We all know about vampires and werewolves, or at least we think we do. The legends and myths that inspired these monsters are sometimes surprisingly different, but no less chilling. In this series of posts, Monster Monday, we’ll investigate the monsters that have informed our modern notions, as well as some lesser known monsters. Today, we talk about the Kelpie.

A kelpie is a creature in Irish and Scottish folklore that takes the form of a horse. It is usually associated with a body of water. Usually it appears as an innocent lost pony, but its coat is said to be sky blue or white and smooth and cold like a seal’s, and its mane and tail are constantly dripping with water. Sometimes it takes the form of a beautiful woman, but regardless, its goal is the same, to drown and devour its victims.

In the form of a horse, it encourages people to get on its back to ride, but once they do, it takes off and leaps into the nearest body of water and sinks to the bottom, where the person drowns and the kelpie eats everything except the person’s heart and liver.

The name kelpie might come from the Gaelic word cailpeach, or “colt.”