#kelpies

[camelidae]

You are strongly advised not to feed the ducks in this pond.

[dharmaart]

Please don't feed the horses! II

Blue black calligraphy on paper. I posted this painting a while back, but not as a scanned image so hopefully the details are better in this version.

[scotianostra]

Happy tenth birthday to The Kelpies.

The Kelpies, located in Falkirk, tower a colossal 30 metres above the Forth and Clyde Canal and form a dramatic gateway to the canal entrance on the East Coast of Scotland. Created by Scotland's leading sculptor Andy Scott, The Kelpies are a monument to horse powered heritage across Central Scotland.

Some details of the Kelpies, each structure contains approximately 18,000 individual pieces. There is over 1.5 miles of steel in each structure. They each weigh over 300 tonnes and sit on 1,200 tonne foundations. Each structure has 464 steel plates In a monumental feat of engineering, The Kelpies rose from the ground in just 90 days, in late 2013.

Nearly one million people visited the Kelpies sculptures in Falkirk in the first year, since then the visitor numbers have declined, but still have numbers of over 500,000 a year

Some people criticise the cost of The Kelpies, said to be around £5 million, to me it is justified, it does bring a lot of people into the area of Falkirk in general, and are we to be the generation that forgets about public art just because of the costs? I love them and have visited them to many times to remember of the years, I may not be in Falkirk now, but I will take a trip to The Helix again and grab more pics, enjoy a coffee and take in the views over to The Ochils.

This saturday the Helix is hosting a tenth party to celebrate their birthday, the day event is free for all to attend and includes a producers market, face painters, Clydesdale Horse Demonstrations, Pipe Bands and much more. The evening event is ticked and you have performances by Rebecca Vasmant, Callum Beattie, the Red Hot Chilli Pipers, and much more., there are still some tickets available.

The last three pics were taken by myself on this day 2020.

[arianwen44]

Day 3 - Kelpie - I adore kelpies, I love the lore and stories about them. Never stop being creepy! 🐴 🌿

[evermore-grimoire]

The Evermore Grimoire: Celtic Mythology

A kelpie is a water horse spirit that inhabits lochs in Celtic mythology. It is described to look like a horse, but can also take on a human form and is believed to take delight in drowning its victims. In certain stories, it loves the human liver. One of the water-kelpie's common identifying characteristics is that its hooves are reversed as compared to those of a normal horse, a trait also shared by the Nykur of Scandinavian and Icelandic mythology. The creature's nature is either useful, hurtful, or seeking human companionship; in some cases, kelpies take their victims into the water, devour them, and throw the entrails to the water's edge. In its equine form the kelpie is able to extend the length of its back to carry many riders together into the depths; a common theme in the tales is of several children clambering onto the creature's back while one remains on the shore.  Usually a little boy, he then pets the horse but his hand sticks to its neck. In some variations the boy cuts off his fingers or hand to free himself; he survives but the other children are carried off and drowned, with only some of their entrails being found later.

artwork by Helmiruusu

[tim-dennis]

Kelpies

[cocoshomebrew]

Here's the link to my patreon if you want to see more of my content or want to support me in making it. Also consider joining my discord!

You can purchase the full PDF directly via DMsGuild

Original artwork by clownwizardart

[deepwaterwritingprompts]

Deep Water Prompt #3230

The Drowned Knight rides through the swamp on a kelpie. He was looking for something in there when he died, something so important he still hasn’t given up. 

[sybielart]

Drawtober Day 3: Witch (Monster Mash prompts by @drawtober )

I recently discovered Epic: The Musical (created by @jayherrans on Instagram and featuring other incredibly talented artists) after a lifelong fascination with Greek mythology. Scylla’s song is probably my favorite, but something about Circe and Scylla’s lore really struck a chord with me — I tried to match both interpretations. For this piece, I reimagined the Hydra’s heads as something similar to kelpies (this choice led to the fact I officially dislike to draw horse skulls now, huzzah!). It took me hours — days, really — to complete this illustration, so I hope it doesn’t go unnoticed on Tumblr ✨🌙

You can zoom in for better quality/details. ✨🪄

[forestshadow-wolf]

Btw when kelpie!Soap is injured it shows as rot. And bloodless gore. And decaying intestines. Framed by hard skin that traps water and dries quick. And it smells like water that's been still for too long. Stillness and something far more sinister; and it's not quite sweet but there's no other word to describe it other than cloyingly sweet. And not even pests will approach.

Fortunately Ghost has already been claimed by death. Has adapted to it. Almost welcomes it. And Ghost knows rot and decay and maggots and blood and gore and squishy insides and weak flesh.

[palaeoplushies]

Eat the Sun

The Kelpies, Falkirk, 25th April 2023

[intistone]

spookiest day of the spookiest month

beans are from my fic Scars and Scales hehe

[dharmaart]

I love your artwork, it has this sort of nostalgic feel to it that I fine so comforting and relaxing.

I was wondering, have you ever done art of supernatural horse creatures? I remember seeing art a while back of kelpies and it reminded me of your style, but I forgot to check who the artist was.

Thank you!

A lot of my inspiration comes from older art so it makes sense that my art has a nostalgic vibe.

I have done art of supernatural horse creatures, mostly bäckahästar/kelpies - which I have included bellow - but I have done other stuff too including illustrating a Norwegian folktale about an enormous magical horse called Dapplegrim. I have painted Sleipnir and an undead horse. I have also made a short comic that is bäckahäst inspired.

[scotianostra]

Kelpies April 2020.

[laurasimonsdaughter]

By the shore there once lived a fisherwoman and her wife. Together they had three children, each as beloved as the other. They were a sweet sight to behold. The eldest had hair the colour of chestnut, that flowed like waves. The middle one had hair the colour of mahogany, that fell down in ringlets. And the youngest had hair like ebony, that curled straight upwards.

All their days their mothers had kept careful watch over them, but one evening, when the fisherwoman had not yet returned from the open sea, her wife received an urgent message calling for her assistance. There was nothing to depend on if not the help of kind neighbours, so the woman called her children inside, drew all the curtains, and told them to stay within for as long as she was gone.

“For it will be a dark night, but a clear one,” she warned. “And you will surely end up elf-shot or pixie-led if you go out in the gloaming.”

All three of them promised faithfully not to set a foot out of doors and their mother quickly set off to be of help to her neighbour.

For a while the three children were content within, but the further the sun sank below the horizon, the more restless they became. At last the eldest could take it no longer.

“I shall only draw back one of the curtains,” he said, and all three of them crowded around the window to look.

Outside the sky had slowly turned to dark velvet and since no moon rose to light it, far before true darkness had come the shimmering pinpricks of stars appeared. The whole world seemed to glisten in soft grey and it was not long before the second of them grew twice as restless as before.

“I will only open the window,” they said, and all three of them leaned against the windowsill to breathe in the night air.

But never had the gentle wind smelled so sweet and it was not long before the youngest could no longer contain herself.

“I will only go and sit on the windowsill,” she said, but no sooner had she let her legs dangle over the side or her siblings came to join her. And once they were all there, staring up at the sky with the wind in their hair and the distant rush of the sea in their ears, it did not take long until they slid off the windowsill and jumped to the ground.

“We shall not go up to the cliffs,” they told each other. “Nor inland towards the moors. We shall only go to see the sea and then straight back again.”

After all, they would be back before their mother ever knew they were gone, and they would have done so without ever setting a foot out the door.

Gaily they ran down to the shore, where the stars hung lower above the waves than they had ever seen. White mist danced above the water, and the sea foam danced as if rising to meet it. Amidst all this splendour, they suddenly heard the soft sound of hooves and from across the starlit beach, a beautiful pony pranced towards them.

The children gasped and cried in delight. They had never seen any animal half as beautiful. Its coat was as dark as the dusk and its eyes were like shimmering pools. And it came towards them quite as if to befriend them.

“I want to ride it!” the middle child exclaimed in raptures and they eagerly rushed forward.

“No, I get to ride it!” the eldest insisted.

“No I want to!” the youngest cried.

“Then you ride behind me,” the middle one said boldly and they caught the pony, as gentle and willing as a steed could possibly be, by its long black manes.

“There will not be room for all of us on its back!” the eldest protested.

But as soon as his sibling had scrambled up the pony’s back, it was clear there was plenty of room for him left. And once he was seated astride behind them, even though it had not seemed like a large animal at all, there was precisely enough room for their little sister to join them.

So laughing and hooting they all climbed onto the pony’s back. “Giddy-up! Giddy-up!” they cried. “Ride on!”

But the pony did not trot down the beach from whence it came. It turned and tossed its manes and galloped straight for the sea.

The children screamed, but no matter how they struggled, they were incapable of dismounting. The animal’s slick coat suddenly stuck like tar and the louder they screamed, the faster it ran. There was no glee in the children now, but all the more in the creature, for kelpies delight in their cruel games. Neighing and whinnying it rushed towards the waves, but with only seven strides away from the foaming tide the youngest of the children cried:

“Your pocket knife! Take your pocket knife!”

And quick as a fox she grabbed her own little knife from her skirt pocket and cut through the cloth so that it ripped and tore and she was free. Her brother and sibling followed suit and one after the other they tumbled off the speeding creature’s back, with only the fabric of their clothes left behind as the kelpie plunged screaming into the waves.

The mist whirled and the sea broiled and then there was nothing left to be seen, but the children did not stand to look. They ran, breathless and wide-eyed, hearts pounding and feet flying, all the way back to their home.

There they found their mother, pale with worry. And so glad was she to see them all safe and sound that she did not even scold them for going out into such a dangerous night, nor for tearing all their pretty clothes.

For the rest of their lives, those three children watched the waves for a sign of the kelpie, but not a trace of it could be found. Not a hoof print in the sand, not a strand of midnight mane, not even a whisper on the cold sea breeze.

[claypigeonpottery]

the kelpie!