 l4 cms] long; with a white ring, as it were, of scales about it. The scales along his back seem to be blackish, and so much as is discovered under his belie, appeareth to be red… it is likewise discovered to have large feete, but the eye may there be deceived, for some suppose that serpents have no feete … [The dragon] rids away (as we call it) as fast as a man can run. His food [rabbits] is thought to be; for the most part, in a conie-warren, which he much frequents …There are likewise upon either side of him discovered two great bunches so big as a large foote-ball, and (as some thinke) will in time grow to wings, but God, I hope, will (to defend the poor people in the neighbourhood) that he shall be destroyed before he grows to fledge.' This dragon was seen in various places within a circuit of three or four miles, and the pamphlet named some of the still-living witnesses who had seen him. These included John Steele, Christopher Holder and a certain 'widow woman dwelling neare Faygate'. Another witness was 'the carrier of Horsham, who lieth at the White Horse [inn] in Southwark'. One of the locals set his two mastiffs onto the monster, and apart from losing his dogs he was fortunate to escape alive from the encounter, for the dragon was already credited with the deaths of a man and woman at whom it had spat and who consequently had been killed by its venom. When approached unwittingly, our pamphleteer tells us, the monster was…'…of countenance very proud and at the sight or hearing of men or cattel will raise his neck upright and seem to listen and looke about, with great arrogancy.' an eyewitness account of typically reptilian behaviour.
Rebuttal: The story tells about a 9 foot long poisonous, serpentine dragon. No dinosaur was ever serpentine nor did they ever had a venomous bite. Note closely above of how Cooper omits some parts of the tale that tells of the dragon being a serpentine monster instead of a dinosaur.
In comparison with Cooper's fabricated version of the story, here's the full text version of the tale first appeared in a pamphlet made in 1614.
True and Wonderful. A discourse relating a strange and monstrous serpent (or dragon) lately discovered and yet living, to the great annoyance and divers slaughters both of man and cattell, by his strong and violent poyson: in sussex, two miles from horden, in a woode called st leonard's forrest, and thirtie miles from london, this present month of august 1614. With the true generation of serpents. In sussex, there is a pretty market towne, called horsden, neare unto it a forrest, called st leonard's forrest, and there, in a vast and unfrequented place, heathie, vaultie, full of unwholesome shades, and overgrown hollows, where this serpent is thought to be bred; but, wheresoever bred, certaine and true it is, that there it yet lives. Within 3 or 4 miles of the compass, are its usual haunts, oftentimes in a place called faygate, and it hath been seen within halfe a mile of horsham; a wonder, no doupt, most terrible and noisome to the inhabitants thereabouts. There is always in his tracke or path left a glutinous or slimie matter (as by a small similitude we may perceive a snaile's) which is very corrupt and offensive to the scent; insomuch that they perceive the air to be putrified withall, which must needs to be very dangerous. for much of the corruption of it cannot strike the outward part of a man, unless heated into his blood; yet receiving it in any of the breathing organs (mouth or nose) it is at any authoritie of all authors, writing in that kinde, mortall and deadlie, as one thus saith: "Noxia serpantem est admixo sanguine pertis" —- Lucan This serpent (or dragon, as some call it) is reputed to be nine feete, or rather more in lenth, and shaped in the forme of an axeltree of a cart ; a quantitie of thickness in the middest, and somewhat smaller at both endes. The former part, which he shootes forth as a necke, is supposed to be an elle long; with a white ring, as if it were, of scales about it. The scales alomg his back seem to be blackish, and so much as discovered under his bellie, appeareth to be red; for i speak of no nearer description than of reasonable occular distance. For coming near it; hath already beene too dearly payd for you, as you shall hear hereafter. It is likwise discovered to have large feete but the eye may be there deceived; for some suppose that serpents have no feete, but glide upon certain ribbes and scales, which defend them from the upper part of their throat unto the lower part of their bellie, and also cause them to move much faster. For so this doth, and rids away (as we call it) as fast as a man can run. He is of countenance very proud, and at the sight or nearing men or cattell, will raise his necke upright, and seem to listen and looke about, with a great arrogancy. there are likewise on either side of him discovered, two great bunches so big as a large football, and (as some thinke) will in time grow into wings; but god, i hope, will (to defend the poor people in the neighbourhood) that he be destroyed before he grows to full fledge. He will cast his venom about 4 rodde from him, as by woeful experience it was proved on the bodies of a man and a woman comming that way, who afterwards were found dead, being poysoned and very much swelled, but not preyed upon. Likewise a man going to chase it, as he imagined, to destroy it with two mastive dogs, and yet not knowing the great danger of it, his dogs were killed, and he himelf glad to returne to preserve his own life. Yet this is to be noted, that the dogs were not preyed upon, but slain and left whole: for his food is thought to be, for the most part, in a conie warren (rabbits), which he much frequents; and it is found much scanted and impaired in the encrease it had woont to afford". These persons, whose names are hereunder printed, have seene this serpent, beside divers others, as the carrier of Horsam, who lieth at the White Horse in Southwarke, and who can certifie the truth of all that has been here related. John Steele. Christopher Holder. And a Widow Woman dwelling nere Faygate
There is a page here on the Genesis Park site that shows an actual pamphlet that contains such descriptions. However, this pseudo-dinosaur shown in this picture below is anything BUT a dinosaur.
It doesn't look like a dinosaur at all. Period. Instead it has a mammalian head with pointed ears, teats or women-type breasts on its back, large scales, curly tail, and a poisonous breath that can kill anyone that whiffs this potent smell. The dragon in the pamphlet kills its victims but never eats them, preferring to rely on rabbits as its only prey instead. The dragon shown on the pamphlet is in no way a dinosaur. This is an example of creationists doing everything it takes to prove their dinosaur/dragon falsehood by taking images of dragons like this one along with other dragon artifacts and falsely brand them as "dinosaurs" and vice versa all because they're simply shaped like one and to fit them into their idiot dogma.
Cooper's Claim About A Serpent
Again, as late as 27th and 28th May 1669, a large reptilian animal was sighted many times, as was reported in the pamphlet: A True Relation of a Monstrous Serpent seen at Henham (Essex) on the Mount in Saffron Waldon. In 1867 was seen, for the last time, the monster that lived in the woods around Fittleworth in Sussex. It would run up to people hissing and spitting if they happened to stumble across it unawares, although it never harmed anyone.
Rebuttal: As far as I know, no such pamphlet has ever existed. Otherwise the pamphlet along with the [sic] "True and Wonderful" pamphlet was made up by smugglers who made up the story in an effort to scare off people from certain areas of the woods. Dinosaurs were never really serpents.
Cooper's Claim about Lake Monsters in Scotland
Several such cases could be cited, but suffice it to say that too many incidents like these are reported down through the centuries and from all sorts of locations for us to say that they are all fairy-tales. For example, Scotland's famous Loch Ness Monster is too often thought to be a recent product of the local Tourist Board's efforts to bring in some trade, yet Loch Ness is by no means the only Scottish loch where monsters have been reported. Loch Lomond, Loch Awe, Loch Rannoch and the privately owned Loch Morar (over 1000 ft deep) also have records of monster activity in recent years. Indeed, there have been over forty sightings at Loch Morar alone since the end of the last war, and over a thousand from Loch Ness in the same period. However, as far as Loch Ness itself is concerned, few realise that monstrous reptiles, no doubt the same species, have been sighted in and around the loch since the so-called Dark Ages, the most notable instance being that which is described in Adamnan's famous 6th century Life of St Columba. On hearing this, and with never a thought for his own safety, the brave saint immediately ordered one of his followers to jump into the freezing water to see if the monster was still in the vicinity. Adamnan relates how the thrashing about of the alarmed and unhappy swimmer, Lugne Mocumin by name, attracted the monster's attention. Suddenly, on breaking the surface, the monster was seen to speed towards the luckless chap with its mouth wide open and screaming like a banshee. Columba, however, refused to panic, and from the safety of the dry land rebuked the beast. Whether the swimmer added any rebukes of his own is not recorded, but the monster was seen to turn away, having approached the swimmer so closely that not the length of a punt-pole lay between them. Columba, naturally, claimed the credit for the swimmer's survival, although the reluctance of the monster to actually harm the man is the most notable thing in this incident. The first swimmer had been savaged and killed, though not eaten, and the second swimmer was likewise treated to a display of the creature's wrath, though not fatally. Most likely, the two men had unwittingly entered the water close to where the creature kept her young, and she was reacting in a way that is typical of most species. Gorillas, bull elephants, ostriches, indeed all sorts of creature will charge at a man, hissing, screaming and trumpeting alarmingly, yet will rarely kill him or harm him so long as the man takes the hint and goes away. We can rely on it that Columba's follower, utterly lacking his saintly master's fortitude, had begun the process of taking the hint in plenty of time for the monster to realise that killing him would not be necessary.
Rebuttal:> See History of The Alleged Sightings in the Loch Ness Monster Wikipedia Page for the rebuttal to the claim. No dinosaur was ever aquatic. Plesiosaurs, Pliosaurs, Ichthyosaurs, and Mosasaurs never had serpent bodies either.
Yet not even Lugne Mocumin's expenence is that uncommon. As recently as the 18th century, in a lake called Llyn-y-Gader in Snowdon, Wales, a certain man went swimming. He reached the middle of the lake and was returning to the shore when his friends who were watching him noticed that he was being followed by: '…a long, trailing object winding slowly behind him. They were afraid to raise an alarm, but went forward to meet him as soon as he reached the shore where they stood. Just as he was approaching, the trailing object raised its head, and before anyone could render aid the man was enveloped in the coils of the monster…' It seems that the man's body was never recovered. At about the turn of this present century, the following incident took place. It was related by a Lady Gregory of Ireland in 1920: '…old people told me that they were swimming there, [in an Irish lake called Lough Graney] and a man had gone out into the middle, and they saw something like a great big eel making for him…' Happily, on this occasion the man made it back to the shore, but the important thing for us to notice is that these are only a few of a great many reports concerning the sightings in recent times of lake-dwelling monsters which, if only their fossils had been found, would have been called dinosaurs.
Rebuttal: No fossils has ever been found of 'lake serpents' in and around the lakes. There has been some alleged claims made over time by those who claimed to have discovered fossilized remains of these "dinosaurs" in and around the lakes, especially in the Loch Ness area. It turns out that these reports are all nothing but hoaxes, invented by wishful thinkers who unearthed the fossils from elsewhere, brought them to the lakes where alleged monsters are said to be found, buried them, come back later to unearth them, and invent the phony discovery claims to make big names for themselves and to keep the lake monster legends alive regardless of the fact that no valid, physical evidence of any type of lake monster as told in folklore has ever been found. As mentioned before, no dinosaur was ever aquatic, nor were they serpents (snakes). Plesiosaurs, Pliosaurs, Ichthyosaurs, and Mosasaurs were never serpents either.
Continued…
