Magic, Mystery, a little Whisky, and a Cat

Things That Go Bump in the Night–Korrigans and Kelpies

A two-fer day––female and male water sprites. Though each one can appear in either gender, generally, Korrigans are female and Kelpies are male.

Korrigans originated in Breton and are beautiful women with long hair, red flashing eyes, and a penchant for killing their lovers. They may be druidesses killed by Christians because they bear a particular hatred for priests and churches. Their main function is to lure men to their deaths. They can predict the future, change shape, and occasionally steal mortal children and replace them with changelings.  All Hallow’s Eve is their favorite time to hunt and they lurk near dolmens waiting for victims.

Kelpies are also water sprites of some kind, but they often take the shape of a malevolent black water horse. In human form, they are usually male—tall, dark, handsome—and lethal. A kelpie can be tamed if you happen to have a bridle with a cross on it and can get it around his neck.  At that point, you can force the kelpie to work for you because he will have the strength of ten horses—but he’s not going to like it one tiny bit.

One story tells of the Laird of Morphie who used a kelpie thus restrained to haul stones for the castle. When the laird released the kelpie, the kelpie cursed Morphie and all his descendants, resulting in the end of the Morphie clan.

A famous kelpie lives––where else—in Loch Ness, though such creatures have been reported in nearly every large body of water in Scotland. So strong is the Scottish connection to kelpies that this bit of art now graces a new parkland project built to connect 16 communities in the Falkirk Council Area, Scotland.

Beninjam200 - Own work These are The Kelpies, 30 metre high stainless steel sculptures guarding a new extension to the Forth & Clyde Canal. You can find them in The Helix, a new park located between Grangemouth and Falkirk in Scotland.
Beninjam200 – Own work
These are The Kelpies, 30 metre high stainless steel sculptures guarding a new extension to the Forth & Clyde Canal. You can find them in The Helix, a new park located between Grangemouth and Falkirk in Scotland.

These 30-metre high horse-head sculptures, standing next to a new extension to the Forth and Clyde Canal, and near River Carron, in The Helix, were designed by Andie Scott  and completed in 2013.

The Kelpie may have inspired Scottish art as far back as the 6th century. Pictish stones dating from the 6th to 9th centuries depict what has been dubbed the Pictish Beast,  a kelpie or kelpie-like creature.

Maiden Stone
Maiden Stone
St. Martin's Stone
St. Martin’s Stone
Strathmartine Castle Stone
Strathmartine Castle Stone

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Tomorrow–The Lambton Worm

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