- This article discusses the mythological creature; for the dog breed, see Australian Kelpie.
The Kelpie is a supernatural shape-shifting water horse that haunts the rivers and streams of Scotland. It is probably one of the best-known of Scottish water spirits and is often mistakenly thought to haunt lochs, which are the reserve of the Loch Ness Monster. It also appears in Scandinavia where it is known by the name bäckahästen (the brook horse), see Nix.
The creature could take many forms and had an insatiable appetite for humans; its most common guise was that of a beautiful tame horse standing by the riverside—a tempting ride for a weary traveller. Anybody foolish enough to mount the horse—perhaps a stranger unaware of the local traditions—would find himself in dire peril, as the horse would rear and charge headlong into the deepest part of the water, submerging with a noise like thunder to the traveller's watery grave.
The Kelpie was also said to warn of impending storms by wailing and howling, which would carry on through the tempest. This association with thunder—the sound its tail makes as it submerges—and storms, may be related to ancient worship of river and weather deities by the ancient Celts, although this is difficult to substantiate.
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