"Bucking" the Trend- not all Kelpies are Baddies

The story of the Kelpie of Loch Garve (so it's technically an Each Uisge, but we'll keep it as Kelpie for this story) tells of a Keplie that lived at the depths of the loch with his wife.

Now, the Kelpie obviously loved his cold, wet lair at the bottom of the loch, and was well in his element. Although he would make trips on land (most likely hunting mortals) he was always glad to get home. His wife, however, was less impressed. She always felt the terrible cold, and shivered endlessly in that miserable lair at the bottom of the murky loch. At first the Kelpie put this down to her making a fuss over nothing, but as time went by, she became more and more unhappy. Fearing that she might leave him, the Kelpie racked his brains wondering what to do. And thus he began to worry about her wellfare.

Next day he made a decision. He went to shore and transformed himself into a handsome jet-black stallion (as kelpies mostly do) and made for a local famous builder. The Kelpie tramped at the hearthstone until the man came out. Seeing this handsome black stallion standing before him, the man, either against his better judgement or oblivious to the warnings of waterhorses, was enticed to climb upon the horse's back. Immediately he became stuck fast, and the Kelpie galloped at high speed towards the loch, the terrified, poor builder completely helpless. The Kelpie plunged into the icey cold waters, his tail pounding the surface like a thundercrash. As the two made their descent the reluctant passenger uttered a prayer. It seemed like forever the builder was carried down into the black waters, but for some reason he did not drown.

When the reached the bottom, the Kelpie let the builder dismount and explained his predicament, and with a desperate and anxious hint in his superantural voice promised no hurt upon the builder or his family. He made a bargain that if the builder do this small thing, then he and his family would have a plentiful supply of fish until the day he died; they would never want for food from the loch.

So the builder set about building a huge and magnificent fireplace and lum the like of which no mortal eyes ever have or ever would witness in a million years. The great chimney twisted upwards through the dark waters to almost the surface, to carry the smoke far away from the lair. Then the fireplace was lit and a great fire sprung up and began warming the lair. When the Kelpie saw the sheer delight upon his dear wife's face, he knew that the builder had fulfilled his bargain and more!

He took the builder back up through the dark, icy waters, back to shore, and to his house, as if nothing had gone amiss that night, for time in the lands of the faeries does not have the same meaning here. True to his word, he never forgot the work of the tradesman. The builder and his family were never unable to put fish on the table, and lived like royalty.

But what of the Kelpie and his wife? Well, when the loch freezes over in the midst of the coldest winters, some say there is still to this day a patch of water that never freezes; where a small patch of water never cools likethe rest of the loch. Possibly where a tall lum nearly reaches the surface. This is because a fire still burns merrily in the lair of the Kelpie and his happy wife.

Quite a nice tale I thought I'd share with you all. It's a very different picture ofthe dreaded waterhorse of Scottish(and Irish, and Manx) myth.
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Seek for answers in the mundane, with hope for answers in the fantastic

the resident uruisge

www.swt.org.uk

That's great Urisk, I'd never heard that one.

Good tale that man, keep it up.

Lee.

Joined : 05 Sep 2007 Posts : 101 Location : West Scotland

Good tale

Would like to use it on the site with your agreement.

You are right about it technically being an Each Uisge, Briggs in her dictionary of faries has Kelpies haunting fresh running water, and the Each Uisge as a denizen of lochs/sea lochs.

cheers

Age : 31 Joined : 12 Oct 2007 Posts : 253

That's a splendid tale which once again shows time relativity in Magonia... a few centuries before Langevin and Einstein.
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Fas: Ite, Maledicti, In Ignem Aeternum.

Whilst researching the Irish and Isle of Man versions of the Each Uisge I came across a funny tale.

A man was in his row boat crossing a river or loch when he noticed a Each Uisge in the water, it's horses head sticking up above the waves. He was terrified and rowed like the clappers to shore. On th eshore he met a guy asking to borrow his boat. "You don't want to go out there" he told the gentleman. "Yes I do he replied, my mare and it's foal have just swam to the other side". Very Happy

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"Sometimes I just sit and think, and sometimes I just sit".

Love it!
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Seek for answers in the mundane, with hope for answers in the fantastic

the resident uruisge

www.swt.org.uk