Boobrie
Sign in to savethumb|upright 1.1|alt=illustration of a great auk|A great auk, which may be the source for descriptions of the boobrie The boobrie is a mythological shapeshifting entity inhabiting the lochs of the west coast of Scotland. It commonly adopts the appearance of a gigantic water bird resembling a cormorant or great northern diver, but it can also materialise in the form of various other mythological creatures such as a water bull.
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Vinony's link graph records 280 inbound references to Boobrie, and connects out to Tomte, Cailleach and Fox spirit.
It sits within the topics Legendary birds, Mythological aquatic creatures and Mythological shapeshifters.
Vinony links it to 8 Wikipedia language editions.
~9 min read
Encyclopedic overview
10 sectionsContents
- Etymology
- Folk beliefs
- Description and common attributes
- Alternative manifestations
- Capture and hunting
- Origins
- References
- Notes
- Citations
- Bibliography
thumb|upright 1.1|alt=illustration of a great auk|A great auk, which may be the source for descriptions of the boobrie The boobrie is a mythological shapeshifting entity inhabiting the lochs of the west coast of Scotland. It commonly adopts the appearance of a gigantic water bird resembling a cormorant or great northern diver, but it can also materialise in the form of various other mythological creatures such as a water bull.
A generally malevolent entity, the boobrie typically preys on livestock being transported on ships, but it is also fond of otters, of which it consumes a considerable number. In its manifestation as a water horse the creature is able to gallop across the top of lochs as if on solid ground. During the summer months it is seen infrequently as a large insect, sucking the blood of horses.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Boobrie” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.