{"id":12233,"date":"2025-03-19T02:46:29","date_gmt":"2025-03-19T02:46:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/2talkhorses.com\/?p=12233"},"modified":"2025-03-22T19:04:54","modified_gmt":"2025-03-22T19:04:54","slug":"kelpies-shapeshifting-horses-of-scotland","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/2talkhorses.com\/?p=12233","title":{"rendered":"Kelpies – Shapeshifting Horses of Scotland"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The Scottish legend of the kelpies is very old, possibly dating back to the 6th century, but first appearing in written form in an ode by William Collins (1721-1759). Other folktales and poems refer to kelpies, perhaps the most notable \u2018Address to the Devil\u2019 (1786) by Robert Burns. However, stories and tales of kelpies are popular in today\u2019s storytelling, with many new stories adding to the myth. <\/p>\n

But kelpies are not only popular in written folklore; they also appear in paintings and sculptures as seen in Andy Scotts (2013) monumental statues of two horse heads, entitled The Kelpies, standing 98 feet tall. The statues are situated in a park called The Helix, between the towns of Falkirk and Grangemouth in Scotland.<\/p>\n

So, what exactly is a kelpie? Perhaps that question is somewhat unanswerable; since so many stories and tales about them exist\u2014yet there are some basic characteristics. Most notably, kelpies are supernatural water horses with the ability to shapeshift. They live in streams, rivers and lakes, most notably Loch Ness. In some stories, they retain their hooves when changing into human form, usually as a beautiful maiden or a handsome young man. In other versions, their manes turn into snakes or they sing hypnotic songs.
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But don’t be fooled. The kelpie is a malevolent spirit and a trickster. Many of the early stories tell of children being lured by a water horse that emerges from a stream or other body of water and entices them to climb onto its back for a ride. Once on the kelpie, they find they are stuck and cannot get off. Then the water-horse descends into the river, drowning the children and devouring their bodies. Perhaps these tales were told as a warning not to go near the river alone, where swift currents and undertows could prove fatal.<\/p>\n

So if you’re traveling to Loch Nest or other Scottish destinations involving water\u2014beware. The following is a poem I wrote to illustrate some problems you might have if you meet a kelpie.<\/p>\n

Beware of the Kelpie
\nBy Pat Miran (3\/19\/2025)<\/p>\n

Fluid dark eddies, swirl and spin
\nCreating an undertow that pulls you in
\nAs rapids splash over the slimy stones
\nAnd singing comes from the loch therein<\/p>\n

Beside the shore stands a stranger alone
\nHe smiles and speaks in a sexy tone
\nRichly dressed, his hooves hid in black boots
\nA handsome face and high cheekbones<\/p>\n

His wet hair though, signals a warning mute
\nOf small squirming snakes, a demon\u2019s salute
\nWhen his blue-eyes winked\u2014he spoke a vow
\nThen into the lake went the handsome brute<\/p>\n

But what\u2019s this now?
\nA pony or a cow?
\nAppearing sweet, filled with revelry
\nIt\u2019s a filly or colt without a plow<\/p>\n

Astride the children are glued in agony
\nAnd plunge underwater, an atrocity
\nBringing their quick death and the kelpie\u2019s meal
\nMortal flesh devoured, horrid devilry <\/p>\n

Ring the bell\u2014Heed the warning peal,
\nA water horse comes in forms surreal.
\nA Kelpie gives tykes a deceptive grin,
\nOffers a spiel for a deadly ordeal <\/p>\n

Source:
\nhttps:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_Kelpies
\nhttps:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Kelpie
\nhttps:\/\/www.historic-uk.com\/CultureUK\/The-Kelpie\/#:~:text=A%20kelpie%20is%20a%20shape,the%20shape%20of%20a%20horse.
\nPictures – stock picture from: https:\/\/itoldya420.getarchive.net\/amp\/topics\/kelpies
\nPainting entitled The Horse by William Blake (1757-1827)
\nCopyright \u00a9 2025 Patricia Miran All Rights Reserved<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Scottish legend of the kelpies is very old, possibly dating back to the 6th century, but first appearing in written form in an ode by William Collins (1721-1759). Other folktales and poems refer to kelpies, perhaps the most notable … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/2talkhorses.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12233"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/2talkhorses.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/2talkhorses.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/2talkhorses.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/2talkhorses.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=12233"}],"version-history":[{"count":46,"href":"http:\/\/2talkhorses.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12233\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12267,"href":"http:\/\/2talkhorses.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12233\/revisions\/12267"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/2talkhorses.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=12233"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/2talkhorses.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=12233"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/2talkhorses.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=12233"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}