In the Hall of the Lizard King

The Man in the Rubber Mask

A 1995 close encounter from the Ukraine illustrates how uncertain the boundaries are between alien abductions, shamanic visions, and out-of-body experiences.

Lizardman - a character from the role-playing game Warhammer

The witness, 'Georgiy', was walking along the beach at Sudak when someone crept up behind him and forced a rubber mask over his head. He ripped it off and angrily turned to confront the prankster. But to his astonishment, he found that he was no longer on the beach. Instead, he was standing in a vast hall lined with control panels and huge viewscreens.

He looked down at the mask he held and noticed that it was shaped like a blue lizard head. Then a door slid open in the wall and three 7-foot-tall bipedal reptiles walked through. They had rough blue skin covered in warts, and their faces were identical to that of the mask.

One of the Lizardmen put its clawed hand around Georgiy's shoulder and greeted him by growling "Homo Sapiens!" The Ukrainian was so terrified by the sight of the beast's huge yellow fangs that he ran for his life.

An Invitation to Eternity

He fled down a corridor lined with oval doors, viewscreens and instrument panels. Stumbling into a room at random, he was confronted by another giant lizardman. "Where are you running to?" boomed the monster, opening its arms out wide.

The lizardman touched a panel, and the walls of the room seemed to dissolve, revealing an endless celestial abyss. "Do not be afraid," soothed the creature, taking Georgiy's hand.

It led him into another room where hundreds more Lizardmen stood silently in ranks. They stepped aside to reveal a beautiful naked blonde lying on a couch, then closed ranks again.

The lizardman took Georgiy to a viewscreen displaying an image of outer space. "Earth," it announced, pointing a claw at one of the stars. Then it embraced him saying, "Stay with us. We have no time or death".

Home, Sweet Home

The Ukrainian begged to be taken home, protesting that his mother would be waiting for him.

"Well then," said the lizardman, "Is there anything you would like to know?"
"How long will my mother live?" stammered Georgiy.
"As much as your age is now," replied the creature.

The star that the lizard had singled out on the screen began to draw closer. Then Georgiy suddenly found himself standing outside his house. Five hours had passed since he had been abducted.

He might have dismissed his experience as a dream had he not noticed that the coins in his pocket were faintly glowing. By the next morning, the glow was gone.

Related External Links

Reptiles throughout Mythology
Norman A. Rubin examines the rich folklore surrounding reptiles.
Reptilian Humanoids in Fiction
Lizardmen in comics, sci-fi, and role playing games.

Sources

Albert Rosales's Humanoid Database.