Did you know that in medieval days, a brownie wasn’t a delicious sugary chocolatey confection that made one’s mouth water at the mere mention of it. No, a brownie was, according to the myth, a little sprite that lived in, on, or near the ground; a little mischievous elf that dearly loved to play tricks on unsuspecting townsfolk. (I know this because I used to watch the old Richard Greene Robin Hood tv series. It’s really good. Don’t diss it till you try it)

That’s my little random fact of the day. But when I was making brownies two days ago, (they were the most delicious brownies EVER, btw. Chocolatey, with powdered sugar sprinkled on top, chocolate syrup drizzled all over, and topped with a ton of chocolate chips. Yeah, that’s right, be jealous of my confectionery skillz) I got to thinking about this little fairy tale about the brownies (sprites, not sugar confection).

I love these little bits of mythology and fairy tale, as those of you who know me probably know. They’re just so fun to read about, and those little cults that actually believe in that stuff always give me a giggle with their stoic belief. But because of this, I thought I’d share my favorite myth with y’all.

THE KELPIE (♫Dun dun DUMMMM♫)

Kelpies were these creepy critters that lived in large bodies of water. According to myth, they would come out of the lake (or body of water. I’m just saying “lake” because it’s simpler) and, because they were magnificent animals (they didn’t look evil at all, they just looked like an amazing horse, unlike the picture I have here. I just put it up because it looks ♫AMAZINGG♫), would tempt any man or woman to climb on their back and try to tame them. But once the unfortunate human climbed on, they were unable to get off. Some kind of substance all over the kelpie would stick to them, and they could not get off, no matter how hard they tried. The kelpie would then take their victim into the depths of the lake, there to eat him or her with teeth sharp as knives. There was a rumor (funny, because the story itself is a myth) that if you could get the bridle of seaweed off of the kelpie’s muzzle, the kelpie would be yours for life, obedient, but as fiery as a stallion. I love this because I’ve had a passion for horses since I was a small girl, and this just adds fantasy to reality. Of course, I know it’s not real, and it would be pretty awful if it were, but still.

Only with me could a discussion about brownies turn into a story about a man-eating horse that lives within the depths of a watery lair. You know you like it.