Kelpies are among the best-known creatures in this book. These aquatic spirits appear in Scottish mythology as horses that invite tourists to mount and ride them. Those who do so meet an untimely death when the Kelpie suddenly jumps into the river and drowns its rider. These Celtic mythological monsters can also take on the appearance of a human, generally an attractive woman but sometimes a handsome man. It is sometimes depicted in its horse form, which has the front legs of a horse—however, the hind body of the fish, with a lengthy finned tail.

Some folklorists assert that kelpies only live near rivers, but accounts of kelpies who inhabit lakes refer specifically to the Celtic Each-uisge, a related spirit. Others question this assertion. What else can I say? Categorizing faeries is not a precise science. Kelpies are not invulnerable despite their magic; according to some sources, silver could harm them. Silver bullets can kill these spirits permanently, just like werewolves in contemporary fiction. A kelpie’s body will transform into a mound of blubber that resembles a dead jellyfish if you successfully kill it. They share this quality with other mythical creatures from Scotland, such as the South and Each-Uisge.

One of these creatures was captured by the Laird of Morphie, a figure from Scottish folklore, who then used its enormous strength to move stone blocks. The lord constructed his castle in this manner, and he set the Kelpie free once it was complete. The creature was not content with being used as a free labour force and cursed the lord’s family, ultimately destroying his bloodline. Some kelpies are said to wear harnesses that are of undetermined origin, according to Lewis Spence’s book “The magic disciplines in Celtic Britain.” If you can remove & steal this harness, you can use it to magically turn a human into a horse by placing it on the person’s head. The tales probably began as cautionary tales intended to keep kids away from deep water and girls away from attractive strangers.