Everything You Need to Know About Kelpie Myths & Their Origins

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Exploring kelpies through Scotland’s traditional folklore & art
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Folktales can be enchanting, terrifying, and everything in between—especially legends about Scotland’s mythical kelpies. As shapeshifting water spirits, kelpies are said to be malevolent tricksters that haunt bodies of water, and there aren’t many bodies of water in Scotland without a kelpie story attached! In this article, we’ll explore every aspect of kelpies, including what they look like, where their legends come from, and some of the most well-known kelpie myths. Keep reading to learn more!

Kelpies & Their Myths: A First Look

Kelpies are mythical Scottish water spirits that look like beautiful horses but can also shapeshift into human form with seaweed in their hair. They often trick humans and drown them in rivers or lochs, though a few folktales depict kelpies helping humans instead. Kelpies can be captured with magical bridles.

Section 1 of 6:

What are kelpies?

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  1. In Scottish art and literature, they appear as powerful, haunting horses that change their form and prey on humans—or, occasionally, help them. Many bodies of water throughout Scotland have a matching kelpie myth, including the infamous Loch Ness! [1]
    • The origin of kelpie myths is murky, although there are several possible sources.
    • Kelpies may have originated as a sort of cautionary tale for children or a way to personify water and its dangers, for example.
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Section 2 of 6:

Kelpie Folklore & Beliefs

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  1. 1
    Kelpies traditionally look like horses. They’re most often described as formidable and alluring black or grey-white horses with reversed hooves, usually living in deep lakes, rivers, and streams. In stories from Aberdeenshire, Scotland, kelpies had manes made from serpents—whereas, in stories about the kelpie of the Scottish River Spey, it was white and capable of luring victims by singing. [2]
    • Basically, while the exact description of a kelpie often varies by region, all kelpies primarily take a horse form.
    • Kelpies were also said to be able to extend the length of their back at will. This was part of the kelpie’s ruse in order to carry as many riders (victims) as possible.
  2. 2
    Many myths depict kelpies shapeshifting into human form. Kelpies usually took a male form when disguised (with a few exceptions) but could sometimes be identified by water plants or weeds in their hair. For example, Scottish folklorist Walter Gregor recorded the tale of a kelpie disguised as an elderly, wizened man sitting on a bridge. When a local struck it over the head, it transformed into horse form and fled to its lair. [3]
    • In a tale from the Scottish Barra Island, a kelpie transformed into a handsome young man to try and seduce a girl. The girl realized he was a kelpie and took off his silver necklace (bridle), forcing him into horse form.
      • Eventually, the girl took the kelpie to a wise man, who gave him the choice to go free as a kelpie or a mortal man.
      • When the girl agreed to be his wife, he chose to become mortal.
    • In another story from A Dictionary of Celtic Mythology , a kelpie appeared as a “rough, shaggy man who leaps behind a solitary rider, gripping and crushing him.”
    • There are also tales of kelpies in feminine form. In a story from Ross and Cromarty, a “tall woman dressed in green” with a “withered, meagre countenance” jumped out of a stream to drown a man and boy.
  3. 3
    Kelpies were believed to live in rivers and lakes (or “lochs”). Some folklorists insisted that kelpies are spirits living next to (or within) rivers, distinct from Celtic water-horses living in lakes. However, other folklorists—including Scottish novelist Sir Walter Scott—claimed that kelpies could live in a wider variety of water sources, from rivers to streams and lochs. [4]
    • In James Mackillop’s A Dictionary of Celtic Mythology, he acknowledges both points of view, claiming that, while “initially thought to inhabit” streams, kelpies later came to inhabit “any body of water.”
  4. 4
    Kelpies preyed on humans in folklore. Walter Gregor’s writings describe kelpies as “seeking human companionship,” although that usually meant luring humans to their deaths. In some tales, kelpies bring victims underwater and devour them, leaving their remains by the edge of the water; in others, kelpies entice humans onto their backs, then carry them off to drown. [5]
    • For example, there are multiple versions of a Scottish legend about kelpies drowning several children simultaneously, with a group of them getting on the kelpie’s back and one little boy hanging back, suspicious.
    • When the boy tries to pet the horse, his hand sticks to it, and he realizes what it is. At the last moment, he cuts off his hand and escapes while the other children are carried away.
      • In a version of this legend from Perthshire, the kelpie resides in Glen Keltney.
      • In the Thurso and Sutherland tales, the boy cuts off a single finger rather than his whole hand.
      • And, in the Sunart tale, it’s said that nine children drowned, with only one child’s innards found (and the surviving boy carrying a Bible in his pocket).
  5. 5
    Kelpies were also said to have magical qualities. They can be described as water personified, representing the dangers of various bodies of water (including rivers, lakes, and seas) as perceived by ancient Celts. In addition to shapeshifting, kelpies could summon floods to overwhelm travelers and had magically sticky hides to capture victims. Furthermore, tails were said to sound like thunder when entering the water! [6]
    • In some Scottish legends, hearing a haunting wail or howl near a river means a kelpie is nearby, warning of an oncoming storm.
  6. 6
    In some legends, kelpies could be captured or killed. For example, Kelpies in their horse forms without any tack (riding equipment) could be captured with a halter stamped with the sign of a cross. In other stories, kelpies were said to have bridles and saddles, appearing ready for riders—and, when the bridle was removed, the kelpie could be exorcised of evil. [7]
    • Kelpie bridles were also believed to have powers of their own, capable of transforming people into horses or ponies!
    • Once captured, a kelpie could be forced to do tasks (the kind actual horses were used for). In one tale, the Laird of Morphie captured a kelpie and used it to haul stones so he could build a castle.
      • He then released the kelpie, although it unhappily cursed him before leaving (leading to the demise of the lord’s family).
    • Ever heard of werewolf legends in which werewolves could be killed with a silver bullet? Well, the same was said of kelpies. When shot, the kelpie would become “turf and a soft mass like jelly-fish,” according to Lewis Spence’s The Magic Arts in Celtic Britain .
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Section 3 of 6:

Popular Kelpie Myths

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  1. There are many myths of monsters within Scotland’s Loch Ness, including legends of a kelpie from the 19th century that stalked its shores. The kelpie supposedly had its own saddle and bridle—and in one tale, Highlander James MacGrigor managed to cut off the kelpie’s bridle, meaning it would die within 24 hours. [8]
    • The kelpie—which could talk—tried to bargain with MacGrigor, but he wouldn’t return its bridle.
    • So, the kelpie followed him home and told him he couldn’t go inside with the bridle since the cross over the door would stop him.
    • MacGrigor threw the bridle through the window, outsmarting the kelpie. Facing defeat, the kelpie cursed at MacGrigor and left; MacGrigor continued passing the bridle down through his family.
    • The tale also claims that the bridle had powers. When the bridle was placed in water, one could chant “In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost” to give the water healing abilities.
  2. 2
    The kelpie of the River Conon As this legend goes, a group of field workers near the River Conon heard an unknown voice say, “The hour has come, but not the man.” They turned to see who had spoken and saw a kelpie resembling a powerful black stallion standing in the ford. Without another word, the kelpie dove back into the river, and the men decided that nobody should cross the river for the next hour. [9]
    • However, a rider soon tried to cross the river, ignoring the workers’ warnings. So, they pulled him off his horse and locked him in the town church despite his angry protests.
    • After an hour had passed, the workers went back to the church to let the rider out. They heard nothing inside and unlocked the door, finding the rider dead, face-down in a water trough.
  3. 3
    The kelpie of Loch Garve In this tale, the kelpie of Loch Garve once appeared outside the home of a local builder. The builder assumed it was just a lovely black horse and jumped on its back before realizing the truth. The kelpie ran into the water with the builder stuck on its back, and the builder tried holding his breath—but eventually had to inhale. Strangely, he found he could still breathe. [10]
    • The kelpie explained that the builder was not in danger; the kelpie needed his help. Its wife was unhappy as she wasn’t a water horse and didn’t like the cold (or the raw fish).
    • The kelpie wanted the builder to create a fireplace and chimney big enough to reach just below the loch’s surface, and the builder agreed. The kelpie's wife was satisfied with a fire to keep her warm.
    • In return for the builder’s help, the kelpie returned him to the surface and promised him that whenever he left an empty basket by the loch, the kelpie would fill it with fresh fish.
    • As the legend goes, there’s one spot in Loch Garve that never fully freezes—the spot right above the kelpie’s chimney.
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Section 4 of 6:

Kelpies in Other Mythologies

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  1. 1
    Kelpies have similar counterparts in other European legends. This is true of other Scottish mythical creatures, like Shetland’s nuggle or shoopiltee (a nocturnal water horse) and Orkney’s tangie (a shapeshifting sea horse and merman). There are also similar creatures beyond Scotland; in Wales, the fabled ceffyl-dŵr is considered a counterpart to the kelpie, just like the Isle of Man’s cabbyl-ushtey . [11]
    • The Germanic neck or nixie is also a type of water spirit, as is the Scandinavian bäckahäst .
    • In Central America, the wihwin is another type of menacing water spirit comparable to the kelpie.
    • The Aboriginal Australian bunyip is another monstrous creature believed to lurk in swamps, creeks, and rivers.
  2. 2
    Kelpies were sometimes associated with the Christian Satan. Christianity came to Scotland around the 6th century, after which Christian monks began writing down folk stories of kelpies (where before, they had been spread only by word of mouth). In these tales, kelpies sometimes had hooves while in their human disguises, drawing comparisons to Satan—and Pan, the Greek god of the wild. [12]
    • For example, Scottish poet Robert Burns mentioned kelpies in his poem titled “Address to the Devil.”
    • It reads, “...Then, water-kelpies haunt the foord / By your direction / An’ nighted trav’llers are allur’d / To their destruction. ”
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Section 5 of 6:

Origins of Kelpies

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  1. These sacrifices occurred in ancient Scandinavia and may have fueled stories of horse-like water spirits preying on humans. Additionally, kelpie stories may have been passed down to keep children from getting too close to dangerous bodies of water (and warn young women away from handsome strangers). [13]
    • Just as kelpies were water personified, many kelpie myths are likely a way to rationalize people drowning or suffering a tragic accident around water.
    • It’s also probable that some kelpie myths were designed to enforce moral behavior, implying that bad things could happen to people who misbehaved or skipped Church on Sundays.
    • Kelpie myths may also be inspired by Scottish waterspouts—funnel-shaped clouds of air and water that sometimes form over lochs, making it look like there’s a creature on the water.
  2. 2
    Artistic depictions of kelpies likely date back to the 6th to 9th centuries. This refers to Pictish stones—enormous stone steles in Scotland with carvings. These carvings depict a creature called the “Pictish Beast,” which closely resembles a kelpie; it’s believed that the carvings represent either kelpies or creatures very similar to kelpies. [14]
    • In 1895, Victorian artist Thomas Millie Dow drew a kelpie in human form—a maiden perched on a rock. A similar depiction includes Herbert James Draper’s oil painting of a poolside maiden kelpie.
    • Falkirk, Scotland is home to two 100-ft (30-meter) sculptures called “The Kelpies,” intended to memorialize Scotland’s heritage and use of horses to power industry.
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Section 6 of 6:

The Etymology of “Kelpie”

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  1. However, this is mainly a theory. It’s unclear where “kelpie” definitively comes from since it’s only ever used to refer to the fabled water creature. The closest parallels to “kelpie” are found in the Garlic language, terms like “calpa” and “cailpeach,” which mean “heifer” or “colt.” [15]
    • One of the first records of the term “kelpie” (then spelled “kaelpie”) appears in English poet William Collins’s odes, written before 1759.
    • However, there are also locations in Scotland named Kelpie hoall and Kelpie hooll, both reportedly listed in the town of Kirkcudbright's records from 1674. [16]

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      References

      1. ↑ https://artuk.org/learn/learning-resources/the-kelpies-ancient-myth-in-modern-art
      2. ↑ https://artuk.org/learn/learning-resources/the-kelpies-ancient-myth-in-modern-art
      3. ↑ https://archive.org/details/superstitionshi00campgoog/page/n232/mode/1up?view=theater
      4. ↑ https://archive.org/details/superstitionshi00campgoog/page/n232/mode/1up?view=theater
      5. ↑ https://artuk.org/learn/learning-resources/the-kelpies-ancient-myth-in-modern-art
      6. ↑ https://archive.org/details/superstitionshi00campgoog/page/n232/mode/1up?view=theater
      7. ↑ https://artuk.org/learn/learning-resources/the-kelpies-ancient-myth-in-modern-art
      8. ↑ https://books.google.com/books?id=UViEbWQOSd0C&pg=PA200#v=onepage&q&f=false
      9. ↑ https://hiddenscotland.com/stories/the-determined-kelpie-of-the-river-conon
      1. ↑ https://hiddenscotland.com/stories/the-kelpie-of-loch-garve
      2. ↑ https://archive.org/details/contemporaryrev05unkngoog/page/189/mode/1up?view=theater
      3. ↑ https://books.google.com/books?id=1-ORpjD6XEcC&pg=PA48
      4. ↑ https://books.google.com/books?id=1-ORpjD6XEcC&pg=PA48
      5. ↑ https://www.heroicage.org/issues/8/cessford.html
      6. ↑ https://www.oed.com/dictionary/kelpie_n1
      7. ↑ https://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/kelpie

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