Tangie

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A Tangie is a folkloric shapeshifting water spirit of Northern Scotland.

The Tangie is the name of a sea horse in the folklore of the Orkney and Shetland Islands in the British Isles. The name derives from the Danish word "tang" meaning "seaweed". It is usually described as a rough-haired type of pony with seaweed or shells in its mane. A Tangie can also look like a merman. It is known for terrorizing lonely travelers, especially young women on roads at night near the lochs, whom it will abduct and devour under the water.

The Tangie plays a major role in the Shetland Islands legend of Black Eric. Black Eric, a sheep rustler, rode a Tangie, which gave him supernatural assistance when he raided and harassed surrounding crofts. In his final battle with crofter Sandy Breamer, Black Eric fell to his death in the sea. The Tangie then continued to terrorize the area, particularly the young women he was hoping to abduct.

A similar creature referred to as a "Tangy" in Orkney was the sea trow. The sea trow dwelled in the waters around the islands. It had the face of a monkey, with large limbs, a wizened body, and webbed fingers and toes.


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