At times, the bauchan can be kind and helpful, but at others it’s reputed to have been a roguish and sometimes harmful creature.Ī bodach is a hobgoblin-like creature, which gets its name from a Scottish Gaelic term for ‘old man’ and is often associated with being unlucky or evil.Ī brownie is similar to a bodach, but said to be more reclusive in nature, preferring to emerge at night to do chores around the home. From creatures who bestowed kind blessings on weary travellers, to fiends who crept down chimneys at night to steal away small children.Ī bauchan is a type of Scottish hobgoblin with conflicting personality traits. Some of these tricksters would play foul pranks upon lazy servants, while others indulged in deadlier pursuits. Gruesome goblins have terrorised farms and castles across Scotland since legends began. New generations can enjoy the legends and feel connected to the land and its people.
Like the tales told in my book Scottish Urban Legends: 50 Myths and True Stories, the real power of these Scottish stories lies in their ability to not only entertain us as monster tales in the present, but also to forge a living link to our past. Learn which beasts may still run wild through the Scottish countryside and why handsome strangers are rarely what they seem. Climb mountains to meet giants, hide in the dark from wailing apparitions and voyage beneath the waves to meet monsters that haunt the depths of the sea. In this list of Scottish mythical creatures (and my book), you can meet many mythical creatures from Scottish folklore. Inevitably, a little of the Viking heritage intertwined with Scottish history to produce the monster myths and legends we know today. Norse beasts battled against Scots legends, fighting to become the dominant fable or folklore tale. “It’s hard to imagine a work on mythical Scottish creatures more definitive than this, and as such, it makes for the perfect reference book, as well as being a fascinating and cozy read.” Amazon Review ★★★★★Įarly Scots not only fought against the human warriors of the Viking invaders but also against their cultural legendary tales. However, they also mimic the stories brought to the shores from other cultures, in particular, monsters from Norse legends. There’s still plenty of myth and magic throughout the land, waiting for brave adventurers or careless trespassers to stumble across their secrets.įrom kelpies to selkies, Scottish monster myths can give insights into the local customs and folklore of their time. Yet more recent sightings of these legendary Scottish monsters indicate that not everything can be explained away by modern science. Nowadays, we might understand that a loud rumble from the sky is thunder and not some ancient angry beast. Ancient Scots were curious about the world around them and their fantastical explanations of natural phenomena often involved the creation of mythical creatures with amazing powers. Scottish mythical monsters have always been a fascinating part of the rich history and folklore of the land. I have even sailed down Loch Ness in search of the most famous Scottish mythical creature of them all! Scottish Mythical Creatures As kids, we were surrounded by forests, mountains and the sea, which to our young imaginations contained all manner of beasts. Growing up in Wick, in the Scottish Highlands, I was aware of local legends, like the selkie’s grave in Castletown, from a very young age. This list of Scottish mythical creatures comes from my bestselling book Scottish Legends: 55 Mythical Monsters and gives snippets and a peek inside the book, revealing the hidden past and origins of these amazing folktales. If you are wondering which mythical creatures live in Scotland then you are in the right place to discover the kelpies, selkies and other famous Scottish folklore creatures that make up the history and legends of this beautiful country. How can you tell if your child has become a changeling? Where could you capture a Scottish mermaid? Which Scottish big cat may still roam the countryside? Welcome to the definitive list of Scottish Mythical Monsters, the most intriguing legendary myths and folklore stories revealing Scotland’s mysterious past.
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