SCOTTISH MONSTERS
Creatures from Scottish folklore.
Kelpies are ggressive spirits that, in Scottish folklore, guard bodies of water. They usually appear as horses, but have a variety of different forms - including those of humans, although a kelpie disguised as a person will still be recognisable by a piece of seaweed in its hair. Anyone riding a horse-shaped kelpie would eventually be eaten by the creature. In the Shetlands, kelpies are known as nygels.
FF3 depicts the nygel as part horse, but replaces the back legs with a fishy tail, making it resemble a hippocampus of Greek mythology - which is closer to what you'd expect a water spirit to look like. The kelpie's appearence, however - a sea lion with the head of an actual lion - is Square's own creation.
In Orkney Islands folklore, the tangie is a water spirit that appears in the form of either a green horse or a man - either way, it'll be covered in seaweed. Compare thsi to the better-known kelpie.
FF3 depicts the tangie as part horse, but replaces the back legs with a fishy tail, making it resemble a hippocampus of Greek mythology - which is closer to what you'd expect a water spirit to look like.KELPIE, NYGEL
TANGIE
