Beware of the Kappa

Here we go again - another folklore venture into scary water creatures.  This time it's Japan and the ever frightful Kappa.  Translated as "river-child", the Kappa are quite similar to the Nakki of Finland, the Slavian Vodnik and the Scottish Kelpie - all which have been used by these cultures to keep children very wary of the dangers of water bodies.

Leave it to the Japanese to provide so much detail that the creature can seem very real indeed.  From Wikipedia:  "Kappa are typically depicted as roughly humanoid in form, and about the size of a child. Their scaly, reptilian skin ranges in color from green to yellow or blue. Kappa supposedly inhabit the ponds and rivers of Japan and have various features to aid them in this environment, such as webbed hands and feet. They are sometimes said to smell like fish, and they can certainly swim like them.  Although their appearance varies from region to region, the most consistent features are a carapace, a beak for a mouth, and the sara, an indentation on the top of their head that holds water which is regarded as the source of their power. This cavity must be full whenever a kappa is away from the water; if it spills, the kappa will be unable to move or even die in some legends.  Another notable feature in some stories, is that the kappa's arms are said to be connected to each other through the torso and able to slide from one side to the other. While they are primarily water creatures, they do on occasion venture on to land. When they do, the sara can be covered with a metal cap for protection."

Use the Wikipedia link provided to read the rest of their description, traits, powers, vulnerabilities, locations, alternative names, etc. You'll also find that they are not always scary and evil, but can be benevolent when approached respectfully and provided foodstuffs or other gifts.  I don't know about you, but I plan to carry cucumbers with me if I ever visit Japan - the Kappa's all-time favorite food - better even than kids!  Some Japanese are known to write the names of their children on cucumbers and toss them into the river before swimming or bathing.  The jury is still out as to whether this protects, or marks, the kids, though.

I especially liked the water references related to the Kappa.  Not only is the water in their sara so important, but the single example of their sometimes helpful nature to man is that once befriended, they'd perform tasks for humans such as helping irrigate their fields.  Yep, come to think about it, we could use some of these guys around here, too.

Cave Rock, Water Babies and the Washoe People

Cave Rock sits at the very edge of Lake Tahoe along its East side about 1/3 the way up from the southern tip of the lake.  It is a sacred place to the Washoe people and happens to be the place where the legendary Water Babies live.  In Washoe stories, the Water Babies actually live in all bodies of water, but apparently Cave Rock is their most frequented hangout.  They are very powerful and at times cause illness or even death to people, but can also be positive omens if you approach them carefully and treat them with respect.  It is mostly just the Washoe healers that interact with the Water Babies, though, as most people avoid them by choice.  This is why Cave Rock is always given a wide berth by most of Washoe people as they pass by.

And then there is Ong... The giant man-eating bird who nests in the middle of Lake Tahoe.   He's so strong and powerful that his wings bend the trees along the shore when he flies by.  Actually, legend has it that Ong was killed by a clever Washoe man just before being eaten, but his nest still remains just out of sight below the water surface.

These tales remind me of the Kelpies of England and Scandinavia - you know, those Water Horses with nefarious qualities?  I've blogged about them earlier (Kelpie Blog post link).  There 's no tellin' what'd happen if a Water Baby would jump on a Kelpie and the both of them chance upon Ong, but my thoughts are this is how the Artesians came to be.  Could be wrong, tho...

Finally, on the other side of Nevada (just into Utah) are where the Goshute People reside.  They don't speak of Water Babies, but to them water is just as powerful.  In their language "water" is referred to as a human being - a living entity.  It is described as such because the spirits of all their ancestors live in water.  What a great concept, and once again we see how important water is to humans throughout history. Today's mankind should treat it with more respect - if for no other reason than it contains Water Babies, Kelpies, sacred ancestors, and possibly....even Artesians.

Water Folklore - The Kelpie

I play a twitter wordgame from time to time called Loqwacious where a word is posted every day and the players use that word in a clever, funny, poetic or other kind of tweet.  Today's word is "Kelpie".  I seem to have heard of a breed of dog called a kelpie, but wasn't sure this was the right word.  As it turns out, this is the secondary definition for this word, but the primary definition is rooted in folklore - water folklore to be more precise.  And much more sinister.  From Wikipedia the definition is:

"The horse's appearance is strong, powerful, and breathtaking. Its hide was supposed to be black (though in some stories it was white), and will appear to be a lost pony, but can be identified by its constantly dripping mane. Its skin is like that of a seal, smooth but is as cold as death when touched. Water horses are known to transform into beautiful women to lure men into their traps. It is understood that the nostril of the horse is what creates the illusion of grandeur.  It is wise to keep away from them.

The fable of the kelpie differs depending on the region where it is told. Other versions of the story describe the kelpie as "green as glass with a black mane and tail that curves over its back like a wheel" or that, even in human form, they are always dripping wet and/or have water weeds in their hair.

The water horse is a common form of the kelpie, said to lure humans, especially children, into the water to drown and eat them. It performs this act by encouraging children to ride on its back. Once its victims fall into its trap, the kelpie's skin becomes adhesive and it bears them into the river, dragging them to the bottom of the water and devouring them—except the heart or liver.

Similar creatures:

In Orkney a similar creature was called the nuggle, and in Shetland a similar creature was called the shoopiltee, the njogel, or the tangi. On the Isle of Man it is known as the cabbyl-ushtey (Manx Gaelic for "water horse", compare to Irish capall uisge) or the glashtin. In Wales, a similar creature is known as the Ceffyl Dŵr. It also appears in Scandinavian folklore where in Sweden it is known by the name Bäckahästen, the brook horse."

Here are a few of the Loqwacious tweets so far today - for a flavor of the game.  (When I play, I'm known as @wb1949)

@oldbuffalo:  a true kelpie likes her seafood pie with a little meat in it #lqw

@zenDecision:  Hear the loon 'neath Hallowed moon | See dripping blood and guts | as the unDead meet the Kelpie | & Fate reclaims what shall be #lqw

@wrobertswriter:  Mr. Ed was a kelpie. I know because he warned me not to swim for at least a half hour after eating.

My #lqw entry for "kelpie"?  I haven't played yet today.

Anyway, now you know the full story behind the infamous Kelpie!  And my story for not knowing of this water creature before?  Heck, I'm a groundwater manager.  Not only is there no kelp inside an aquifer, but the adhesive needed to take kids down there I'm sure does not exist!