Folklore Legends

By Linley Barbe      The Kelpie is one of the most well-known beings in Scottish folklore. They are also one of the most dangerous creatures. Kelpies are shapeshifting horses with the ability to appear as humans (typically men) if they want. They are not any avenge horse, they possess the strength of ten normal horses and their hooves are said to look reversed compared to normal horses. They are commonly found near deep rivers or bodies of freshwater. Kelpies are known for being the most vengeful creature in Scottish folklore because their sole mission is to trick travelers into allowing Kelpies to get close enough to drown them in the riverbanks. They trick travelers by appearing as grayish-black horses with a calming demeanor to give the impression of a horse that is easy to tame by anyone interested. This tempts many people to ride the “peaceful” horse in order to get over the deep rivers. When the foolish people get on the kelpie’s back the kelpie dives into the dee...

       The Legend of the Nine Maidens of Dundee is a story set in a small farmland of Scotland named Pitempton. As the legend goes, the farmer was exhausted after working himself to the bone on his land, under the boiling sun. He craved water from the small well near his home, but he found himself too fatigued to fetch his own water so he sent his eldest daughter out to retrieve some for him. After a substantial amount of time had passed without the return of water from his eldest daughter, he sent the second-eldest daughter to figure out what was taking the eldest so long to get water from the well and to hopefully speed up the process. Starting the trend, his second-eldest daughter did not return with water and the third-eldest daughter was sent out to find her. I believe you can see where this is going. After the third-eldest daughter did not return, he sent out the fourth-eldest daughter. He continued sending the daughter next in line after the one before did n...

     In the Philippians the Diwata are believed to be spirits or deities that protect the surrounding nature. They are seen as the guardians of the natural world and are sometimes known for punishing those who abuse animals or the environment, while helping/rewarding those who’ve earned it. In the traditional stories they represent things like humanity, humility, consequence of greed, and the balance between material and immaterial realms. Diwata are praised for healthy harvests, protection from natural diseases, and unknighted communities. Many Filipinos still pray and give offerings to the Diwata before they start big projects like long trips away, planting crops, fishing, or building homes. People commonly offer flowers to the Diwata to show respect and gain their blessings. There are festivals and rituals held in modern times for the Diwata and what they represent to the Filipino culture. Diwata are described as glowingly beautiful women, wearing traditional flowing...

     The Legend of the Banshee originates from an Irish tale based around mourning the death of a family member. The banshee is a fairy-like creature, whose appearance varies from a beautiful young woman to an ugly old woman depending on how the tale goes. It’s believed that the banshee’s gut-wrenching screams of sorrow foreshadow the impending death of a family member. When someone hears her wails they know someone in the family is going to pass not long after the screams start. The people who have ‘heard’ the banshee’s wail often describe it as a haunting bone-chilling scream. Banshees sparks fear for many people who believe in Irish folklore because of the banshee’s deep association with death, rather than any malicious intent. Actually, the banshee isn’t known for having any evil intentions or doing any harm to people, she’s known for being an entity that feels compassion with the grieving families that are about to lose a loved one. The tale of the Banshee shows the...