![]() Whilst most Scottish/Celtic folklore places the water horse in a loch (particularly a loch that is famous for a lake monster, such as Loch Ness, Loch Morar or Loch Lomond), some Breton and Cornish tales of water horses place them in the ocean, making them sea monsters. Loch Morar is reputedly home to " Morag", a lake monster that has been portrayed as a water horse. The water horse has often become a basic description of other lake monsters such as the Canadian Lake Okanagan monster Ogopogo and the Lake Champlain monster Champ. ![]() The Breton King Gradlon's magical "horse of the sea" Morvarc'h (whose name literally means "sea horse" in Breton) was said to have the ability to gallop upon the waves of the sea, in a similar fashion to the water horses of Cornish legend. The name " water bull" has been used for either creature.įlight of King Gradlon: Morvarc'h, the magical steed of King Gradlon of Ys. Some authors call one creature of a certain place a kelpie while others call it a water horse. The usage of "water horse" or "kelpie" can often be a source of confusion some consider the two terms to be synonymous, while others distinguish the water horse as a denizen of lochs and the kelpie of turbulent water such as rivers, fords, and waterfalls. Other names for these sea monsters include "seahorse" (not referring to the seahorse fish) and "hippocampus" (which is the genus name for seahorses). ![]() The name "kelpie" has often been a nickname for many other Scottish lake monsters, such as each uisge and Morag of Loch Morar and Lizzie of Loch Lochy. The term has also been used as a nickname for lake monsters, particularly Ogopogo and Nessie. ![]() The term "water horse" was originally a name given to the kelpie, a creature similar to the hippocamp, which has the head, neck and mane of a normal horse, front legs like a horse, webbed feet, and a long, two-lobed, whale-like tail. Name origin The hippocamp (as seen in this sketch from Pompeii) is a water creature that has been referred to as a water horse. The child saves himself but is unable to help his friends, as they are pulled underwater with the Kelpie.Portrait of a boy riding a nøkk in the form of a water horse, by Theodor KittelsenĪ water horse (or "waterhorse" in some folklore) is a mythical creature, such as the Ceffyl Dŵr, Capaill Uisce, the bäckahäst and kelpie. Another more gruesome variation on this tale is that the tenth child simply stroked the Kelpie's nose but, when his hand stuck to it, he took a knife from his pocket and cut his own hand off, cauterizing it with wood from a nearby fire. The Kelpie chased the tenth child, but he escaped. A common Scottish tale is the story of nine children lured onto a Kelpie's back, while a tenth kept his distance. The water horse would encourage children to ride on its back, and once its victims fell into its trap, the water horse's skin would become adhesive and the horse would bear the children into the river, dragging them to the bottom of the water and devouring them-except the heart or liver. The water horse is a common form of the Kelpie, said to lure humans, especially children, into the water to drown and eat them. Other versions of the myth describe the kelpie as "green as glass with a black mane and tail that curves over its back like a wheel" or that, even in human form, they are always dripping wet and/or have water weeds in their hair. The fable of the kelpie varies by region. They created illusions to keep themselves hidden, keeping only their eyes above water to scout the surface. Kelpies were said to transform into beautiful women to lure men into their traps. Its skin was said to be like that of a seal, smooth but as cold as death when touched. Its hide was supposedly black (though in some stories it was white), and appeared as a lost pony, but could be identified by its constantly dripping mane. In mythology, the Kelpie is described as a strong and powerful horse.
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