THINK ABOUTIT UFO|ALIEN SIGHTING REPORT
Date: 1207
Sighting Time:
Day/Night: Day
Location: Gravesend, Kent, England
Urban or Rural: –
Entity Type: Humanoid
Entity Description:
Hynek Classification: CE-III (Close Encounter III) Close observation with animate beings associated with the object.
Duration:
No. of Object(s): 1
Size of Object(s):
Distance to Object(s):
Shape of Object(s): strange “ship” in the sky, with people on board
Color of Object(s):
Number of Witnesses:
Source: http://www.bibleufo.com/ufos2.htm
Summary/Description: During a Sunday mass it is said that the congregation saw an anchor descend and catch on a tombstone in the churchyard. The churchgoers rushed outside to see a strange “ship” in the sky, with people on board. One occupant of the vessel leaped over the side, but did not fall, “as if swimming in water” he made his way through the air toward the anchor. The people on the ground tried to capture him. The man then hurried up to the ship. His companions cut the anchor rope, and the ship then “sailed out of sight”. The local blacksmith made ornaments from the abandoned anchor to decorate the church lectern.
Historical Context: Medieval “Sky Ships” and Magonia
The 1207 Gravesend account is a classic example of a “Sky Ship” narrative, a type of anomaly frequently recorded by medieval chroniclers. These reports often share a striking detail: an anchor descending from a vessel in the clouds and becoming snagged on a church or tombstone.
The Mystery of the “Swimming” Occupant
The most compelling aspect of the Gravesend sighting is the description of the occupant who “leaped over the side” and moved through the air “as if swimming in water”.
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Physical Interaction: Unlike many modern sightings that remain distant, this CE-III encounter involved physical evidence—the abandoned anchor that was reportedly used by the local blacksmith to decorate the church lectern.
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Medieval Interpretation: During the 13th century, such events were often linked to a mythical land called Magonia, a kingdom in the sky where ships were said to sail upon the clouds. While modern researchers might view this as an early unidentified flying object report, medieval witnesses interpreted the “aerial sailors” through the lens of their own maritime technology.
Cultural Legacy in Kent
The specific mention of the Gravesend blacksmith transforming the anchor into church ornaments highlights how these anomalous events were integrated into local English history. This physical legacy served as a long-standing “proof” of the encounter for generations of parishioners in Kent, bridging the gap between folklore and a potential historical Close Encounter.
The story concludes with a fascinating piece of physical evidence that persisted for generations. After the aerial vessel departed, the local blacksmith took the abandoned heavy anchor and repurposed the metal to create decorative ornaments for the church lectern. This transformation of a supposedly extraterrestrial or “Magonian” object into a functional piece of church furniture served as a tangible connection between the celestial mystery and the daily lives of the Kent parishioners. It remains one of the few historical CE-III encounters where a physical artifact was reportedly integrated into the local community’s architecture, preserving the memory of the 1207 sighting far longer than oral tradition alone could have managed.
