Waterhorses

**Waterhorse** is a collective term encompassing fae that can both shift into a horse or horse-like form (but aren't horse shifters), and live within oceans, lakes, rivers or other water-based locations. Significant waterhorse characters in *The Fae Tales* *Verse* are Augus Each Uisge and Ash Glashtyn.

## Physical Description

In true-form, waterhorses tend to resemble horses on first glance, but the Each Uisge and Glashtyn have glowing eyes and waterweed growing from their skulls, interwoven in their mane and tails. They also have sharp, carnivorous teeth.

Gwyn ap Nudd noted that most other waterhorses don't have eyes as vivid as Augus does.

## Abilities

The abilities of waterhorses vary depending on what kind of waterhorse they are. While the Each Uisge and Glashtyn share many abilities, little is known about the Ceffyl Dwr, and how similar they are to the former two waterhorses, and even these abilities may vary by incarnation (e.g., Augus is the most powerful incarnation of the Each Uisge).

When they shift forms, there is usually an environmental shift in the surrounding environment, often a temperature shift.

'[W]aterhorses had an ability to stick people to their pelts. They did it while hunting, so that any human who touched them couldn’t get away without ripping their skin or limbs off.'

If waterhorses lose enough water to go dry, once they come into water, they'll absorb it through their pores. They also gain an instinctive urge to submerge in water.

Waterhorses have slow heart-rates.

It appears that placing a bridle on a waterhorse, or at least the Glashtyn, can weaken them, or at least place them under the control of the person with the bridle.

Their eyes appear to glow, which is possibly something they use while hunting to lure curious humans.

## Characteristics (culture, habits)

The characteristics of waterhorses vary depending on what kind of waterhorse they are, however, the main waterhorses in *Fae Tales* tend to predate on humans, although human liver is poisonous to them, and even deadly, depending on their status. The each uisge and the glashtyn started life as plant-eaters, until they reached maturity, at which point they were meant to start eating humans.

There are different types of waterhorse, though they are all Unseelie; these include the Each Uisge, the Glashtyn, and the Ceffyl Dwr.

Almost all waterhorses calm, or experience a comforting sensation, when the back of their head is touched. This is something that Augus tries to conceal from others, and he rarely lets anyone except for Ash touch him this way. Waterhorses also enjoy having others stroke and groom their manes, which may be well known amongst the fae, as Gwyn stated 'everyone knows' about that preference.

'They have their human form, their human mind, and then they have their waterhorse form, ruled by a waterhorse mind. In most cases, Unseelie waterhorses even in human form only retain enough human behaviours to allow them to hunt.'

‘Waterhorses prefer not to shift into their true-forms in front of others.’

Augus noted that his home resembles human realm homes because waterhorses are cursed to crave the comforts of their prey.

## Trivia

* Augus and Ash's status as waterhorses is a primary reason they serve as significant characters throughout *The Fae Tales Verse.*

## Folklore/Mythology

'The term "water horse" was originally a name given to the kelpie, a creature similar to the hippocamp, which has the head, neck and mane of a normal horse, front legs like a horse, webbed feet, and a long, two-lobed, whale-like tail. The term has also been used as a nickname for lake monsters, particularly Ogopogo and Nessie. The name "kelpie" has often been a nickname for many other Scottish lake monsters, such as **each uisge** and Morag of Loch Morar and Lizzie of Loch Lochy. Other names for these sea monsters include "seahorse" (not referring to the seahorse fish) and "hippocampus" (which is the genus name for seahorses).

The usage of "water horse" or "kelpie" can often be a source of confusion; some consider the two terms to be synonymous, while others distinguish the water horse as a denizen of lochs and the kelpie of turbulent water such as rivers, fords, and waterfalls. Some authors call one creature of a certain place a kelpie while others call it a water horse. The name "water bull" has been used for either creature.

. . . Whilst most Scottish/Celtic folklore places the water horse in a loch (particularly a loch that is famous for a lake monster, such as Loch Ness, Loch Morar or Loch Lomond), some Breton and Cornish tales of water horses place them in the ocean, making them sea monsters.

Most Highland loch have some kind of water-horse tradition, although a study of 19th-century literature of the time showed that only about sixty lochs and lochans merited a mention out of the thousands of bodies of water in Scotland. The water horse that was reputed to inhabit Loch Ness gained the most mentions in Highland literature.'

'A folk tale from Barra tells of a lonely kelpie that transforms itself into a handsome young man to woo a pretty young girl it was determined to take for its wife. But the girl recognises the young man as a kelpie and removes his silver necklace (his bridle) while he sleeps. The kelpie immediately reverts to its equine form, and the girl takes it home to her father's farm, where it is put to work for a year. . . . When a kelpie appeared in its equine persona without any tack, it could be captured using a halter stamped with the sign of a cross, and its strength could then be harnessed in tasks such as the transportation of heavy mill stones. . . . Some kelpies were said to be equipped with a bridle and sometimes a saddle, and appeared invitingly ready to ride, but if mounted they would run off and drown their riders. If the kelpie was already wearing a bridle, exorcism might be achieved by removing it. A bridle taken from a kelpie was endowed with magical properties, and if brandished towards someone, was able to transform that person into a horse or pony.'

## Image Gallery

Fanart of Augus Each Uisge and Ash Glashtyn in waterhorse form by sic-sempervirens https://sic-sempervirens.tumblr.com/post/651913801311158272/sliding-into-mermay-on-a-technicalityFanart of Augus Each Uisge in waterhorse form by Nelkitty https://nelkitty.tumblr.com/post/178039100903/not-poignant-uh-so-this-is-my-first-attempt-atFanart of Augus Each Uisge in waterhorse form from Game Theory Chapter 36 by kazechama https://kazechama.tumblr.com/post/74073432958/game-theory-chapter-36-by-not-poignant-the-each
## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 not\_poignant. "Deeper into the Woods." *The Fae Tales Verse. Archive of Our Own,* 31 March 2015. https://archiveofourown.org/works/3652500/chapters/8069799. Chapter 1: I - The Waterhorse.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 not\_poignant. “Game Theory.” *The Fae Tales Verse. Archive of Our Own,* 17 August 2013. https://archiveofourown.org/works/915296/chapters/1809886. Chapter 4: Clean.
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 not\_poignant. “The Ice Plague: Book 3 - The Ice Plague.” *The Fae Tales Verse. Archive of Our Own,* 20 January 2022. https://archiveofourown.org/chapters/91136179. Chapter 24: Glashtyn.
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 not\_poignant. “Game Theory.” *The Fae Tales Verse. Archive of Our Own,* 27 August 2013. https://archiveofourown.org/works/915296/chapters/1843591. Chapter 6: Retaliation.
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 not\_poignant. “The Ice Plague: Book 3 - The Ice Plague.” *The Fae Tales Verse. Archive of Our Own,* 26 May 2022. https://archiveofourown.org/works/26266345/chapters/98170593. Chapter 33: Soul Crying.
6. ↑ not\_poignant. “Game Theory.” *The Fae Tales Verse. Archive of Our Own,* 16 September 2013. https://archiveofourown.org/works/915296/chapters/1904254. Chapter 12: Liver.
7. ↑ not\_poignant. “The Ice Plague: Book 1 - The Forest of Fire.” *The Fae Tales Verse. Archive of Our Own,* 26 July 2018. https://archiveofourown.org/works/12036105/chapters/35842707. Chapter 25: Circling Back Around.
8. ↑ not\_poignant. “The Court of Five Thrones.” *The Fae Tales Verse. Archive of Our Own,* 4 July 2014. https://archiveofourown.org/works/1749290/chapters/4088631. Chapter 3: Disintegration.
9. ↑ not\_poignant. “Game Theory.” *The Fae Tales Verse. Archive of Our Own,* 31 January 2014. https://archiveofourown.org/works/915296/chapters/2083339. Chapter 26: Family.
10. ↑ not\_poignant. “The Court of Five Thrones.” *The Fae Tales Verse. Archive of Our Own,* 21 November 2014. https://archiveofourown.org/works/1749290/chapters/5922374. Chapter 19: Trust.
11. ↑ not\_poignant. “Game Theory.” *The Fae Tales Verse. Archive of Our Own,* 13 September 2013. https://archiveofourown.org/works/915296/chapters/1894662. Chapter 11: Abandoned.
12. ↑ not\_poignant. "Deeper into the Woods." *The Fae Tales Verse. Archive of Our Own,* 19 April 2015. https://archiveofourown.org/works/3652500/chapters/8404240. Chapter 6: VI - The War General.
13. ↑ "Water horse". Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water\_horse. Accessed 9 June 2021.
14. ↑ "Kelpie". Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelpie. Accessed 20 January 2022.