Selkies

=Selkies= A selkie is a mermaid-esque creature of Irish or Scottish mythology, but unlike mermaids or sirens, they have a kind and loving nature. Also unlike sirens or mermaids, they can live on land as a human, or at sea as a seal. They are only allowed to move onto land for a short period of time though, and once they return to the water, they can only return to land again after 7 years. Selkies are depicted as females as well as males, depending on the story you read.

Often times, a selkie is forcefully kept from the ocean for a long period of time if their seal skin, which they must shed away in order to take a human form, is found and kept. In most stories where this happens, the selkie is forced to marry the person who found their seal skin and can only leave if the skin is returned to them. Almost all selkie tales though, end in heartbreak and tragedy.

The tale of the selkie is represented in many different ancient mythologies and is overlooked by many people because of the popularity of creatures much like them. In fact, stories of selkies are dramatic stories, usually of love and loss.

By: Brianne Phillips