#waterhorse

[dharmaart]

Do not feed or stroke the horses. They can bite!

Returning to my theme of folkloric horses who eat people with this blue black calligraphy ink, gouache, and pencil on brown paper piece.

[grimae]

a commission for @yakyuu-yarou

[pinkiexneomorph277]

Seen Mlp friends doing MerMay art and my contribution is my version of a Hippocampus (basically a water horse )

[camiliar]

✨Kelpie✨

[reyaannablog]

Blue and the Garden’s Secret Truce

Blue and the Garden’s Secret Truce Blue stretched out lazily between the rows of strawberries, their sweetness filling the warm air around her. It was her summer holiday, and she was staying with Granny Walnut—a wise old herbal healer whose hands seemed to carry magic for plants. Granny’s garden wasn’t just a garden; it was a world filled with vibrant, chattering plants and creatures that, as Blue soon discovered, were very much alive in their own special way. As Blue’s eyes began to close, lulled by the hum of bees and the scent of basil and thyme, a faint, bell-like giggle echoed nearby. Blinking awake, Blue found herself face-to-face with a tiny figure—the size of her thumb—sitting on a strawberry leaf, tears glistening in her wide brown eyes. This was no ordinary berry; it was a tiny Strawberry Princess, crowned with a cap of strawberry green, her freckled face radiant yet sad. Blue’s heart melted for the little princess, who sniffled and dabbed her eyes. “What’s wrong?” Blue whispered, lying down on her elbows to get closer. “Oh, it’s a terrible situation,” the princess replied, her voice tinkling like little chimes. “The Radish People took me away! They’re always causing trouble… they want more space, more water, more sun… And now they’re at it again!” Before Blue could ask more, a quick rustling sound came from the radish patch nearby. Out stepped a fierce-looking Radish Soldier, his little belly poking out under his hazelnut helmet, one boot on his foot, wielding a chopstick sword with a soldier’s pride. He eyed Blue suspiciously before letting out a tiny but commanding squeak. “Stand back, stranger! I may be small, but I’m sworn to protect the Strawberry Princess!” “Oh dear,” said Blue with a laugh, realizing that this little radish fellow was all bluster and bravery. “You’re here to protect her? But you just said she was taken!” The radish soldier flushed, his radish-red face darkening a shade. “Well…yes, sort of. The truth is, I’m helping her escape. See, my name’s Rhizzy, and I’m one of the few Radish People who thinks we should work things out with the strawberries. But it’s complicated, you know?” The strawberry princess nodded, her eyes still wet but bright with determination. “The Radishes and the Strawberries have been bickering forever over who deserves more sunlight, more water, and more of Granny’s attention. But Granny Walnut loves us all! If only the others could understand…” Blue smiled, sensing that these tiny garden folk had big hearts beneath their prickly rivalry. “So what do we do? How can we make peace?”

[not-poignant]

Hi Pia

Has Augus's prey ever escaped him? And how?

Hi anon!

Yes, actually, because it's in the actual folklore for the Each Uisge.

The very first story I read about the Each Uisge goes something like this:

A young, beautiful maiden lives alone in a small farmhouse, with a small number of farm animals, including a striking white cow with red eyes that gives her the best milk around.

One day, it is late at night and storming very badly, blowing a gale, the farmhouse shuddering in the wind. She has the fire burning in the hearth, and is beginning to doze in her chair when she hears a great knock at the door. Startled, and frightened - who would be on her property at this time of night, during this storm? - she opens the door and sees the most handsome young man she's ever seen.

He has luscious, drenched, straight black hair. Shimmering green eyes. He leans against her doorway.

'Pray tell, will you offer some shelter to a man who got caught in this dreadful storm? I see you have a lovely warm hearth, and I only wish to warm myself by your fire a little, and then I'll be on my way.'

She's reluctant to let a strange man in, but he seems down on his luck, and he's in handsome clothes, so he doesn't seem like a person who will take advantage of her. Still, she feels a shiver go down her spine as she lets him in.

The man goes to the rug before the fire and sits before the fireside, staring into the flames. She goes back to her chair. They make almost no conversation, and he seems almost peaceful. Time goes by, and she relaxes.

But an hour goes by, and she realises that even though his clothes are nearly dry, and his arms, his long black hair is just as wet as ever, drip, drip, dripping onto the rug. As she watches, a curling horror unfolds within her. She has heard stories of a vicious monster - the each uisge - that eats young lads and maidens that lives in the idyllic lake nearby, that is often a malevolent waterhorse, but occasionally the most handsome and polite of men. But when he goes about as a man, his hair remains wet.

Another hour passes and she realises he means to eat her. Heart racing, she pretends at calm - his hair has never gotten closer to drying - and reaches for the hairbrush she keeps on the mantle. She knows one thing about the each uisge, he desires to be dry, despite never being able to be dry, and he desires the creature comforts of a home - including an open fireplace, despite living underwater.

'My lord,' she says, 'let me brush your hair for you. It is so very comely.'

He looks aside at her, and then smirks. 'Why, that would be lovely.'

So she takes a brush to his hair, in slow, soothing strokes. It fills her with dread to be so close to him, for this close she realises that he has not fingernails, but black claws at the tips of his fingers. His hair feels not like a human's in her hands, but a horse's mane. It takes every effort to pretend at calm. She is all alone, and no one will save her.

Eventually the each uisge's eyelids begin to droop, and he sags a little. She takes her chance:

'My lord, if you are feeling tired, perhaps just lie back here against the wooden armchair and rest. Would that suit you?'

'Yes. For you have a lovely fire here.'

He sighs, and she continues to brush and stroke his hair, and over time that green glimmer of his eyes disappears as he falls asleep. She stares down at him, trembling overtaking her, and then she springs up and darts out of the house as fast as she can into the storm.

At once, she hears a terrible, unearthly roar of rage. She's almost paralysed, but she flees as her legs burn and her heart pounds. She can hear horse hooves rapidly approaching, thundering closer, closer, closer-

Then, the sound of a white cow lowing, and she cannot turn and look behind her, because she is maddened by fear, and can only run.

The next morning she returns with the villagers to her farmhouse, telling them of her encounter. There is blood everywhere, and her beautiful white cow with red eyes - a good proper faerie cow - is nowhere to be seen.

They all go down to the lake and see nothing more than a perfect cow's liver resting on the shore.

The maiden weeps in gratitude and pain, for her perfect faerie cow saved her life, and gave hers in turn. The each uisge never returned to her home, and the maiden considered herself lucky to have the protection of the Seelie on her side.

---

Since I've included a lot of the each uisge's actual lore into Augus' character, I've definitely kept this experience in his history!

[blairstales]

Want a love story about a #Waterhorse and a human? Today I am sharing the Scottish folktale, "The Kelpie's Chimney"

Before getting to the story, let’s go over some basic details.

The Kelpies Chimney is a folktale from Loch Garve. Technically, the fairy in this tale should be an each-uisge, not a kelpie, but the folktale called him a kelpie in both the title and the story, so that is how I will keep it.

There are a few different versions of this story with minor differences, so I did my best to merge them in a way that still feels like a fairytale.

Deep within the icy depths of Loch Garve lived a kelpie, a creature of shifting forms and insatiable hunger. He often ventured onto land — cloaked in the guise of a sleek black horse — to lure prey into the loch’s cold embrace. One fateful evening, as mist rolled across the moor, he encountered a woman. Ensnared by his beauty, she climbed onto his back, unaware of the trap awaiting her.

The kelpie pulled her into the water’s depths, his dark intent clear. Yet as she gazed upon his true form beneath the waves—a powerful, otherworldly being—her eyes betrayed no fear.

For the first time, the kelpie hesitated. He stared at his prey, seeing not food, but something inexplicably different. She, in turn, looked at him not with terror, but with awe.

On a whim, he shifted to his human form, and her expression softened.

Sunlight cast rays that shifted with the movement of the waters, lighting up both their features in an ethereal shimmering light. In that moment, they were inexplicably bewitched with each other. Against all odds, prey and predator fell in love.

After gifting her with the ability to breathe under water, he took her to his home deep beneath the waves to be his wife.

For a time, they were blissfully happy. However, as days upon days passed by and the chill of winter crept closer, that happiness began to trickle away from his wife.

“It is so cold,” she whispered one day, her voice tinged with sadness.

Her lament grew louder with time. Though she had left the warmth of the mortal world behind, her heart yearned for it still. The kelpie, unused to considering the needs of others, resisted at first. But her sorrow weighed heavy on him, and at last, he resolved to act.

Taking his horse form, he galloped to the Highlands’ greatest builder. The man awoke to a furious pounding at his door, and upon opening it, he beheld a stallion of otherworldly beauty. Its coat shone like polished obsidian, its eyes gleaming with an intelligence no ordinary beast possessed.

Entranced, the builder stroked the creature’s muzzle, marveling at its calm demeanor despite its earlier ruckus. Surely, this horse belonged to some wealthy landowner.

Being a good and honest man, the builder decided to return it to its rightful home. He mounted the horse, intending to ride to the nearest village.

The moment he settled upon its back, the creature’s demeanor shifted. The coat — once soft and sleek — became impossibly sticky under his hands, gluing every part where he touched to it’s hide. Panic surged through the builder as he realized he was stuck.

The horse – whom the builder now knew really to be a kelpie – took off at a speed faster than any horse should be able to reach, and the builder screamed, begging aloud that he would do anything to not die.

“I’ll do anything! Please, anything!”

The kelpie did not reply. He plunged into the icy water, dragging the builder down, down, into the shadowed depths.

The man thrashed, lungs burning, until he could hold his breath no longer. Yet when he finally exhaled, expecting to drown, he found he could breathe.

At the bottom of the loch stood a quaint stone hut. At the door, the kelpie released the human, but loomed over the man threateningly.

“You swore you’d do anything to save your life.” The Kelpie said. “Now, you will honor that promise. Build me a chimney—one that can warm the waters of this loch.”

The builder, bewildered, stammered, “A chimney? But no fire can burn underwater!”

The kelpie’s dark eyes gleamed. “That is not your concern. Build it.”

And so, with no other choice, the builder set to work.

The kelpie watched the progress carefully, and only rested when his wife lectured him for intimidating them man.

When the finally finished, the chimney stood tall and proud, its design both elegant and sturdy—a marvel unlike anything crafted on land.

The kelpie inspected the work, then ignited a flame within. To the builder’s astonishment, the fire burned bright, its heat spreading through the watery home. The kelpie’s wife cried out in delight, and the kelpie smiled with relief.

Grateful for the builder’s skill, the kelpie offered a rare gesture of thanks. “Cast your nets in this loch whenever you wish,” he said. “They will never come up empty.”

True to his word, the builder was returned safely to land. From that day forward, his family never went hungry, and his name became legend.

And as for Loch Garve, its surface still bears a secret. Even in the harshest winters, a single patch of water remains unfrozen, warmed by the kelpie’s fire. Some say that on quiet nights, you can see a faint glow beneath the waves—and hear the laughter of a woman who found love in the most unexpected place.

[theherds]

Herd Islandar

Territory: Islands of Equinesia. Herd Islandar’s territory covers the sea to the east. While most of their territory is the sea they also have a few islands within their territory.

Founder/Patron:

Founder: Islandar

Patron: Jewel

Patron’s Partner: Rodin

Patron’s Children: Valor, Amia

Royal Family:

King: Treasure

Queen: Edana

Prince: Brine

Princess: Kora

Other Titles:

Jester: Peka Peka

Minstrelle: Haku

Page: Mahalo

Chatelaine: Mahina

Knight: Kona

Lady: Coral

Squire: Chumash

Steward: Kahuna

Quote: Open Hearts, Open Hands”

Info: Herd Islandar honors Jewel’s generosity and kindness. The horses of this herd enjoy sharing their riches with others. They believe that that it is important to share kind words and help to others. Those who show great kindness and selflessly give are granted the order of Jewel.

If you were to sort the legendary herds into Hogwarts houses then herd Islandar would easily be Hufflepuff. This is one of four legendary herds. This herd is primarily made up of water horses.

[tearlessrain]

please help me- i used to be pretty smart but i’m having so much trouble grasping the concept of diegetic vs non-diegetic bdsm!

gfkjldghfd okay first of all I'm sorry for the confusion, if you're not finding anything on the phrase it's because I made it up and absolutely nobody but me ever uses it, but I haven't found a better way to express what I'm trying to say so I keep using it. but now you've given me an excuse to ramble on about some shit that is only relevant to me and my deeply inefficient way of talking and by god I'm going to take it.

SO. the way diegetic and non-diegetic are normally used is to talk about music and sound design in movies/tv shows. in case you aren't familiar with that concept, here's a rundown:

diegetic sound is sound that happens within the world of the movie/show and can be acknowledged by the characters, like a song playing on the stereo during a driving scene, or sung on stage in Phantom of the Opera. it's also most other sounds that happen in a movie, like the sounds of traffic in a city scene, or a thunderclap, or a marching band passing by. or one of the three stock horse sounds they use in every movie with a horse in it even though horses don't really vocalize much in real life, but that's beside the point, the horse is supposed to be actually making that noise within the movie's world and the characters can hear it whinnying.

non-diegetic sound is any sound that doesn't exist in the world of the movie/show and can't be perceived by the characters. this includes things like laugh tracks and most soundtrack music. when Duel of Fates plays in Star Wars during the lightsaber fight for dramatic effect, that's non-diegetic. it exists to the audience, but the characters don't know their fight is being backed by sick ass music and, sadly, can't hear it.

the lines can get blurry between the two, you've probably seen the film trope where the clearly non-diegetic music in the title sequence fades out to the same music, now diegetic and playing from the character's car stereo. and then there are things like Phantom of the Opera as mentioned above, where the soundtrack is also part of the plot, but Phantom of the Opera does also have segments of non-diegetic music: the Phantom probably does not have an entire orchestra and some guy with an electric guitar hiding down in his sewer just waiting for someone to break into song, but both of those show up in the songs they sing down there.

now, on to how I apply this to bdsm in fiction.

if I'm referring to diegetic bdsm what I mean is that the bdsm is acknowledged for what it is in-world. the characters themselves are roleplaying whatever scenarios their scenes involve and are operating with knowledge of real life rules/safety practices. if there's cnc depicted, it will be apparent at some point, usually right away, that both characters actually are fully consenting and it's all just a planned scene, and you'll often see on-screen negotiation and aftercare, and elements of the story may involve the kink community wherever the characters are. Love and Leashes is a great example of this, 50 Shades and Bonding are terrible examples of this, but they all feature characters that know they're doing bdsm and are intentional about it.

if I'm talking about non-diegetic bdsm, I'm referring to a story that portrays certain kinks without the direct acknowledgement that the characters are doing bdsm. this would be something like Captive Prince, or Phantom of the Opera again, or the vast majority of bodice ripper type stories where an innocent woman is kidnapped by a pirate king or something and totally doesn't want to be ravished but then it turns out he's so cool and sexy and good at ravishing that she decides she's into it and becomes his pirate consort or whatever it is that happens at the end of those books. the characters don't know they're playing out a cnc or D/s fantasy, and in-universe it's often straight up noncon or dubcon rather than cnc at all. the thing about entirely non-diegetic bdsm is that it's almost always Problematic™ in some way if you're not willing to meet the story where it's at, but as long as you're not judging it by the standards of diegetic bdsm, it's just providing the reader the same thing that a partner in a scene would: the illusion of whatever risk or taboo floats your boat, sometimes to extremes that can't be replicated in real life due to safety, practicality, physics, the law, vampires not being real, etc. it's consensual by default because it's already pretend; the characters are vehicles for the story and not actually people who can be hurt, and the reader chose to pick up the book and is aware that nothing in it is real, so it's all good.

this difference is where people tend to get hung up in the discourse, from what I've observed. which is why I started using this phrasing, because I think it's very crucial to be able to differentiate which one you're talking about if you try to have a conversation with someone about the portrayal of bdsm in media. it would also, frankly, be useful for tagging, because sometimes when you're in the mood for non-diegetic bodice ripper shit you'd call the police over in real life, it can get really annoying to read paragraphs of negotiation and check-ins that break the illusion of the scene and so on, and the opposite can be jarring too.

it's very possible to blur these together the same way Phantom of the Opera blurs its diegetic and non-diegetic music as well. this leaves you even more open to being misunderstood by people reading in bad faith, but it can also be really fun to play with. @not-poignant writes fantastic fanfic, novels, and original serials on ao3 that pull this off really well, if you're okay with some dark shit in your fiction I would highly recommend their work. some of it does get really fucking dark in places though, just like. be advised. read the tags and all that.

but yeah, spontaneous writer plug aside, that's what I mean.

[catschimericalcreations]

Did you know:

You can learn more about Finding Neighmo the Kelpie plush here: https://catschimericalcreations.dreamwidth.org/5975.html

Like what I do? Please consider supporting me here: https://ko-fi.com/catschimericalcreations

Finding Neighmo the Kelpie by Cat's Chimerical Creations

[tapidrinks]

[mindthewitch]

I'd like to recommend this fuckin thing for Wet Beast Wednesday

[rainatheart]

[fenlock]

Hey, was just wondering if you knew anything about the waterhorses on the Shetland Isles and Orkney. As far as I can tell there is alot contradictions and overlapping between the two places and I don't know how much is down to translation errors. Like nuggle, shoopilte and tangie all being named as separate creatures and also being classed as different names for the same spirit.

You're definitely correct that there is a lot of of overlap between the three. Even in older folklore books, they often get lumped together or treated as regional names for the same being. I do believe there are enough differences to classify them as separate creatures, but again there's a ton of overlap and contradiction opinions.

I'll start with the tangie, as it has the most written lore that I've been able to find. Generally they're considered to be sea creatures, vs some other waterhorses that are found inland in rivers and lochs. They're also the only waterhorse known for taking on a merman form. Older stories describe them as being apple green, while later they're almost always described as being black with a rough coat. The most famous tangie was ridden by the sheep rustler Black Eric, so if you're looking for stories that's your best starting point.

Shoopiltee and nuggle are both far less known, and there's a lot less information on them. The shoopiltee is slightly more popular, from what I've found, but the two are almost always referred to as the same beings under different names. I have found a few differences though. Shoopiltee usually take the form of shetland ponies, much smaller than most waterhorses. While they are known for drowning people, there are also a few scattered tales of them being more mischievous than malevolent, or even friendly. There are also accounts of people sacrificing coins or alcohol to the shoopiltee in exchange for successful fishing.

The nuggle is the one I've found the least amount of written information about. Unlike the shoopiltee, they tend to appear as a full-sized horse, sometimes described as having hair that faces the wrong direction (forward toward the head). Most accounts have the nuggle inhabiting inland pools or lochs, again unlike the tangie and shoopiltee who seem to favor the sea.

[eachuisge-cc]

....... excuse I???

[veilk]

🦠

[ID: A female Waterhorse Dragon from Dragon Cave. It is a shiny, teal, and horse-like dragon with very small wings. /End ID]

waterhorse dragon for you!!! they're one of my favorites overall because they're so silly. they're very friendly and slimy. theyre one of the dragons i go out of my way to collect!!