Ride the Wave or Run?: A World of Water Horses Part 2

Welcome to Part 2 of my exploration of mythical creatures known as water horses. In Part 1, I shared a list of kelpie-like water horses in Europe. It’s amazing how many variations on the tempt-and-drown water horse exist, but they are far from the only kind of aquatic equines out there. This time, I’ll range a little farther and cover the water horses that don’t fit the tempt-and-drown mold as well as some “near misses.” In both appearance and habits, these water horses show a great deal of variety. They may look nearly horse-like or only have horse parts. Some are demonic and some are divine. Some are shy and some are deadly. So approach with caution; these water horses may bite.

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Liebster Award

Erika of Geeky Mythology nominated me for my first ever Liebster Award! In case you haven’t met her already, Erika runs a blog with reviews of books and movies plus more general pieces on media and personal reflection. One of her recent posts uses lessons from Princess Mononoke to consider the current pandemic situation. All topics are handled with a sharp wit and a thoughtful heart. Thank you, Erika! You are awesome!

Wild Horses Could Drag You Under: A World of Water Horses Part 1

For my last Quarterly Bestiary, I took a deep dive into the kelpie with a brief dip into the each uisge. Originally, I wanted to cover more water horses to give the kelpie context, but it turns out the kelpie was more than enough to tackle at one time. I promised I’d cover those other water horses, though, so today I’d like to start off a list of water horses from around the globe. The list is lengthy enough that I’ll split it into two, starting with the ones cut from the same mythical cloth as the kelpie.