“Water has always been of importance in faerie lore. Its ambivalent nature as provider of food, nourisher of crops, and taker of lives makes the divinities associated with it particularly potent.” –The Book of Fairies by Author Name

The Kelpie haunts the waters edge of the lochs and rivers of Scotland. This shape-shifting water spirit often takes the form of a large black horse, its hair always dripping wet and tangled with seaweed.

When travelers pass by, the horse appears docile, like it got separated from its owner. Approaching the traveler and attempting to get them to ride it - and thinking it can easily be tamed, they jump on it’s back.

The trap is sprung.

The Kelpies is able to prevent the rider from dismounting; leaving them stuck to it’s back, tangled within it’s hair with an unnatural force. It then dives into the nearby water, staying beneath the surface until the rider drowns. After devouring the body, it leaves only the liver behind.

The seemingly timid horses would be especially tempting for children to play with. So these stories also served as a warning of the dangers of deep bodies of water, or animals behaving strangely.

In one of the more popular tales, a Kelpie encounters a group of ten children who decided to skip church and play by the riverside. After luring nine of them onto its back, it chases after the remaining child. While trying to escape, the child’s finger gets stuck to the horses nose, but with quick thinking, they sever the finger and get away.

Frustrated, the Kelpie dove into the water with the other nine children on it’s back, they were never seen again.

The malevolent water spirit doesn’t always take the form of a horse; it may also take the form of a handsome man, or beautiful woman. Whatever it needs to lure the victims closer to the water.

Personifying the unpredictable storms in the Scottish Isles, The Kelpie also has the ability to control water itself; causing rivers to swell and flood without warning, washing away anyone near the waters edge. It can also use its tail to strike the water with such force; the sound resembles the clap of thunder.

This malevolent water spirit can be as unpredictable as water itself.