Psychic Blog

Continuing from my recent article on Kelpies, here I wanted to delve into the creatures known as Selkies.

Selkies are not among the most commonly known mythical creatures and are often overlooked or confused with the legends of mermaids and sirens. Unlike these other two creatures, Selkies are gentle entities that do not exist to lure sailors to their death. They play a vital role in the ancient folklore of Ireland, Scotland, and Scandinavia. Their stories depict romantic tragedies, with the Selkies being the ones who suffer at the hands of humans.

Shape-shifting Seals

Selkies live in the sea in seal form. They can, however, shape-shift into human form whenever they please. This involves a complete body transformation, but often subtle signs are apparent in their human form such as being excessively beautiful, having long unruly sea hair, or possessing eyes that appear inhuman at times. Unlike traditional shapeshifters, Selkies actually remove their seal skin when shifting into human form. Their skin is their most prized possession as it is their only means to return to the beloved waves and sea. When they remove their seal skin, they must find a secure hiding place where no human can discover it since this is their sole weakness.

Selkie Legend

If a human, finds and takes a Selkie’s seal skin, he or she can control and command the creature while it is in human form. More often than not in Selkie stories, a man finds a beautiful woman on the coastline and immediately falls in love with her. Therein lies the twist as she often also falls in love with him, or at least does to begin with. If he knows what she truly is, he will look for her seal skin and take it, giving him total control over her. She cannot leave him or return to the sea unless he does one of two things: He could give her skin back and free her of his own accord, or if he raises his hand and strikes her three times, she is free to leave. Even if she believes to be in love with her captor in the beginning, a Selkie’s love of the sea will always win over the love for any human, and they will pine for it. This often leads to heartbreak for the Selkie needs the sea but also desperately wants to be in love and be loved, pulling them in two different directions and causing them to suffer. There are many tales of Selkies having children with humans before they find their skin and escape back into the sea. Often these children would claim to see a seal watch them lovingly from the waves as they walked along the coastline.

Selkies can also be male. It is said that male Selkies are more aggressive and dangerous than their female counterparts. They are extremely attractive to humans and are greatly gifted in the art of seduction. They too can have their skin stolen and are bound by the same rules as females.

Modern-Day Stories of Selkies

Selkies are not as well-known as other mythical creatures. However, it is surprising how many modern-day stories draw inspiration from them. The next time you are walking along a beach or coastline and spot dark, beautiful seal eyes looking at you from the waves, perhaps the Selkie story will come back to your mind.

Best wishes as always, Sarah, PIN: 9888