Water horse
Portrait of a boy riding a nøkk in the form of a water horse, by Theodor Kittelsen | |
| Creature information | |
|---|---|
| Other name(s) | Kelpie, Waterhorse |
| Sub grouping | Lake monster Sea monster Sea serpent Lake serpent |
| Origin | |
| First attested | 18th century |
| Region | Celtic nations Scandinavia |
| Habitat | Water |
A water horse (also compounded as: waterhorse) is a mythical creature that appears in multiple forms in Celtic and Nordic folklore. Celtic incarnations includes: the Welsh Ceffyl Dŵr, Irish Capaill Uisce, the Scottish each-uisge and kelpie. In Nordic folklore, the water horse is a shape taken on by the nixie, in Swedish called bäckahästen ("the brook horse"), in Faroese nykur ("nixie").