SCOTTISH KELPIES

Kelpies have their origin in Scotland, though they are also part of northern Irish faery lore where they are called eisges (ech-ooshk-ya) or fuath (foo-ah). The Cornish call them shoney which is derived from the Norse name sjofn, meaning a 'Goddess of the Sea'. Those in Iceland know them by the name nickers, being related to the nix (who are German water sprites). In Shetland and the Orkney Islands they are called nuggies.

These foul-tempered denizens of the fae are rarely seen today, a fact which is a blessing as humans are among the favorite meals of these cannibalistic faeries. When other faeries or humans were unavailable for dinner, kelpies chose deer who had wandered too close to the lochs.

Irish lore describes them as web-footed water spirts, who possess the manes and tails of horses and the bodies of women. In Scotland they appear as friendly seahorses who allow passing humans to mount them, drowning their hapless victims once they're away from the shore.