Garg'n Uair Dhuisgear
Every lake has its Kelpie or Water-horse, often seen by the shepherd sitting upon the brow of a rock, dashing along the surface of the deep, or browsing upon the pasture on its verge. ~ Graham: Sketches of Perthshire.
Garg'n Uair Dhuisgear. That’s gaelic for “Fierce when roused.” The Robertson Clan war cry.
Just this year, I discovered that with my surname, I trace my ancestry back to this clan. This finally explains why bagpipe music makes me all weepy-eyed, keen to dress in tartan plaid, and just itching to go marching off somewhere. It must also account for my small collection of Celtic bagpipe music
Since it’s St. Patrick’s Day, how about a couple of stories about some Scottish water horses who are also fierce when roused—
The Kelpie is a water spirit inhabiting deep pools in Scottish streams and rivers. It normally takes the form of a small horse—sometimes said to be black, but also "green as glass" with a jet black mane and tail. The Kelpie can also take the form of a human, but it always has something of the water which gives it away—like waterweed in its hair. In its horse form it might wait near a ford to tempt a weary traveller to ride it across the river. It would look like a gentle pony, but anyone foolish enough to mount it would be carried off into the river and drowned.
Another name for the kelpie on the Isle of Man is the Glashtyn. Like all kelpies, the Glashtyn appears as a horse—specifically, a grey colt. It is often seen on the banks of lakes and appears only at night.
Kelpies were also well known for stealing human girls to take as wives, never to see their families again. There is a story of a Kelpie's wife who managed to escape to dry land again, leaving the Kelpie and their baby son. Although she wept to leave her child, she longed for human company, and she knew the Kelpie loved his son and would care for him. She returned to her family who were overjoyed to see her again, thinking that she had been drowned years ago. But as they celebrated, a dreadful storm blew up, with howling winds and lashing rain. Above the noise of the storm they could hear the furious screams of the Kelpie. In the middle of the night, when they storm was at its worst, they heard a loud thump against the door of the house. They did not dare look, in case it was the Kelpie come for his wife. But in the morning the storm abated, and they opened the door to see what had crashed into it in the night... It was the severed head of the baby son.
Some say the kelpie is not always male, but may also take the form of a human woman. In this instance, the kelpie is often referred to as a water wraith and is most often seen clothed in a green dress. She is just as treacherous as a male Kelpie.
The Each Uisge (pronounced "ech ooisky" - each = horse, usige = water [like whisky]) is the fiercest and most dangerous of the Scottish water spirits. While the Kelpie lived in running water, the Each Uisge lived in the sea, sea lochs and fresh-water lochs. In Ireland its equivalent was called the Aughisky.
The Each Uisge would take the shape of a fine horse or pony and stand near the water's edge. If anyone tried to ride it, it would immediately plunge into the deepest part of the loch. The water horse's coat is adhesive so that the rider cannot get off. Once it has drowned its catch the water horse devours the body, eating everything except the liver, which eventually washes up on the shore—so that everyone will know the monster has claimed another victim.
Kind of makes me glad I live in the high desert! No big bodies of water for these water horses to jump out of anywhere around my little ranch, except, perhaps the Pecos River. I'll keep a watch out.
Maybe these irascible beasts won't mess with a member of The Robertson Clan. (Are those tenacious blue heelers on that coat of arms?)
Happy St. Patrick's Day!
Sources: Kelpie; Water Horses
