Mussie
Encyclopedia
Mussie is an alleged sea monster
reported to be living in Muskrat Lake
, 75 miles (120.7 km) northwest of Ottawa
, capital of Canada
. The legend has gone a through a gradual image change over the years. In the past the creature was depicted with shameless wild exaggeration. Classified as a "hepaxalor" and endowed with three eyes and sharp teeth, Mussie was shown as a great serpent towering over its prey. However, the interest of several "Mussie enthusiasts" of various professional grades has helped to organize witness accounts and streamline the modern perception of Mussie. It is now most popularly imagined as an unknown type of marine mammal, sharing traits with a seal or walrus.
learned from the natives of the area of a legendary creature that lived in the lake. Though the legend may certainly descend from native lore, no mention is given of it in Champlain's memoirs. Nevertheless, the myth survived with help from a sign which once welcomed visitors to Cobden
. The sign featured Champlain holding his famous lost astrolabe
while looking out over Muskrat Lake. In the lake, prominently displayed, is Mussie, depicted as having three eyes and a long tongue. The sign is inaccurate in many ways, least of all in giving the impression that Champlain had actually encountered the creature. Though the sign has been replaced, its impact is still felt. Champlain is still the traditional starting point for any Mussie tale.
receded about 10,000 years ago. At that point it was part of the Champlain Sea
. Owing to glacial recession the sea was repeatedly diluted, its salt levels rising and falling over the years making it partly salty and partly fresh. About 6,000 years ago the water level dropped and the Champlain Sea disappeared. This would have been the last chance for any potential sea monster to arrive in the lake. Three species of shrimp from the ice age have been found in the lake, giving rise to claims that more substantial species may have survived in deeper parts of the lake.
Author Michael Bradley theorizes that Mussie may be a type of freshwater pygmy walrus, similar to the seals in Seal Lake, Quebec. Eyewitness accounts support this theory with descriptions of slick, silver-grey fur and long white teeth or tusks. In 1988 Bradley conducted a sonar survey of Muskrat Lake in an attempt to find evidence of Mussie's existence. He failed to find anything substantial, though he did capture a sonar image of two creatures, 6-8 feet (1.8 to 2.45 meters) long, at a depth of 24 feet (7.3 m). Bradley notes that these creatures seemed to be undulating vertically. According to Bradley this is remarkable because only two types of creature undulate vertically, invertebrates and marine mammals. The problem with this is that marine mammals need open water in the winter to survive. The closest source of open water is at the mouth of the Saint Lawrence River
. Mussie enthusiast Dennis Blaedow thinks that Mussie may spend the winter in some form of hibernation feeding off a cache of food deep in the Muskrat Lake caves. Retired Opeongo High School
geography teacher Stew Jack thinks that belief in Mussie's existence may be caused by hallucinogenic
qualities of the lake water itself.
In the mid-1990s Mussie was made the focal point of a Cobden/Ottawa Valley
marketing campaign. Flags, windsocks and signs sprung up all around Cobden and the entire Ottawa Valley. There was talk of offering a $1,000,000 prize for Mussie's capture; the plan never saw fulfillment.
Sea monster
Sea monsters are sea-dwelling mythical or legendary creatures, often believed to be of immense size.Marine monsters can take many forms, including sea dragons, sea serpents, or multi-armed beasts. They can be slimy or scaly and are often pictured threatening ships or spouting jets of water...
reported to be living in Muskrat Lake
Muskrat Lake
Muskrat Lake is located in the Whitewater Region of Renfrew County, Ontario, Canada. Said to be the home of lake monster Mussie. Muskrat Lake drains into Muskrat River. Other than a few cottages and campgrounds, Cobden, is only one community on the lakes shore...
, 75 miles (120.7 km) northwest of Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, capital of Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The legend has gone a through a gradual image change over the years. In the past the creature was depicted with shameless wild exaggeration. Classified as a "hepaxalor" and endowed with three eyes and sharp teeth, Mussie was shown as a great serpent towering over its prey. However, the interest of several "Mussie enthusiasts" of various professional grades has helped to organize witness accounts and streamline the modern perception of Mussie. It is now most popularly imagined as an unknown type of marine mammal, sharing traits with a seal or walrus.
The legend
Local folklore says that while exploring the region over 300 years ago, Samuel de ChamplainSamuel de Champlain
Samuel de Champlain , "The Father of New France", was a French navigator, cartographer, draughtsman, soldier, explorer, geographer, ethnologist, diplomat, and chronicler. He founded New France and Quebec City on July 3, 1608....
learned from the natives of the area of a legendary creature that lived in the lake. Though the legend may certainly descend from native lore, no mention is given of it in Champlain's memoirs. Nevertheless, the myth survived with help from a sign which once welcomed visitors to Cobden
Cobden, Ontario
Cobden is a small community in the Township of Whitewater Region, in Renfrew County, Ontario, Canada. It is located roughly halfway between Renfrew, Ontario and Pembroke, Ontario on Highway 17...
. The sign featured Champlain holding his famous lost astrolabe
Astrolabe
An astrolabe is an elaborate inclinometer, historically used by astronomers, navigators, and astrologers. Its many uses include locating and predicting the positions of the Sun, Moon, planets, and stars, determining local time given local latitude and longitude, surveying, triangulation, and to...
while looking out over Muskrat Lake. In the lake, prominently displayed, is Mussie, depicted as having three eyes and a long tongue. The sign is inaccurate in many ways, least of all in giving the impression that Champlain had actually encountered the creature. Though the sign has been replaced, its impact is still felt. Champlain is still the traditional starting point for any Mussie tale.
The creature
Muskrat Lake, like many other lakes, was formed when the glaciers of the last ice ageIce age
An ice age or, more precisely, glacial age, is a generic geological period of long-term reduction in the temperature of the Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental ice sheets, polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers...
receded about 10,000 years ago. At that point it was part of the Champlain Sea
Champlain Sea
The Champlain Sea was a temporary inlet of the Atlantic Ocean, a paratropical subsea or epeiric sea created by the retreating glaciers during the close of the last ice age...
. Owing to glacial recession the sea was repeatedly diluted, its salt levels rising and falling over the years making it partly salty and partly fresh. About 6,000 years ago the water level dropped and the Champlain Sea disappeared. This would have been the last chance for any potential sea monster to arrive in the lake. Three species of shrimp from the ice age have been found in the lake, giving rise to claims that more substantial species may have survived in deeper parts of the lake.
Author Michael Bradley theorizes that Mussie may be a type of freshwater pygmy walrus, similar to the seals in Seal Lake, Quebec. Eyewitness accounts support this theory with descriptions of slick, silver-grey fur and long white teeth or tusks. In 1988 Bradley conducted a sonar survey of Muskrat Lake in an attempt to find evidence of Mussie's existence. He failed to find anything substantial, though he did capture a sonar image of two creatures, 6-8 feet (1.8 to 2.45 meters) long, at a depth of 24 feet (7.3 m). Bradley notes that these creatures seemed to be undulating vertically. According to Bradley this is remarkable because only two types of creature undulate vertically, invertebrates and marine mammals. The problem with this is that marine mammals need open water in the winter to survive. The closest source of open water is at the mouth of the Saint Lawrence River
Saint Lawrence River
The Saint Lawrence is a large river flowing approximately from southwest to northeast in the middle latitudes of North America, connecting the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean. It is the primary drainage conveyor of the Great Lakes Basin...
. Mussie enthusiast Dennis Blaedow thinks that Mussie may spend the winter in some form of hibernation feeding off a cache of food deep in the Muskrat Lake caves. Retired Opeongo High School
Opeongo High School
Opeongo High School is a secondary school in Renfrew County, Ontario that serves the townships of Whitewater Region, Laurentian Valley, Admaston Bromley, Bonnechere Valley, and North Algona-Wilberforce. It was built in 1968, at a cost of $3.5 million, to accommodate a growing population of...
geography teacher Stew Jack thinks that belief in Mussie's existence may be caused by hallucinogenic
Psychedelics, dissociatives and deliriants
This general group of pharmacological agents can be divided into three broad categories: psychedelics, dissociatives, and deliriants. These classes of psychoactive drugs have in common that they can cause subjective changes in perception, thought, emotion and consciousness...
qualities of the lake water itself.
In the mid-1990s Mussie was made the focal point of a Cobden/Ottawa Valley
Ottawa Valley
The Ottawa Valley is the valley along the boundary between Eastern Ontario and Western Quebec along the Ottawa River. The valley is the transition between the Saint Lawrence Lowlands and the Canadian Shield...
marketing campaign. Flags, windsocks and signs sprung up all around Cobden and the entire Ottawa Valley. There was talk of offering a $1,000,000 prize for Mussie's capture; the plan never saw fulfillment.
Trivia
- Mussie was most likely the inspiration for the James Gordon song "Mussie" on his album More Hometown Tunes.