River Demon

nature_spirit water single tradition · 1

The River Demon is used to denote a "kelpy" in Sir Walter Scott's epic poem The Lady of the Lake. The term is used in the context of water spouts that can form over the surface of Scottish lochs, giving the impression of a living form as they move across the water.

When

First attested
1810 CE
Attested period
1810 – 1818
Historical notes
Referenced in The Lady of the Lake (1810) and The Bride of Lammermoor (1818).

Relationships

manifests as
kelpy

Expand to full subgraph →

Sources

wikipedia (1)

Source passages

“ in which Scott uses "River Demon" to denote a "kelpy". Scott may also have hinted at an alternative rational explanation by naming a treacherous area of quicksand "Kelpie's Flow" in his novel The Bride of Lammermoor (1818).”

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