| Kelpie | |
|---|---|
 The Kelpie by Thomas Millie Dow, 1895 | |
|
Other Names |
Kelpie, Water Kelpie |
|
First Appearance |
Irish/Scottish Myth |
|
Created by |
Irish/Scottish Myth |
Origin[]
Kelpie of Corrievreckan wearing a horned helm, riding a gray horse, snatches up a girl named Jessie on the seashore.
A kelpie is a shape-shifting spirit inhabiting lochs in Irish and Scottish folklore. It is usually described as a grey or white horse-like creature, able to adopt human form. Some accounts state that the kelpie retains its hooves when appearing as a human, leading to its association with the Christian idea of Satan as alluded to by Robert Burns in his 1786 poem "Address to the Devil".
The kelpie is usually described as a powerful and beautiful black horse inhabiting the deep pools of rivers and streams of Scotland, preying on any humans it encounters. One of the water-kelpie's common identifying characteristics is that its hooves are reversed as compared to those of a normal horse, a trait also shared by the nykur of Iceland. An Aberdeenshire variation portrays the kelpie as a horse with a mane of serpents, whereas the resident equine spirit of the River Spey was white and could entice victims onto its back by singing.
The creature's nature was described by Walter Gregor, a folklorist and one of the first members of the Folklore Society, as "useful", "hurtful", or seeking "human companionship"; in some cases, kelpies take their victims into the water, devour them, and throw the entrails to the water's edge. In its equine form the kelpie is able to extend the length of its back to carry many riders together into the depths; a common theme in the tales is of several children clambering onto the creature's back while one remains on the shore. Usually a little boy, he then pets the horse but his hand sticks to its neck. In some variations the lad cuts off his fingers or hand to free himself; he survives but the other children are carried off and drowned, with only some of their entrails being found later.
Public Domain Appearances[]
All published appearances of Kelpie from before January 1, 1929 are public domain in the US.
Some notable appearances are listed below:
- Popular Tales of the West Highlands (1860)
- The Kelpie's Bridge (1888)
- The Book of Fairy Poetry (1920)
Notes[]
- The kelpie has counterparts across the world, such as the Germanic nixie, the wihwin of Central America and the Australian Bunyip.