Jon Solo Sebastian 09/12/2025:

Surely you’ve heard of the headless horseman? Of course you have, and no, I’m not calling you Shirley. But have you ever heard of the Nuckelavee? It’s referred to as the “Devil of the Sea,” and is said to be a horse with its rider fused to it. If you think that sounds messed up—don’t worry, it gets worse. The Nuckelavee, this week’s ‘Monster of the Week,’ comes from Scottish and Norse mythology, but mainly from Orcadian folklore. Stories of this terrifying beast have been passed down by the people of the Orkney Islands of Scotland for hundreds, if not thousands of years. The people of Orkney claim it to be a beast created by Odin, which tracks when you realize the islands were colonized by Norse raiders in the 8^th century. This could have been a story the Norse raiders brought with them or something they encountered upon settling the area… if it was a real creature.

What is the Nuckelavee?

“The Nuckelavee is considered so demonic that early inhabitants of Scotland’s Northern Isles would not even say the word “Nuckelavee” without immediately following it with a prayer.”

The most common statement I’ve found in my research is that of all the creatures of Scotland’s folklore, the Nuckelavee is the worst of the bunch. That profound statement is backed more by the appearance of the creature rather than encounters with it. As you might expect, the encounters, or witness reports are almost nonexistent. Some stories involve it chasing after boats and pulling it underwater, or terrorizing the locals along with ruining their crops.

What does the Nuckelavee look like?

The descriptions of this creature or demon are fairly consistent across the board. It’s mostly a horse, but it has a man’s upper body attached or fused to the back of the horse behind its head. It looks like a strange version of a centaur that came from the deepest depths of hell. The horse only has one eye in the center of its face that is either bright red or a burning red flame depending on who is telling the story. The death rider and its horse share a gruesome trait—they are skinless. Both the horse and its rider are muscular and are more ripped than the old school WWE or WCW wrestlers, and you can see what is described as black blood coursing through their discolored veins. The human-like part of the creature also has two thin, but muscular, long arms with claw-like hands. Some “eyewitnesses” describe the creature as above, but instead of a human upper body, they claim it to be just the head and arms fused to the horse. Either way—nightmare fuel… especially for folks back then.

What does it do and why is it feared (aside from its frightening appearance)?

You know one of the dullest (in my opinion) questions asked upon meeting new people; what do you do for a living? If you were to meet the Nuckelavee and were able to ask it this question, what would he say?

Me: “So, Mister Nuckelavee, what do you do for a living? And if you don’t mind, could I offer you a breath mint?”

Nuckelavee: “I do not need a breath mint. My breath cleanses the earth by destroying your plants and livestock as I prepare it for my master’s great return.”

Me: “Yes, my houseplants will need to be replaced. I’d appreciate it if you cover the cost to replace them.”

Nuckelavee: “Silence human! I haven’t begun to tell you what my job responsibilities are. Aside from cleansing the air and earth with my refreshing sea breeze breath, I also summon storms to flood the land to kill off crops, or I can cause a drought to dry up the land; it all depends on my mood, really. Sometimes I like to craft and test out new illnesses, and watch the epidemics unfold. One of my favorite parts of the daily work routine is attacking fishermen or pretty much anyone who comes anywhere near my stomping grounds; specifically the coast, but not limited to that area as I am able to traverse both land and sea—no one is safe! Now, this interview is boring me, and I’m hungry. I think it’s time for you to become my afternoon snack, human.”

Me: “Well, it’s a good thing I did my research because I’ve learned this little trick that is quite similar to how villains take Superman down a few notches. I’m just going to burn a little seaweed here while I hose you off with this garden hose.”

Nuckelavee: “No! You may have stopped me this time, human. But I will return with a vengeance unlike anything you could imagine!”

So you see, the Nuckelavee is capable of causing droughts, plagues, and killing off plant life and livestock. Avoidance, fresh water, and burning seaweed are the only ways to keep it away. I don’t always keep those things on hand, so I suppose the best thing to do would be to avoid the coast if you ever visit the Orkney Islands, but that might ruin one of the best parts of your visit because I’m sure it’s beautiful there when the skinless devil of the sea isn’t roaming the area.