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 Portrait of a boy riding anøkk in the form of a water horse, byTheodor Kittelsen | |
| Sub grouping | Lake monster Sea monster Sea serpent Lake serpent |
|---|---|
| First attested | 18th century |
| Other name(s) | Kelpie, Waterhorse |
| Region | Celtic nations Scandinavia |
| Habitat | Water |
Awater horse (or "waterhorse" in some folklore) is amythical creature, such as theCeffyl Dŵr,Capaill Uisce, thebäckahäst,each-uisge, andkelpie.
The term "water horse" was originally a name given to thekelpie, a creature similar to thehippocamp, which has the head, neck and mane of a normal horse, front legs like a horse,webbed feet, and a long, two-lobed, whale-like tail. The term has also been used as a nickname forlake monsters, particularlyOgopogo andNessie.[1] The name "kelpie" has often been a nickname for many other Scottish lake monsters, such aseach uisge andMorag ofLoch Morar and Lizzie ofLoch Lochy.[2] Other names for these sea monsters include "seahorse" (not referring to theseahorse fish) and "hippocampus" (which is thegenus name for seahorses).
The usage of "water horse" or "kelpie" can often be a source of confusion; some consider the two terms to be synonymous, while others distinguish the water horse as a denizen of lochs and the kelpie of turbulent water such as rivers, fords, and waterfalls. Some authors call one creature of a certain place a kelpie while others call it a water horse. The name "water bull" has been used for either creature.
TheBreton KingGradlon's magical "horse of the sea"Morvarc'h (whose name literally means "sea horse" in Breton) was said to have the ability to gallop upon the waves of the sea, in a similar fashion to the water horses ofCornish legend.
The water horse has often become a basic description of other lake monsters such as theNessie and theLake Champlain monster known asChamp.Loch Morar is reputedly home to "Morag", alake monster that has been portrayed as a water horse.
While most Scottish/Celticfolklore places the water horse in aloch (particularly a loch that is famous for a lake monster, such asLoch Ness,Loch Morar orLoch Lomond), someBreton andCornish tales of water horses place them in the ocean, making themsea monsters.
Most Highland lochs have some kind of water-horse tradition, although a study of 19th-century literature of the time showed that only about sixty lochs and lochans merited a mention out of the thousands of bodies of water in Scotland. The water horse that was reputed to inhabit Loch Ness gained the most mentions in Highland literature.[3]
Water horse sightings were reported regularly during the 18th century, but it was not until the 19th century that sightings were recorded.
