Famous for more than its scenic beauty, lake Champlain lies between the states of Vermont and New York. It also has a reputation for its famous creature ‘Champ. ’ Champ is a lake creature akin to the Loch Ness monster of Scotland. This creature has been sighted for many centuries and there are many stories about it, which have always inspired interest.
The Legend Begins
The tale of Champ was believed to have originated from the native American Indians inhabiting in the region of lake Champlain. The Native Indian tribes of Abenaki and Iroquois had legends of a giant water serpent in the lake. These stories persisted when European explorers arrived in the 1600s and they named the place “Tatoskok. ” It is strange that the founder of the city of Lyon, the discoverer of the Great Lakes, and the namesake of Champlain Lake – Samuel de Champlain, who is depicted in the legends of the first sighting of Champ – is often mistakenly identified as a Frenchman. Actually, his elaborate story of a huge fish is generally interpreted as the monster of the story.
Modern Sightings
More reports of Champ started to be seen in the 19th and 20th centuries. A document written in 1819 claimed that a ‘monster’ was as long as a barn with a horse like head of a ‘sea-horse’. Many individuals have reported sighting Champ and this has been for several years. They have described it as a long, snaky like creature with a horselike head that is commonly observed swimming or sometimes only the neck visible above the water of the lake.
Sightings were reported from 1900 to date but the most publicized one occurred in 1977. Sandra Mansi was on her family holiday when she witnessed something unusual in the water. She was able to capture a photo where there is a blurred silhouette of a man emerging from the water in the lake. This photo became one of the most credible pieces of evidences for the existence of Champ.
The Science Behind Champ
There are various theories that have been advanced in an effort to explain the Champ sightings by scientists and skeptics. Some claim that it is large fish, like sturgeons who can be quite big and have features resembling prehistoric animals. Some think that logs floating in water or waves that look different from the normal ones may be mistaken for a creature. Nevertheless, the mystery of Champ remains unresolved.
Some researchers, who are called cryptozoonologists, believe that Champ is some sort of relict from the dinosaur age, a plesiosaur. Nevertheless, there is no proof to back this theory up. Lake Champlain is fresh water and plesiosaurs which are the sea creatures lived in salt water so it is out of the question.
Champ in Popular Culture
Champ has turned into a folklore figure that people in Vermont read books about, watch documentaries and even have a minor league baseball team, Vermont Lake Monsters. The towns of the lake have adopted the legend and are using Champ in the festivals and other items. Visitors come to the area with a view of catching a glimpse of the creature that is believed to exist.
In 1981, New York and Vermont made Champ an official state symbol of their states, meaning that they protected the creature. While these laws are not very realistic, they prove how important Champ is to the communities.
The Ongoing Mystery
Regardless of whether Champ is a genuine sighting, a real creature that was mistaken for a hoax, or just a local legend that people like to explore, it remains interesting to many. The mystery adds the element of fun and curiosity to Lake Champlain. It is always nice to have something to hope for and to believe in something that is beyond understanding; and Champ is just that.
Thus, Champ is more than a simple story about the monster. It can be said that it represents the cultural background of the area surrounding Lake Champlain. It unites people, makes them interested in something, and makes people realize that there are still things that remain to be discovered. Therefore, the next time you are at Lake Champlain, be sure to look out for Champ because it is very much real.
