Kelpie
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In old Scotland, the Kelpie is a treacherous water devil who lurks in lakes and rivers. It usually assumes the shape of a young horse. When a tired traveler stops by a lake to rest or to have a drink, he would see a horse, apparently peacefully grazing. When he mounts the horse, the Kelpie dives into the water, but besides wet clothes, the rider gets away unharmed. Kelpies may appear in either horse or human form. When in the form of a horse, it appears to be a splendid young horse wearing a bridle. Kelpies typically stand by the side of the road, near the river, just waiting for an unsuspecting passer-by to mount them. Once mounted, the kelpie cannot be dismounted, and will gallop off into the river, where it will then devour its victim. They are a very hairy, awkward, clumsy, person when in human form. They are known to wait for a horseman to ride by, then leap up behind the rider, grabbing him. The rider typically loses control of his horse, which will gallop madly along the bank of the river, until the kelpie slips back into the river, upon tiring of its game. In Gaelic folklore the most well known mythological animal is the kelpie, or water horse (each uisge). Kelpies were normally considered to be the guardian spirits of certain rivers, lochs and pools. Today we still speak of 'mares' tails' to describe the foaming white waves on the sea. Kelpies were once seen quite regularly by humans, who usually described such a being as a black, wild eyed horse that haunts fords and pools. An unsuspecting traveler that came upon it would make the fatal mistake of mounting the friendly and docile animal. No sooner had they done so, when the kelpie would take off at an alarming speed, hurling itself straight into the depths of the nearby loch. Kelpies are guardians of rivers and lakes. They can shift between human looking and a horse with fins around the hoof area. When a human is attracted to them and enters their presence, usually that person has disturbing problems in their life. When a Kelpie is touched it can hold onto the person like they are stuck with glue. Once a Kelpie has a person they will take them under the water where they will be forced to face their darkest fears. After this experience the Kelpie will release the person and swim away.