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SCOTTISH NUCKELAVEE (DEVIL O' THE SEA)
Inhabited parts of Northern Scotland. It’s home was in the
sea, but it frequently ventured on land to feast upon humans.
It rode a horse on land, and sometimes it’s horse was
indistinguishable from it’s own body and sometimes the horse
was seen as a part of the creature’s body.
The nuckelavee’s head was ten times larger than that
of a man’s. It had a mouth thrust out like a pig’s with a
wide gaping maw. This gruesome creature had no skin and
it’s yellow veins, muscle structure and sinews could
clearly be seen covered in a red slimy film. It’s breath
was venomous and it’s strength enormous. It’s one weakness
was an aversion to fresh water. The horse the
nuckelavee
rode had one red eye, a mouth matching the size of a
whale’s and flappers like fins around it’s forelegs. |
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In summer the nucklavee was kept under the control of the
Mother of the Sea, the spirit who ruled the watery world
during that season. Her reign of peace and plenty lasted only as
long as the summer months, for her powers weakened and she was
defeated by an evil spirit who controlled the sea in winter.
The old practice of burning gathered
seaweed to make kelp was said to cause terrible offence to
nuckelavee. The creature could not stand the smell of the pungent
smoke and it drove him into an extreme and diabolical rage. In this
state he would vent his wrath by smiting all the horses on the
island of Stronsay - the island where kelp was first burned in
Orkney - with a deadly disease known as Mortasheen.
Once propagated, Mortasheen would soon
spread throughout the islands where kelp was burned. Nuckelavee's
revenge was terrible and complete.
Variants: devil o' the sea, nuckelavee (Scottish).
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