The Kelpie: Scotland's Water Horse
Contents
A fine horse stands grazing by a river, saddled and bridled, as if waiting for a rider. A traveller climbs on, and then finds that he cannot get off. The horse plunges into the water and drags him under, and all that is found later is his liver washed up on the bank. This is the kelpie, the shape-shifting water horse of Scottish folklore, found in almost every river and loch, used by parents to warn children away from deep water. Its Highland cousin, the each-uisge, was said to be even more deadly. Today the kelpie is best known from the vast steel horse heads beside the Forth and Clyde Canal at Falkirk. This card explores the legend.
TL;DR
- traditional The kelpie is a water spirit, usually in the form of a horse, said to live in rivers and streams. It lures people, especially children, onto its back and drowns them.
- traditional A kelpie's hide was said to be sticky, so riders could not get off. Some stories say it could take human form, often betrayed by water weed in its hair or hooves.
- traditional The Gaelic each-uisge ("water horse") lived in lochs and the sea and was considered more dangerous. Shetland had a similar creature, the njuggle.
- traditional Controlling a kelpie's bridle was said to give power over it; legends tell of men who captured kelpies to work for them.
- established The Kelpies, two 30-metre steel horse heads by the sculptor Andy Scott at Helix Park, Falkirk, were completed in 2013. They were modelled on Clydesdale horses and celebrate the working horses of Scotland's canals and industry.
Key Facts
- What
- A shape-shifting water horse
- Where
- Rivers and streams throughout Scotland
- Related
- Each-uisge (lochs, sea); njuggle (Shetland)
- Danger
- Lures riders, drowns and eats them
- Weakness
- A bridle can capture and control it
- In literature
- Burns's "Address to the Deil" (1786) mentions "water-kelpies"
- Sculpture
- The Kelpies, Andy Scott, Helix Park, Falkirk
- Sculpture height
- About 30 metres
- Completed
- 2013; opened to the public 2014
A Note on Claims and Evidence
Each major claim carries one of three labels. established means supported by primary records, official bodies or several independent reliable sources. shared means the core fact is sound but sources disagree on details, dates or interpretation. traditional means widely repeated but not traceable to a primary or independent source.
Kelpies are folklore, so most claims on this card are labelled Traditional. Stories vary greatly from place to place, and the distinction between kelpie and each-uisge is not always kept.
Timeline
Water horse legends develop in oral tradition.
Burns refers to "water-kelpies" in "Address to the Deil".
Folklorists record kelpie and each-uisge stories.
Andy Scott's maquettes for The Kelpies unveiled.
The Kelpies completed at Helix Park, Falkirk.
The Kelpies officially opened.
Details
The water horse
traditional The kelpie appears most often as a beautiful horse, black or white, standing near a river. Anyone who climbs on its back sticks fast to its hide, and the kelpie gallops into the deepest pool, drowning its rider. Some stories say it ate its victims, leaving only the liver. Parents told such stories to keep children away from dangerous water.
Shape-shifter
traditional Kelpies could also appear as handsome young men, to lure young women, or as hairy humans who leapt onto travellers' backs. They could be recognised by water weed or sand in their hair, or by hooves instead of feet.
The each-uisge
traditional In the Gaelic Highlands and islands, the each-uisge ("water horse") lived in lochs and sea lochs and was considered even more dangerous than the kelpie. It, too, could take human form. In Shetland, a similar water horse, the njuggle, haunted mill streams, stopping the mill wheels.
Catching a kelpie
traditional If a person could slip a bridle over a kelpie's head, the creature had to obey. One famous story tells of James MacGregor, who took a kelpie's bridle and forced it to bargain for its return. Another tells of the Graham family, who made a kelpie carry stones to build Morphie Castle; when released, it cursed them.
Burns's kelpies
established Robert Burns mentioned the creatures in "Address to the Deil" (1786), describing "water-kelpies" haunting the fords and tempting travellers, showing how widely known they were in Lowland Scotland.
The Kelpies at Falkirk
established In 2013 the sculptor Andy Scott completed The Kelpies, two steel horse heads about 30 metres tall beside the Forth and Clyde Canal at Helix Park, Falkirk. Modelled on Clydesdale horses, they honour the heavy horses that pulled barges on the canals and worked in Scottish industry, using the name of the legendary water horse. Officially opened in 2014, they have become one of Scotland's most photographed landmarks.
Did You Know?
- A kelpie's sticky hide stopped riders getting off.
- Kelpies were said to leave only the liver of their victims.
- The Gaelic each-uisge was said to be even more dangerous.
- Burns mentioned water-kelpies in 1786.
- The Falkirk Kelpies are about 30 metres tall.
FAQ
1What is a kelpie?
A shape-shifting water horse in Scottish folklore.
2Where do kelpies live?
In rivers and streams; the each-uisge lives in lochs and the sea.
3Are the Falkirk Kelpies based on the legend?
They take its name but celebrate working canal horses.
4How do you defeat a kelpie?
In legend, by taking its bridle.
5Are kelpies real?
No, they are folklore.
Sources and Further Reading
Primary/Institutional
- Robert Burns, "Address to the Deil" (1786)
Further reading
- Lizanne Henderson and Edward J. Cowan, Scottish Fairy Belief: A History (Tuckwell, 2001), for the wider context of Scottish supernatural belief; it does not discuss the kelpie itself
Caveats: Myths and Disputed Claims
- Myth: the kelpie is one fixed creature with one story. Stories vary greatly from place to place, and the distinction between the kelpie and the Highland each-uisge is not always kept.
- Myth: the Falkirk Kelpies show the mythical water horse. The sculptures take the name of the legend, but they are modelled on Clydesdale horses and celebrate the working horses of Scotland's canals and industry.
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Card 005 · Folklore