 By some accounts, the glashtin is a goblin that appears out of its aquatic habitat, to come in contact with the island folk; others equate it to the water horse known locally as "cabyll-ushtey".The two conflicting accounts above can be reconciled by the trick of regarding the Manx glashtin as a shape-shifter.Recent literature embracing this notion claims that the equine glashtin assumes human form at times, but betrays his identity when he fails to conceal his ears, which are pointed like a horse's.