sailorsenshiofloveandjustice:

nathanandersonart:

Name: Selkie, sylkie, selchie, selkie fowk

Area of Origin: Scotland, Ireland, Iceland, Faroe Islands

Selkies are creatures found in Irish, Scottish, Faroese and Icelandic folklore, most commonly represented in the Northern Isles of Scotland. The creatures are said to live in the sea as seals, but on land, are able to shed their skin to become human in shape. Male selkies are said to be very handsome, typically seeking companionship with women who are dissatisfied with their lives or their working-class husbands. Females are often coerced into relationships with men; to keep a Selkie as one’s wife, a man must steal and hide their seal skin. If females are to find their stolen skin, they will immediately return to their ocean homes, forsaking their land-borne family and children in the process. Tales concerning Selkies are typically tragic in nature, and a returned Selkie will usually avoid their human husband. However, they are sometimes described as ones to visit their children and play with them on the shore.