Cryptids are widely debated and discussed worldwide, and the Celtic world is no different. From the Knocker of Cornwall to the Afanc in Wales, there is no shortage of Celtic cryptids. They are mysterious, but they play a huge part in the culture.
Kelpie
Kelpies are a lesser-known Scottish creature that is said to
inhabit their lochs. It is a shape-shifting creature that appears to people,
particularly children, as a horse. The horse is friendly at first and invites
those around for a ride, but it will dive into the waters and eat you after you
drown.
Knocker
Knockers are a cryptid of Cornish folklore. It is said that
they live in caves, wells, and mines. They are dwarf-like creatures who got
their names when tin miners heard them knocking on the walls of the mines. It
is said that they steal miners’ tools and food, though so miners claim to leave
food out for the knockers. Wales has a similar tale to the knockers. When Welsh
and Cornish immigrants came to the United States, they brought the story of the
knocker with them, and it evolved into the “tommyknocker.” Stephen King’s 2010
novel even featured tommyknockers.
Gef the Mongoose
This talking mongoose is said to have lived with a family in
the Isle of Mann in the 1930s. Weird occurrences happened after he moved in,
including the family conversing with the voice of Gef, who said he was an
80-year-old mongoose from New Delhi. Skeptics say Gef was a story made up by
the family’s teenage daughter. Even after the family moved, they stayed firm in
the story of their experience with Gef.
Urco
The Urco is a cryptid that is known in Galicia. It is a
wolf-like being that has black or white fur with horns on its head. It is
believed that seeing the Urco is a sign that death is coming. Such stories of
cryptid black dogs are common in Europe and have even been seen in popular
media.
Afanc
The Afanc is a water monster that resides in the River Conwy
in Wales. There are multiple concepts of what the monster looks like, ranging
from a giant beaver to a crocodile. Several myths and legends have been written
and told about heroes who defeated the Afanc.
Lough Ree Monster
The Lough Ree Monster is a monster that lives in Glasson,
County Westmeath in the waters of Lough Ree. It has a python-like head and a hump
of body. The first recorded sighting of this cryptid was in May of 1960, when
three priests were mayfly fishing where they had fished several times in the
past. They estimated that the hump they saw measured six feet, but thought
there was more beneath the water. By the end of May of that year, there was an
advertisement in the local papers for the capture of the monster. It is said
that this was not the first sighting and that legend has sightings dating back
1,000 years before the priests reported their sighting. Some say that the monster
is a large fish, while others contend that it is a family of otters. This
cryptid remains a local legend, but there is a Lough Ree Monster Festival each
year that draws visitors in. Like other cryptid tales, the Lough Ree Monster
has brought in money for the town from those wanting to get a glimpse of the
monster.
Bigfoot
Bigfoot is a cryptid that is generally associated with North
America. However, there have been Bigfoot sightings in the Celtic world. In
2012, there was a video showing an alleged Bigfoot sighting captured in
Blessington, County Wicklow, in Ireland. A woman claims to have seen Bigfoot in
County Antrim’s Slieveanorra Forest and has a photo to prove it.
In Ireland, there have been many types of Bigfoot spotted.
Aside from the traditional Bigfoot, there is a skinny type that lives in
bogland and another that is called “Wildman.” The Irish Bigfoot often gets
called “Gruagach,” which translates as “hairy thing.”
In Scotland, the Bigfoot creature is known as “Am Fear Liath
Mor,” or the Big Gray Man of Ben Macdui. He was first spotted by mountaineer
John Norman Collie in 1891. Since this report, he received letters saying that others
have seen the creature in the same spot. The descriptions fit other Bigfoot and
Wildman descriptions. Oftentimes, the creature is not seen, but a malevolent presence
is felt. Some have been drawn to dangerous ravines, while others hear footsteps,
whispers, or even music.
Some skeptics claim that the “sightings” are a result of “mountain
panic,” which is fear and anxiety from being isolated and exhausted. Others say
that it just fits in with the myths and legends of other creatures of the area, whose
stories have been told
Morag of Morar
Morag is Nessie’s lesser-known cousin who resides in the waters of Loch Morar in the Highlands. Loch Morar is the deepest freshwater body in the British Isles. The first sighting of Morag occurred in 1887, and sightings have been reported ever since. There is some disagreement on the type of creature Morag is. Some say Morag is a mermaid, while others say she is a plesiosaur-like creature like Nessie. She only shows up when someone near Loch Morar is about to die. In 1898, she appeared when Aeneas Macdonnell died. She has continued to appear in the 20th century as well. In 1948, nine people in a boat reported that they saw a creature that appeared to be 20 feet in length.
Related Articles:
-Celtic UFO Sightings: https://kiltedowl.blogspot.com/2025/11/celtic-ufo-sightings.html
-The Loch Ness Monster: https://kiltedowl.blogspot.com/2025/11/loch-ness-monster.html
-Celtic Hauntings: Dalhousie Castle Hotel: https://kiltedowl.blogspot.com/2025/10/celtic-hauntings-dalhousie-castle-hotel.html