10 Captivating Creatures From Celtic Mythology

Celtic mythology is comprised of legends and lore from Scotland, Ireland, Wales, the Isle of Man, Cornwall, and Brittany. Each Celtic culture has its own language and traditions, but there is some crossover—particularly when it comes to creatures from folklore. Many ghosts, fairies, and goblins pop up in similar forms across the various Celtic mythologies. Here are 10 strange Celtic creatures—ranging from a world-famous aquatic monster to lesser-known, yet no less intriguing, shapeshifters. 

1. The Loch Ness Monster
2. Banshees
3. Kelpies
4. Selkies
5. The Red Dragon
6. Leprechauns
7. Púca
8. Cù Sìth
9. Will-o’-the-Wisps
10. The Buggane

The Loch Ness Monster

The Loch Ness Monster—affectionately called “Nessie”—is a long-necked plesiosaur-like beast said to swim the waters of Scotland’s Loch Ness. Stories of a monster in Loch Ness date back to at least the 7th century, with Adomnán’s Life of Columba featuring the formidable creature. The titular Saint Columba is said to have stopped the “water beast” from attacking a man by commanding it to leave after making “the sign of the cross in the air, and invoking the name of God.”

The Loch Ness Monster was propelled to international fame during the 1930s thanks to descriptions and photographs printed in newspapers (although the most famous photo—known as the Surgeon’s Photograph—was later revealed to be a hoax). Even though there are plenty of non-monstrous possible explanations for Nessie sightings, the aquatic beast remains one of the most hunted cryptids in the world.

Banshees

It’s commonly known that scream like a banshee means “to shriek loudly,” but what’s not as well known is that a banshee is actually a creature from Irish mythology. A banshee (bean sí) is a ghostly woman whose wailing scream heralds death. Not everyone is lucky enough—or, rather, unlucky enough—to hear one, though; she saves her piercing voice for the descendants of the Milesians (the legendary people who populated Ireland). It’s thought that the banshee may be linked to the Irish tradition of keening, which involves women wailing in mourning at funerals.

Both the Scottish and Breton versions of the banshee—the bean-nighe and lavandières de la nuit, respectively—are said to wash the clothing of a person who is about to die. The Welsh spin on the frightening figure, the cyhyraeth, is sometimes just a disembodied voice; it other times has a corporal body. Across all Celtic mythologies, the screaming figure is often depicted as a ghoulish old woman, but she is occasionally young and beautiful.

Kelpies

Kelpies are shapeshifting water spirits from Scottish mythology that can take the form of both a horse and a human. Usually depicted as malevolent, they’re said to lure people to their watery graves (some accounts report them not just drowning their victims, but eating them too). In the 1786 poem “Address to the Devil” by Robert Burns, Scotland’s national poet, kelpies are even figured as agents of Satan: “water-kelpies haunt the foord / By your direction, / An’ nighted trav’lers are allur’d / To their destruction.” Although incredibly dangerous, a kelpie can be robbed of its power by stealing or damaging its bridle.

Selkies

Another shapeshifting aquatic creature from Scotland is the selkie, which can switch between seal and human forms by shedding its seal skin. Unlike kelpies, selkies are usually benevolent toward humans. If a selkie’s skin is stolen while in its human form—which, according to the legends, is always incredibly beautiful—then they’re unable to transform back into a seal.

The most well-known selkie story is “The Selkie Wife,” which tells of a man stealing the seal skin of a selkie woman so he can coerce her into marrying him. After many years, one of the woman’s children finds her hidden seal skin and she’s finally able to return to the sea. Selkies also pop up in the mythologies of other countries, including Ireland, Iceland, and the Faroe Islands. 

The Red Dragon

When it comes to Welsh mythology, no beast is more iconic than the red dragon (y ddraig goch); it’s the country’s national animal and is emblazoned on the Welsh flag. The oldest recorded story of the mythical dragon is told in the Mabinogion, a collection of Welsh folklore compiled during the late 12th and early 13th centuries. The red dragon, which is said to represent Wales, fights and eventually defeats the invading white dragon, which symbolizes England. 

The red dragon leapt onto the Welsh flag in 1485 thanks to King Henry VII of England, who used the ferocious winged creature to signify his alleged Welsh blood (he claimed to be descended from the ancient Welsh king Cadwaladr ap Cadwallon). His Tudor heritage is represented via the flag’s green and white background, which are the Tudor livery colors.

Leprechauns

Leprechauns are without a doubt the most popular creature from Irish mythology. They have a large presence in pop culture, from the titular villain (usually played by Warwick Davis) in the Leprechaun horror franchise to Lucky the Leprechaun being the Lucky Charms mascot. According to Irish legend, leprechauns are technically fairies. They’re small in size, often depicted wearing green, and are usually solitary.

Leprechauns are best-known for their love of gold. It’s said that if you capture a leprechaun, he (there are no female leprechauns) has to tell you where he’s hidden his gold. However, they’re also mischievously cunning and can usually get out of this arrangement. In one story, a man ties a red scarf around the tree that a leprechaun reveals as his hiding place, but when he returns with a shovel, a red scarf has been tied around every tree in the area.

Púca

Another mischievous Irish creature is the púca, which can shapeshift into a variety of animals—including a horse, goat, fox, and hare—and take a human form (but always with animal features still present, such as ears or a tail). Púca are essentially pranksters; for instance, one may morph into a horse and take a traveler on a wild ride before bucking them off. However, on November 1 each year, the legend goes that púca stop being tricksters and instead kindly perform favors for humans.

The Welsh version of this creature, the pwca, still delights in mayhem, but sometimes helps out with household tasks (although it will act up if not given milk as payment). The púca also made it into English folklore under the name puck, with the most famous take on this figure being Puck from Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Cù Sìth

Cù sìth is Gaelic for “fairy dog,” with cú sidhe being the Irish equivalent. These supernatural hounds were said to be far larger than the average dog and sported either black or green coats. Mark Norman, author of Black Dog Folklore, explains that green was “generally connected with bad fortune and also the color most commonly associated with the fae, magic, and the supernatural.” Some legends have it that the canines would kidnap people for the fae, while others style them as guides to lead souls to the afterlife; either way, seeing a cù sìth was bad news. It’s also said that if you hear a cù sìth howl, you should get inside as quickly as possible because by the third howl, you’ll have literally been scared to death.

Will-o’-the-Wisps

Stories of will-o’-the-wisps—eerie flickering lights that appear in marshy areas—exist in mythologies around the world thanks to a real phenomenon that inspired the legends. Although the lights may seem supernatural, they’re actually caused by the spontaneous combustion of gasses released from decomposing plant matter. In folklore, the fiery and ephemeral spirits are usually said to lead travelers astray, but there are also tales of the lights leading lost people to safety.

In Welsh mythology, the phenomenon is attributed to the above mentioned pwca, who are said to carry a lantern or candle to tempt people off course. In Cornwall, the lights are attributed to piskeys—the Cornish version of fairies—called “Jack the lantern” and “Joan the wad.” In Scottish folklore, will-o’-the-wisps are sometimes known as spunkies.

The Buggane

In Manx mythology, the Buggane is a large ogre-like creature that has sharp tusks, glowing eyes, and is covered with thick black hair. The most famous tale about the beast involves its destruction of St. Trinian’s Church. The story goes that the Buggane lived on Mount Greeba, on the Isle of Man, and didn’t appreciate people building a church nearby—so it would repeatedly tear the building’s roof off. One day, a tailor made a bet that he could finish making a pair of pants before the Buggane arrived and killed him. The tailor finished his last stitch and fled to Marown Church, with the Buggane being so enraged at having failed to catch him that it tore its own head off and threw it at the church’s wall.

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