A ghastly water spirit that assumes the form of a grayish black horse, the kelpie drowns then kill anyone who attempts to ride it.It is often spotted wandering along the shores of rivers or lakes, appearing to be a lost pony. It can be identified by its constantly dripping mane and by its skin, which is like a seal's but cold to the touch.
The kelpie can be heard wailing before a storm and can cause water to rise high enough to flood.
If you manage to bridle a kelpie, it can be forced to do your bidding, but woe betide you should it slip its harness.
In Celtic mythology, the Kelpie is a water spirit that takes the form of a water horse that lures people to ride on its back and then drowns them in nearest lake or stream. Sometimes it transforms into a beautiful young woman and lures men. A very similar creature is the Scandinavian Näck, who appears in the form of a handsome young man who's naked sits in the creek and plays the violin. Sometimes he transform into a Bäckahäst ("Brook Horse") who drowns people in a similar manner. And in Germany are the Nix or Nixe who appears as shape-shifting water creatures that in some tales like to drown people in their lakes, in others are friendly and harmless.
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