In Icelandic, Scottish and Irish folklore, mythological creatures called selkies were depicted as seals that shed their skin in order to transform into a human form. It is believed that the legend of the selkies may have originated on the Orkney or Shetland Islands. In this article, you will learn more about these legendary creatures.
The Legends of Selkies
Selkies start out as seals and are believed to remove their skins to take the form of a human, and can easily turn back into a seal. The tales that involve selkies are usually framed as a romantic tragedy. At times, the humans are not aware that they have fallen in love with a selkie and when they awaken, they find that their love has vanished. Other tales show a human hoping to prevent their love from turning back to the seal by hiding in the selkie's skin.
Unfortunately, a selkie can only make contact with one specific human for a short period of time before they must return back into the sea. It is said that the selkie is unable to make contact with that human for another seven years – unless the human steals the skin of the selkie and hides it or burns it. This belief is found in the movie titled, The Secret of Roan Inish.
Movie Depiction of Selkies
The film depicts a fisherman who steals the pelt of a selkie while she is sunbathing. She has no other choice but to return to his home because she is unable to escape back into the sea. She weds the fisherman and gives him children. Without her skin, she is a mortal woman – trapped on land and a slave to any of her husband's desires. If she had her skin, she'd have an undeniable power over men. Life is unenjoyable for a selkie without their pelt. Years pass by and one of the children discovers the pelt and inquires about it. The selkie knows what it is and retrieves the pelt from its hidden location. Without hesitation, she rushes into the ocean to return to her former life as a seal.
The Selkie Legend in Wales
The selkie legend also has roots in Wales and is told in a slightly different manner. They believed that selkies were humans that have returned to the sea. One tale tells of a farmer who has gone to the beach to watch the selkies dance on land. Hiding the skin of a striking selkie maid, she is unable to return to the sea and is forced to marry the farmer. Her pelt is stored in a locked chest. One day while fishing, he learns that he has forgotten to bring his key that he keeps with him at all times.
When the farmer returns home, he finds that his selkie wife has escaped to the sea – leaving the life she had with him, as well as their children, behind. The tale goes on to mention how the farmer kills his former wife's selkie husband and two selkie sons during a hunt. She vows to take revenge for this act and curses the men of Mikladalur. It is said that some will drown and others will fall off of cliffs. This cycle is set to continue until the number of men that is lost equals enough to link arms around the entire island of Kallsoy.
Other Cultural Connections
Seal shapeshifters appear in folktales around the world. For example, both the Swedish and the Chinook people of North America tell similar tales.
