The Kelpie - Folklore and Myth
- Emily Mackie
- May 27, 2020
- 8 min read
Updated: May 25, 2023
Culture is identified as the ideas, customs, and social behaviour of a particular people or society, it is the bond that ties a region or a community together.
Included in culture are stories and tales which have been passed to us from our ancestors and we keep these alive by passing them on to our children. Scotland has a rich and widely celebrated cultural heritage which is abundant with such tales, or folklore as it is also known. Some academics have argued that folklore is more than just whimsy and is in fact, the bedrock which forms the foundations of our modern history.
Many of these stories are area-specific, with the majority of Scottish folklore myths and legends being situated within the Scottish Highlands and islands. One of the most famous creatures of Scottish folklore is the Kelpie. The Kelpie is a formidable, water-dwelling, shape-shifting beast which was said to drown and eat anyone unfortunate enough to cross its path. Almost all bodies of water across the country have Kelpie stories related to them, from lochs to canals and parts of the coastline.
Kelpies were believed to have a vindictive nature; they often tactfully took the form of a beautiful horse and laid in wait for unsuspecting passers-by. Children, in particular, fell victim to the Kelpie and once in their vicinity, would be dragged into the water where they would ultimately meet their fate.
Although the horse is one of the more popular forms for the Kelpie to portray there are many different forms it has been known to take, for example, they have also been described as taking the form of a beautiful human which would lure people towards them. There are also tales of t has also been told it has appeared in the form of small hairy men who would attack passers-by who dare stray off the beaten path.
Lari Don, author of The Secret of The Kelpie said, “The origin of the Kelpie story is just like most other folklore and fairy-tale stories. It became so because adults wanted to keep children safe, in this case, from dangerous water. When you include the elements of shapeshifting it also teaches children to be wary of strangers and strange animals.
“The story in itself is fun and exciting there is an element of danger to it and I think all of these elements are why it has stuck around for so long. Apart from the lessons, it can teach, there is something sinister and endearing about a large malevolent monster living in every body of water you come across in Scotland.
“I also think the horse imagery is an important part of the story. Not only are they elegant and powerful, but horses can also be very dangerous. Think of a knight on horseback charging at you, it is the horse that is creating that power, that force.
“Horses also, not so much now, but at the time would have been common to see around. They were used for transport and maybe even in some cases as a symbol of status. The people who would have been sharing these stories probably would not have been able to afford one themselves, but they would have been able to see horses roaming around.
“Due to these reasons, you may create a story which would encourage children to avoid horses which they come across for the sake of avoiding injury.
“The use of a horse also makes sense in terms of the story. You are far more likely to climb up on the back of a horse in the Scottish countryside than perhaps, a rabbit or a cow. “
There are local variations to the Kelpie myth across certain parts of Scotland, which is in keeping with the Kelpie’s reputation as a shapeshifter. For example, in Perthshire, the Kelpie’s skin was sticky and if you were unlucky enough to get stuck to it then it would be impossible to remove yourself from it. In Aberdeenshire, when in horse form the Kelpie would have a mane made of serpents. These are only a brief insight into a listless number of variations the Kelpie is told to have taken.
Some have also theorised that there may be a connection between the Kelpie myth and the world-famous myth of the Loch Ness monster. This may be due to the fact that Loch Ness is a known 'hotspot' for Kelpie sightings.
However, Lari Don continued, “There have always been stories of magic and witchcraft surrounding Loch Ness but The Loch Ness monster is a very modern invention, the idea of a monster living in Loch Ness did not exist until around the 1930s. In terms of folklore, that is really, very new.
“When I was researching for my book The Treasure of The Loch Ness Monster, I struggled to find any solid stories related to a monster living in Loch Ness. There is a huge gap in the history of that tale, between St Columba in the sixth century and visitors to Loch Ness believing they had seen a large beast in the loch in the early 20th century, there is absolutely nothing.
“I think the powerful imagery of Nessie may have pushed away the other stories which surrounded Loch Ness some of which would have been Kelpie stories and it’s not hard to see how the story of Nessie may have taken influence from the Kelpie myth.
“I guess I somewhat worry that the story of the Loch Ness monster has pushed away actual folklore stories that surround Loch Ness.“
The lessons which can be learned from the tales of the Kelpie are tenfold that of most other stories. There is a focus on not only being wary of strangers but it can also be drawn from it that you should not try to approach wild animals, not to play or lurk beside bodies of water for fear of drowning, not to travel alone in the dusk or the dark. These are previously good life lessons you would want to pass on to children.
Lari Don continued, “When you look at stories such as Red Riding Hood and Hansel and Gretel, these stories are shorthand for a lot of things we want to discuss with our children. For the most part, these stories have originated and developed from folklore stories.
“The people who created these stories were from a time before books and films, the original storytellers.
“I think it is fantastic that stories of folklore have lasted as long as they have and I think that is because the stories themselves are wonderful and they give children building blocks for them to create their own stories and to power their imagination.
“I think it is important that every culture and every place celebrates and is aware of and loves their own stories because they connect us all.
“Just as there are stories about monsters in bodies of water in Scotland, there are stories about different monsters in bodies of water all across the world and I think that is amazing! The best way to keep stories like this alive and thriving is to keep sharing them. I think there is immense power in knowing the stories of that land that surrounds you”
In more modern times the story of the Kelpies has been brought into the limelight following the construction of The Kelpie statues in Falkirk’s Helix Park. These statues were designed by sculptor Andy Scott to commemorate the opening of a new canal extension, which reconnects the Forth and Clyde Canals with the River Forth. The sculptures depict two horseheads standing at an impressive 30-metres high on either side of the canal.
These statues not only bring reference to the folklore of the Kelpie, but they also commemorate the working horses which were once commonplace along the canal. During the first year following its 2014 opening, nearly one million people visited the park to see the sculpture. Unsurprisingly, this as expected, has piqued interest in the inspiration behind the mighty statues.
Lari Don, continued, “When children go to Falkirk and see those beautiful silver horses, I want them to know that when they are called Kelpies that doesn’t mean that these were beautiful horses who just happened to live near the water.
“I want them to know they were beautiful horses but also dangerous monsters. I want them to know the story behind the statues. So, I try to tell the story to them straight so they can have a real understanding of what the name Kelpie represents.”
Margaret Boyce, Tour Guide for The Helix Park and The Kelpie statues, “I think it is very important for children to have a connection to folklore and our cultural heritage. Children respond well to these stories; adults are sometimes worried about the gory bits frightening the children, but the kids love it. It is the adults who are squeamish and worry about the children.
“All folklore is about explaining ourselves to ourselves, it’s a way of exploring the human psyche. If you can do it in an interesting and approachable way, I think children are more likely to be open to other things as they grow up.
“We have many schools who come to visit Helix Park and The Kelpies who have been studying them, from the design and construction and back to the mythology and the origins of the Kelpie legend. They are always invested in the story and actively enthusiastic about learning more.”
Folklore and myths are something that ties us to the places we have lived and grown up and also with the world at large, Every community has their own exciting and interesting stories waiting to be passed on to the next generation not only to inspire the imagination but to serve as a reminder to potential dangers in a memorable way.
Water-Dwelling Creatures- Folklore Stories From Around The World
All countries have their own folklore stories, these are some that share elements of the Kelpie myth from across the globe:
Kappa- A Japanese myth which roughly translates to ‘river-child’ who is described as a small human-like being with green skin and webbed feet with a turtle-like shell on its back. They are said to love cucumbers and wrestling. It has been said they use this love for wrestling to help them attack their human victims and remove from them a mythical organ called the shirikodama which is believed to contain the human soul.
Nixie or Neck – This myth has Scandinavian roots and can be found in folklore all the way from Iceland to Germany thus it has developed many name variations. The tales tell of a water spirit who would appear as a handsome male who would play enchanting songs on the violin to draw women and children down towards the lake. Once they had drawn their victims towards the water, they would hypnotise them and they would drown in the water. Although not all stories end in demise and there are many stories in which the water spirit would teach musicians that stumbled upon him how to play beautiful music and even stories of the spirit falling in love with humans.
Jenny Greenteeth- Found in English folklore, Jenny Greenteeth was said to be a witch who lived in marshes, ponds and lakes around England and would pull children and elderly people into the water to drown them. There are also tales of Jenny Greenteeth sitting high up in branches of trees so to scope out potential victims.
Rusalka- This part of Slavic folklore tells of a young woman who is either drowned against her will or commits suicide by drowning (Often related to a breakdown in a relationship). After the woman dies her spirit lives on in the form of a Rusalka to avenge their deaths. Often men would be lured to the water and drowned by the Rusalka, there are some variations where the men would be forced to dance until their body could take no more or even be tickled to death, all the while the Rusalka would laugh at their demise.
Wihwin- This myth is found across Central America, mostly associated with the Miskito tribe. The Wihwin is a malevolent water spirit who, though normally sea-dwelling, will lurk around rivers and waterways surrounding mountains and attack and eat any humans it comes across on its night-time hunts. They take the shape of horses and have large grotesque teeth.
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