Well-washers, also known as water kelpies, are spirits who k...
Track Information
Original Track ID
SA1976.208.B3
Original Tape ID
Summary
Well-washers, also known as water kelpies, are spirits who keep water clean; they can change into any form.
Little spirits about an inch long live at the side of streams and catch sticks and straws that float down, so keeping the water clean. Travellers call them 'well-washers', but they are also known as 'water kelpies'. If there are no well-washers in a spring Travellers will not drink from it. If a child brings back a pail of water with a well-washer in it, the water has to be poured back where it came from. Duncan Williamson remembers his brother Jim doing this when he was about fifteen years old. If you did the well-washers a good turn or a bad turn they would do one for you. They could take any form, that of an animal or even a man who could talk and take people away. Travellers used to tell their children that the water kelpie would get them, so that they would stay away from deep pools or wells where they would be in danger of falling in and drowning. Some people think that the kelpie is the same as the broonie [brownie].
Item Notes
Fieldworker notes that contributor is reluctant to speak about the 'broonie'.
Recording Location
County - Fife
Parish - Cupar
Village/Place - Cupar
Language
Scots
Genre
Collection
Source Type
Reel to reel
Audio Quality
Good