Legend or Fact?

Ever heard the phrase "This is the stuff legends are made of"? Of course, you have. Everyone has. Why do you think it became so popular? Because legends are popular. They can stick around for centuries. Vampires, werewolves, ghosts, fairies, leprechauns. All these creatures are legends with stories that get passed down from generation to generation. They're interesting and fun to read about. 

We've discussed several of these creatures here on our blog. We write stories about them. In plain truth, we love them. They're the creatures of our dreams, waking and asleep. But, how do the legends come to be? Where do they come from? Was someone just really imaginative, or are they based on reality? That's an interesting concept. What if they are real, or were at some point in time? 

One of the most famous legends that I can think of is the Loch Ness Monster aka Nessie. I can remember hearing about Nessie when I was just a small child. I loved to hear the stories of her being spotted. I always thought to myself that one day I would go there and try to catch a glimpse of the famous creature. I'd still love to go! Who knows, maybe someday. 

At any rate, there have been tons of people who claim to have seen the mysterious creature and many more who think it's nothing but a hoax. But I say, why not? Why can't she be a real monster? Just because they haven't found her doesn't prove anything. They're still finding creatures that they never knew existed. Just because we have high technology doesn't mean we know everything. Maybe Nessie is just elusive enough to avoid those that would like to catch her. If that's the case, I say Yay Nessie! 

It's highly possible that she's an ancient creature from the time of the dinosaurs. There are other animals that are still around from that time. It's hard to believe, but it is true. It's been suggested that the platypus has descended from the time of the dinosaurs, so why not Nessie? 

The first recorded sighting of Nessie was way back in 1871, with the last one being June 17, 1998. Has she disappeared? Or have people just lost interest? I doubt that. There were many years between sightings in the past, so I'm hoping that it's just a lag. I'd hate to think that she'd passed on before I could go see her. At any rate, if you're interested in seeing all the documented sightings for yourself, check out this site. 

There are plenty of other legends throughout the world. Many are similar and some are just too crazy to consider. But, it makes me wonder, just what is out there that we have no idea about? I know we don't know everything, if we did, we'd be gods. And isn't it interesting that there can be several monsters that look and act so much alike. Is it simply the active imaginations of people, or is there something to the similarities? Maybe they did evolve and they are all that remain from our distant past. 

What do you think? Do these legends actually exist? Or is it just people out to make a profit or have fun at the expense of others? Leave me a comment and let me know what you think.