Unlimited Guide To Mythical Creatures

Kelpies

Kelpies give a whole different meaning to Seahorses!

Kelpies are water, shape - shifting horses, relevant to the loches, and pools of Scotland.It is a Celtic legend, however, analogues lives in other cultures. It is usually described as a black,  horselike creature, able to shape-shift human form. Some accounts state that the kelpies keeps 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 poem "address to the devil ". Narratives about the kelpie also served a practical purpose in keeping children away from dangerous out stretches of water, and telling young women to be wary of handsome strangers. Define kelpies as "the Lowland name of a demon in the shape of an horse". It is the most common water spirit in Scottish Folklore, BUT the name is attributed to several different forms in narratives recorded throughout the country. The late 19th century saw the onset of an interest in transcribing folklore, but the recorders were inconsistent
spelling and frequently anglicize words, which could result in differing names for the same spirit. It is particularly attractive to children, but they should take care, once on its back, its sticky magical hide will not allow them to dismount! Once trapped in this way, the kelpie will drown the child into the river and then eat them! Kelpies can also use their powers to summon up a flood in order to sweep a traveller away to a watery grave. The sound of a kelpies' tail in the water, said to resemble that of thunder. And if you are passing by a river and hear an unearthly wailing or howling, Beware: it could be a kelpies' warning of an approaching storm!But there's some good news: A kelpie has a weak spot, its bridle. Anyone who can get hold of the kelpies' bridle will have command or control over it and any other kelpie. A captive kelpie is said to have the strength of at least ten  farm horses and the stamina of many more, and is highly prized. It is rumoured that the MacGregor clan have a kelpies bridle, passed down through the generations and said to have come from an ancestor who took it from a kelpie near Loch Slochd. A common Scottish Folktale is that of the kelpie and the ten children. Having lured nine children onto its back, it chases after the tenth. The child strokes its nose and his finger becomes stuck fast. He manages to cut off his finger and escapes. The other nine children are dragged into the water, never to be seen again.....

Website I've used - https://www.historic-uk.com
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelpie