Joan Llopis Doménech @joan-llopis-domenech - Tumblr Blog

Nuckelavee: The nuckelavee is a horse-like sea demon from Orcadian mythology that combines equine and human elements. It has its origins in Norse mythology, and is the most horrible of all the demons of Scotland's Northern Isles. The nuckelavee's breath was thought to wilt crops and sicken livestock, and the creature was held responsible for droughts and epidemics on land despite its being predominantly a sea-dweller. In common with many other sea monsters it is unable to tolerate fresh water, therefore those it is pursuing have only to cross a river or stream to be rid of it. The nuckelavee is kept in confinement during the summer months by the Mither o' the Sea, an ancient Orcadian spirit, and the only one able to control it. A unique and solitary creature possessing extensive evil powers, its malevolent behaviour can influence events throughout the islands. Islanders were terrified of the creature and would not speak its name without immediately saying a prayer. It was often found in the vicinity of a beach, but would never come ashore if it was raining. An islander, Tammas, claimed to have survived a confrontation with the beast. According to Tammas description, the nuckelavee has a man's torso attached to a horse's back as if it were a rider. The male torso has no legs, but its arms can reach the ground from its position on top of the equine body. The head has an enormous gaping mouth that exudes a smelly toxic vapour, and a single giant eye. A particularly gruesome detail is that the nuckelavee has no skin; black blood courses through yellow veins, and the pale sinews and powerful muscles are visible as a pulsating mass. Other reports state that the creature resembles a centaur; narratives are inconsistent in the finer details of the demon's description however.

Ghillie Dhu: The Ghillie Dhu or Gille Dubh was a solitary male fairy. He was a kind-hearted shy creature who lived on the birch forests. He also had a gentle devotion to children. He helped them to find their path to return home if they got lost in the forest. Dark haired and clothed in leaves and moss, it's told that he used to live in a birch wood within the Gairloch and Loch a Druing area of the north-west highlands of Scotland. According to folklorist Katharine Briggs the Ghillie Dhu was a gentle and timid mountain spirit, or a "rather unusual nature fairy". Was generally kind, yet he could also be "wild". As the forests diminished, it is possible that some of the ghillie dhu moved into the gardens and parks of human towns while others remained in the forest, growing bitter about the loss of so many trees. The ones that remained are nowadays hostile to humans, while the ones that left gave rise to the legends about the Tooth Fairy. They don't eat meat, only berries and nuts. Their skin changes depending to the season. It would be green in spring and brown in autumn. One summer evening a young local child named Jessie Macrae wandered into the woods and became lost. Jessie was found by the Ghillie Dhu who looked after her until the next morning when he took her home. Over a period of four decades the fairy was frequently seen by lots of different people but Jessie was the only person he conversed with. Shortly after the episode with Jessie, a group of Mackenzie dignitaries were invited by the landowner, Sir Hector Mackenzie of Gairloch, to get together to hunt and capture the Ghillie Dhu. Despite searching extensively throughout the night, the hunters could not find their prey; according to Patricia Monaghan, a writer on Celtic mythology, the Ghillie Dhu was never seen again. .

The Boobrie: The boobrie is a mythological shapeshifting entity inhabiting the lochs of the west coast of Scotland. It commonly adopts the appearance of a gigantic water bird resembling a cormorant or great northern diver, but it can also materialise in the form of various other mythological creatures such as a water bull. A generally malevolent entity, the boobrie typically preys on livestock being transported on ships, but it is also fond of otters, of which it consumes a considerable number. In its manifestation as a water horse the creature is able to gallop across the top of lochs as if on solid ground. During the summer months it is seen infrequently as a large insect. Folklorist Campbell of Islay has speculated that descriptions of the boobrie may be based on sightings of the great auk. The bellowing sound made by the boobrie, more like a bull than a bird, may have its origin in the strange call of the common bittern, which was a rare visitor to Scotland. The boobrie can also manifest itself in the form of a large insect that sucks the blood of horses. Henderson refers to it as a “big striped brown gobhlachan or ear-wig” with “lots of tentacles or feelers”. It was infrequently seen in this form and usually only at the height of the summer, during August and September.

#boobrie #scottish #mythology #myths #legends #bird #skulls #cattle #lake #loch #cormorant #grotesque #horror #green #atmosphere #watercolour #watercolor

Cù-Sìth: The Cù-Sìth is a spectral dog or wolf that lives in the Highlands and the Hebrides. The name comes from Scottish Gaelic. A similar beast exists in Irish mythology, the Cu Sidhe and also has similarities to the Welsh Cwn Annwn, or the Hounds of Annwn in English. In Scottish and Irish legend the Cù Sìth, which means 'fairy dog,' was said to have a dark-green, shaggy coat and to be about the size of a large calf. Green was a traditional colour worn or attributed to denizens of the fairy realm. Its eyes were large and had a fiery glow and its tail was long and curled and sometimes it was braided. It was said to have paws the size of a man’s hand. The beast was said to roam the wild moors and highlands, making its lair in rocky clefts and crevices. The Cu Sith was feared as a harbinger of death. In a similar way the Grim Reaper appears at death to lead the soul to the afterlife, so the Cu Sith takes the soul to the fairy realm, or underworld. The hound is said to have hunted silently for its victim but would sometimes rend the air with three blood-curdling yowls that carried for a great distance and even far out over the sea. Who ever heard the howling of the beast had to reach a place of safety by the third howl or be killed by the sheer terror. When this was heard men would lock up women who were nursing babies. This was to prevent the Cu Sith from stealing them away to the fairy world where they would be made to give up their milk to feed the children of the daoine sìth, or the fairies who were often believed to be the forefathers of the gods and goddesses of nature. They were said to live in fairy mounds which was the visible aspect and entrance of their realm which was a kind of parallel universe existing alongside the world of human beings.

#cu sith #scottis #mythology #scotland #highlands #wolf #death #watercolour #nature #landscape #atmosphere #saor #heather #flowers #dog #green #skulls #mountains

Bestiary about Scottish Folklore Creatures

Brownie: The Brownie, also known as a brùnaidh or gruagach in Scottish Gaelic, is a household spirit that is said to come out at night while the owners of the house are asleep and perform various chores and farming tasks. The human owners of the house must leave a bowl of milk, cream, small cake, honey, porridge or some other offering for the brownie, usually by the hearth. Brownies are described as easily offended and will leave their homes forever if they feel they have been insulted or in any way taken advantage of. Brownies are characteristically mischievous and are often said to punish or pull pranks on lazy servants. If angered, they are sometimes said to turn malicious, like boggaets. Brownies originated as domestic tutelary spirits, very similar to the Lares of ancient Roman tradition. Descriptions of brownies vary regionally, but they are usually described as ugly, brown-skinned, and covered in hair. In the oldest stories, they are usually human-sized or larger. In more recent times, they have come to be seen as small and wizened. They are often capable of turning invisible and they sometimes appear in the shapes of animals. They are always either naked or dressed in rags. If a person attempts to present a brownie with clothing, he will leave forever. Regional variants in England and Scotland include hobs, silkies, and ùruisgs. Variants outside are the Welsh Bwbach and the Manx Fenodyree. Also there's a variant of them in the Scottish Lowlands, where brownies have no nose, just a hole in the centre of their face. In Aberdeenshire it's told that they have no fingers or toes. J.K.Rowling got inspiration from these creatures to create the character Dobby, the domestic elf who helps Harry Potter.

#brownie #scotland #scottish #folklore #mythology #watercolour #celtic #elves #elf #harry potter #dobby #j k rowling #bestiary #creatures #beasts

Comic about a night I went to the forest to play the kannel (the Estonian traditional harp). You can listen to the album I recorded 4 years ago while living in Estonia: https://youtu.be/khxpS9Xn8k8