- "Lurks in rivers and streams and will kneel in invitation for anyone to ride it across. If this is attempted, the Kelpie will drag the rider underwater and attempt to eat them."
- —Chocolate Frog Card[src]
A Kelpie is a shapeshifting water demon native to Great Britain and Ireland.[1]
Contents
Description

A Kelpie emerging from a loch
Able to take any form, a Kelpie usually chooses that of a horse with a bulrush mane. After luring unwary travellers onto their backs, they drag them underwater and eat them, allowing the entrails to float to the surface of the water. A Kelpie can be rendered docile and harmless by using a Placement Charm to put a bridle over the creature's head.[1]
Kelpie hair can be used as a Wand core, although it is said to be an inferior substance when compared with Phoenix feather, and Dragon heartstring.[2]
History

Kelpie ridden by Newt in his basement within a habitat that resembles a Scottish loch
In 1927, Newt Scamander kept a male Kelpie in his apartment's basement. He tamed it with a bridle, though he did not use a placement charm, riding it instead.[3][4]
During the 1992–1993 school year, Harry Potter's second year, Gilderoy Lockhart gave Rubeus Hagrid unsolicited advice about getting kelpies out of a well, which Hagrid found irritating.[5]
On 29 June, 1997, when Harry and Albus Dumbledore had to cross the black lake in the Horcrux cave, Harry's thought that the lake might hold kelpies, as well as other aquatic beasts such as water monsters, giant serpents, demons and sprites.[6]
Known Kelpies
- The largest reported Kelpie is the Loch Ness Monster, who resides in Loch Ness, Scotland. Its favourite form is that of a sea serpent which leads to many Muggle sightings.[1]
Gallery
Appearances
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (First mentioned)
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Mentioned only)
- Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
- Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
- Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald - The Original Screenplay
- Harry Potter Trading Card Game (First appearance)
- Pottermore
- Wizarding World
- Wonderbook: Book of Spells
- Fantastic Beasts: Cases from the Wizarding World
External links
Notes and references
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
- ↑ Writing by J.K. Rowling: "Wand Cores" at Wizarding World
- ↑ Hold on tight. #FantasticBeasts by Fantastic Beasts on Twitter
- ↑ Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald - The Original Screenplay
- ↑ Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Chapter 7 (Mudbloods And Murmurs)
- ↑ Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 26 (The Cave)
Magical Creatures by classification | |
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X | Flobberworm · Horklump |
XX | Augurey · Bowtruckle · Chizpurfle · Clabbert · Diricawl · Fairy · Ghoul · Gnome · Grindylow · Imp · Jobberknoll · Mooncalf · Porlock · Puffskein · Ramora · Winged horse |
XXX | Ashwinder · Billywig · Bundimun · Crup · Doxy · Dugbog · Fire crab · Fwooper · Glumbumble · Hippocampus · Hippogriff · Hodag · Jarvey · Knarl · Kneazle · Leprechaun · Lobalug · Mackled Malaclaw · Moke · Murtlap · Niffler · Nogtail · Pixie · Plimpy · Pogrebin · Red Cap · Salamander · Sea serpent · Shrake · Streeler · Winged horse |
XXXX | Centaur · Demiguise · Erkling · Erumpent · Golden Snidget · Graphorn · Griffin · Hidebehind · Kappa · Kelpie · Merpeople · Occamy · Phoenix · Re'em · Runespoor · Snallygaster · Sphinx · Tebo · Thestral · Thunderbird · Troll · Unicorn · Winged horse · Yeti |
XXXXX | Acromantula · Basilisk · Chimaera · Dragon · Horned Serpent · Lethifold · Manticore · Nundu · Quintaped · Wampus cat · Werewolf |
- Articles with information from Wizarding World
- Articles with information from Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
- Articles with information from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
- Articles with information from Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
- Articles with information from Pottermore
- Articles with information from Wonderbook: Book of Spells
- Articles with information from Fantastic Beasts: Cases from the Wizarding World
- Beast Chocolate Frog Cards
- Creatures from Great Britain
- Creatures from Ireland
- Kelpies
- Muggle-known creatures