The Selkie, or seal-folk are large seals found in the Northern Isles of Scotland that have the ability to shapeshift into human form. These fascinating mythical creatures have captured the imagination for centuries and feature in many stories from Celtic Folklore.
At the heart of Selkie lore lies their ability to transform. When on land, selkies shed their seal skin, revealing a beautiful human form. Their skin is their connection to the sea and without it they are trapped on land.
Many folktales can be found with motif of the skin of the female selkie being stolen by a man and her being coerced into a relationship for many years, unable to change back and regain her freedom and true self but forever yearning for the ocean, even if she develops a love for her human family, and once she found her skin she would leave and never look back. Other stories exist where the Selkie does fall in love and chooses to live on land, but can never escape from the lure of the Sea, of her true self and eventually the sea always wins. They are stories of being pulled in two directions, the longing for freedom and the pull of love and connection existing in a duality.
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