Tradition / Region: Scottish Mythology
Alternate Names: Buarach na Baoi; Buarach-bhaoi nan sùilean claon
Category: Fish, Eel
The Myth
The Buarach-bhaoi, whose name means “the wild shackle” or “the shackle of the furious one,” is a dangerous water creature believed to dwell in dark rivers, lochs, and fords. It is described as a leech- or eel-like being, lurking unseen beneath the surface.
When horses attempted to cross certain waters, the Buarach-bhaoi would suddenly coil itself around their legs like an iron shackle. Unable to free themselves, the animals would stumble, fall, and be dragged beneath the water, where they drowned. Afterward, the creature would suck their blood.
The Buarach-bhaoi is said to have nine eyes or holes along its head and back. Through these openings, the blood it consumed would seep out again. Because of this strange and unsettling feature, it was also called “the furious shackle of the squinting eyes.”
Stories place the Buarach-bhaoi in several regions. It was believed to haunt dangerous crossings, especially the dark waters of Loch Tummel, as well as rivers and lochs in Badenoch, Perthshire, and along the west coast of Argyllshire. Wherever the waters ran deep, fast, and shadowed, people feared it might be waiting.
The Buarach-bhaoi was not thought to hunt humans directly, but its presence made certain crossings deadly. Travelers learned to avoid suspicious fords, knowing that what looked like still water might conceal a living shackle beneath.
Gallery
Sources
Campbell, J. G. (2020). Superstitions of the Highlands & Islands of Scotland. Originally published 1900.
Interpretive Lenses
Religious Readings
- Christian Ascetic Deep Dive
Philosophical Readings
- Nietzschean Deep Dive
Psychological Readings
- Jungian Deep Dive
Esoteric Deep Dive
- Hermetic Deep Dive
Political / Social Readings
- Marxist Deep Dive
Other
- How to Invite The Buarach-bhaoi