What Is Redcap? The Bloodthirsty Goblin of Scottish Folklore

The Redcap is a violent goblin said to live in ruined castles along the Anglo-Scottish border. Unlike spirits that just scare travelers, the Redcap is known for attacking people and soaking his cap in their blood. He is one of the most dangerous figures in Northern European folklore, warning people to stay away from old, abandoned castles.

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Key Takeaways

Attribute	Details
Names	Redcap, Redcomb, Bloody Cap; Scots: “Reidcap”
Nature	Malevolent supernatural goblin or spirit
Species	Humanoid
Appearance	Stout old man with long teeth, eagle claws, and a red bonnet
Area	Anglo-Scottish Borders (East Lothian, Roxburghshire)
Creation	Manifests in ruins previously associated with wicked deeds or black magic
Weaknesses	Scripture, the sign of the cross, and holy relics
First Known	Early 19th-century transcriptions of oral lore (e.g., William Henderson, Walter Scott)
Myth Origin	Lowland Scottish and Northern English folklore
Strengths	Immense physical strength and supernatural speed
Time Active	Nocturnal and diurnal; active whenever ruins are encroached upon
Habitat	Ruined towers, peel houses, and derelict castles
Diet	Human blood (required to keep its cap red)

Who or What Is Redcap?

The Redcap is a powerful, solitary goblin who lives mainly in ruined castles and towers along the Scotland-England border. He is not a ghost, but a physical being filled with malice who claims these ruins as his own. He is known for attacking any human who enters, never trying to trick or bargain, but using force instead.

The Redcap is usually classified as an unseelie fae or goblin. Unlike other goblins in Scottish stories, like the helpful brownie, the Redcap is only dangerous and predatory.

He is best known from the legend of Lord Soulis and Hermitage Castle, a place marked by much bloodshed. The Redcap is seen as the spirit of this violent history, showing the cruelty of the border wars.

Etymology

The name Redcap comes from his habit of wearing a hat soaked in the blood of his victims. In Scots, he is also called Reidcap or Redcomb. The name is simple but dark, as the ‘red’ means the cap is wet with blood.

Stories say the cap must always stay wet with human blood. If it dries, the Redcap loses his power or dies. This shows how the name points to his constant need to kill.

The name Redcap appeared in local ballads and collections of ‘border minstrelsy’ in the late 1700s and early 1800s. Researchers like William Henderson said the name meant ‘terror’ in rural Roxburghshire.

Some linguists think the Redcap is related to other ‘cap’ spirits in Europe, like the German Kobold or the English Bluecap. For these spirits, the color or type of hat shows their role and personality.

A Bluecap is a helpful spirit in mines, but the Redcap’s name signals danger and violence. In some old texts, he is called Dutch Redcap or Robin Redcap, with Robin Redcap being the spirit linked to Lord Soulis at Hermitage Castle.

What Does the Redcap Look Like?

The Redcap is described as a short, stocky old man with long, sharp teeth and thin, talon-like fingers. He has large, fiery eyes set deep in a wrinkled face. Even though he looks old, he is much stronger than any human.

He usually wears heavy iron boots that clank loudly when he walks, but he can still move very fast. He wears a red cap on his head and often carries a pikestaff or strong wooden pole to attack anyone who enters his home.

Mythology

The Redcap is a unique creature in Border Folklore, appearing when the area was full of raiding and lawlessness. His stories are closely tied to ruined buildings. Unlike the banshee, who follows families, the Redcap is connected to places where bad things happened.

The most famous story links the Redcap to Hermitage Castle and the warlock Lord William Soulis. The legend says Soulis kept a Redcap as his familiar spirit. This Redcap, called Robin Redcap, lived in a chest and protected the Lord with magic.

Stories say a strong magician can bind a Redcap, but the creature is always dangerous. The Redcap’s presence in these castles helps explain the heavy, dark feeling people sense at places where terrible things happened.

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Legends

The Familiar of Hermitage Castle

The most famous Redcap legend is about Lord Soulis, who was accused of using dark magic in the 1300s. He ruled his lands with such cruelty that even the tough people of the border were shocked.

To keep his power, Soulis made a deal with a Redcap who lived in the castle dungeons. The Redcap became his advisor and protector, giving Soulis a charm that made him invulnerable to ropes or steel.

But the Redcap’s protection was tricky. When the local people finally rebelled, they could not hang Soulis or stab him with swords. On a wise man’s advice, they wrapped him in lead and boiled him to death in a large cauldron at Nine-stane Rig.

The story says the Redcap did nothing to stop this, since the prophecy about ‘no hemp or steel’ was still true. After Soulis died, the Redcap disappeared into the ruins and is said to still wait for travelers there.

The Traveler and the Iron Boots

In another story, a tired traveler took shelter from a storm in an old tower. As he tried to rest, he heard iron boots clanking up the stairs. He saw a strange, red-capped monster looking around a pillar. The creature chanted a rhyme, saying it wanted to kill the man and soak its cap in his ‘life-warm blood.’

The religious traveler started to recite Bible verses. As he spoke, the Redcap screamed. The creature could not withstand the holy words and either vanished in a cloud of smoke or ran into the shadows, leaving behind a long, sharp tooth. This story shows that while the Redcap is strong, he is weak against spiritual power.

Redcap vs Other Monsters

Monster Name	Origin	Key Traits	Weaknesses
Redcap	Scotland/England	Bloody cap, iron boots, talons	Scripture, holy symbols
Brownie	Scotland	Domestic helper, shaggy appearance	Being given clothing
Nuckelavee	Orkney Islands	Skinless horse-human hybrid	Fresh water
Rawhead	Northern England	Skull-like face, lives in ponds	None specifically recorded
Gancanagh	Ireland	Seducer, smokes a pipe	Religious piety
Kobold	Germany	House or mine spirit, shapeshifter	Iron, banishment rituals
Hobyah	England	Yellow fur, kidnappers	Dogs
Knocker	Cornwall	Mine-dwelling, warns of collapses	Disrespect, lack of food offerings
Glaistig	Scotland	Half-woman, half-goat	Iron, specific rituals

The Redcap is different from other goblins, like the Brownie, because he is always deadly. Most fae can be good or bad depending on how they are treated, but the Redcap is always evil. He is more like the Nuckelavee in terms of danger, but he is tied to buildings, not the sea.

Powers and Abilities

The Redcap has supernatural strength and speed, making it almost impossible to escape him. Even though he is small and wears heavy iron boots, he can run faster than the fastest horse.

• Supernatural Speed: Capable of moving faster than the human eye can follow, despite wearing iron boots.
• Immensely Strong: Can overpower grown men with ease using his talons or club.
• Invulnerability to Human Weapons: Traditional blades and arrows often fail to harm him or pass through him as if he were a shadow.
• Environmental Bonding: He is aware of everything that happens within his chosen ruin.
• Blood Empowerment: His vitality and presence are tied to the moisture of the blood on his cap.

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Can You Defeat a Redcap?

Most people believe you cannot beat a Redcap in a fight. His iron boots and claws make him deadly up close, and his speed means you cannot run away. But, like other unseelie creatures, the Redcap is very weak against holy symbols and words.

The best way to drive off a Redcap is to recite scripture or show a crucifix. When he hears holy words or sees a sacred symbol, he loses his form and disappears. Sometimes he leaves behind a tooth or claw, but he is gone. Some stories also say that holy water burns the blood on his cap and drives him away.

Conclusion

The Redcap is still one of the scariest figures in British folklore. He represents the violent history of the Border Marches, coming from a place shaped by centuries of conflict. His need for fresh blood to keep his cap red is a strong symbol of how past violence can haunt a place long after it happened.

Although he is often called a fairy or goblin, the Redcap is not playful like others. He is a predator who haunts ruins, reminding us that some places are best left alone. For students of mythology, the Redcap is a clear example of a dangerous spirit tied to a place, showing that in Scottish legend, the past can still threaten the present.