Spirit Seal (Selkie) in Grisaille Enamel

Description

Selkies are creatures found in Faroese, Icelandic, Irish, and Scottish mythology. They are able to transform to human form by shedding their seal skins, and can return to seal form by putting it back on. Stories concerning selkies are generally romantic tragedies. Sometimes the human will not know that their lover is a selkie, and wakes to find them gone. Other times the human will hide the selkie's skin, thus preventing them from returning to seal form.

The selkie legend is also told in Wales, but in a slightly different form. The selkies are humans who have returned to the sea, reminiscent of Arianhrod's son Dylan (from the Mabinogion)

Male selkies are very handsome in their human form, and have great seductive powers over human women. They typically seek those who are dissatisfied with their romantic life. This includes married women waiting for their fishermen husbands.

Some stories from Shetland have selkies luring islanders into the sea at midsummer, the lovelorn humans never returning to dry land.

If a woman wishes to make contact with a selkie male, she has to go to a beach and shed seven tears into the sea.

There is a strong body of lore that indicates that selkies 'are supernaturally formed from the souls of drowned people'

Inuit myth has a seal maiden named Sedna. one tale about her asserts that she was a beautiful maiden who was innocently lured into marriage by an evil bird spirit. When her father tried to rescue her, the spirit became angry and caused a terrible storm which threatened the very survival of her people. In desperation, Sedna's father threw her into the raging sea where she became a seal.

Added on Nov 02, 2009

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