![]() ![]() However, being a water-spirit, the man always has wet hair with water-weed tangled in it, and if she notices this the young lady can be saved. He will lure her to a river and drown her. In man-shape, the Kelpie is irresistible to young ladies. If they are really unlucky, the Kelpie will dive into the river and the victim may drown! But if anyone mounts the horse, they find it impossible to get off, and the Kelpie will run away with them. In it’s horse-shape, it is friendly towards strangers, and has magical powers which make anyone who sees it want to ride on that smooth sleek back. Both of the Kelpie’s forms are beautiful beyond belief, but the Kelpie’s character is anything but beautiful. It can change shape, becoming a horse or a man. A Kelpie is a Scottish water devil who lurks in lakes and rivers. It does not store any personal data.Kelpies are perhaps the creature least suited to having a Brownie Six named after it. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". ![]() These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Once the job was finished, the kelpie was set free, and the man reminded his sons of the kelpie’s hard work and dedication, if they were ever to complain after a day’s hard work. Now, under the man’s command, the kelpie was set to work, carrying stones for the building of a bridge nearby. Realising the beast’s true nature, the man carefully threw a bridle over the horse’s head, managing to capture and subdue the kelpie. We are told that once upon a time, near Peterhead, at Inverugie Castle, a man stumbled across a great black horse. Only a few ever mention a friendly, eager to help kelpie. Most of the myths surrounding the kelpies are tales meant to inspire terror and fear, warning people off riverbanks and lochs. The anthropomorphised water spirit could also be recognised, like its animal counterpart, not by its legs this time, but by its hair, where algae and seaweed could be found among locks of hair. Kelpies could also take on a human form, typically that of a man. A common identifying characteristic of the kelpie is said to be its hooves, hooves that are reversed when compared to those of a regular horse. ![]() All sorts of trouble could ensue if one were to enter an unknown body of water, much less on top of someone else’s animal. The stories of the kelpie were, perhaps, especially useful in warning children away from riverbanks and strange horses alike. It seems likely that, in Scotland, with all its isles and storms and restless seas, the water (and its spirits) would be seen as largely dangerous, evil even. The kelpie is perhaps better understood as a personification of the flood itself, an animal-like – or even anthropomorphised, on occasion – version of the reverence and fear the Celts held for water, rivers, lakes, and seas alike. Once atop the horse’s back, the kelpie would gallop to the deepest end, luring its victims to their death and dragging them below water. Initially appearing peaceful, even docile, travellers would be tempted to ride the quiet horse, in order to cross a body of water. Typically residing near water, and taking the form of a black horse, the kelpie would lure travellers to their death. It seems as though the kelpie was made to be an enemy, to man and other magical creatures alike. But, perhaps none is more vengeful than the kelpies of Scotland. Folklore and mythology are filled with tales of spirits and magical creatures, benevolent and evil alike. ![]()
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