Discover Scottish Folk Creatures

The nuckelavee is described as one of the more fearsome creatures of Scottish folklore. A horse-like creature with the face of a man, this demon resides in the sea and is thought to bring misfortune upon local towns. If diseases ran among livestock or drought struck a town, the town would often blame the nuckelavee for their misfortune. It is said that this creature is unable to tolerate fresh water so one being chased by it would only need to cross a stream or a river to be safe. One common tale of the nuckelavee tells the story of a man named Tammie who splashed fresh water on the nuckelavee as he was being chased, which gave him enough time to jump over a freshwater stream and escape from the creature. It is also said that burning seaweed to make kelp angered the nuckelavee which caused it to spread equine disease, specifically in one account across the island of Stronsay.

Mythical Origins

The nuckelavee has parallels in other cultures as well. In the Shetland islands, it is called the mukkelevi and it is considered to be similar to the Norse nøkk. Tales of the nuckelavee are common in Orcadian folklore, which carry a lot of influence from Scandinavian cultures. It is thought that tales of the nuckelavee could have originated from tales of the Celtic water horse or kelpie which descended from Norse mythology. Tales of Orcadian demons similar to the nuckelavee have been found as far back as the 16th century. Tales of the nuckelavee were also used in the Orkney islands in order to warn children of the dangers of the sea to prevent them from being careless and drowning.