Ethereal Chronicles

Once there was a young fisherman, who lived in a cottage next to to his weatherworn lighthouse. But he was lonely, and despite the love he had for fishing, and for his home, he often yearned for something more. One evening, after working late into the night, he ventured down to the shore, where the moon was at her biggest, brightest point in the sky. As he approached, laughter and singing reached his ears. Crouching down, he peered through the shrubbery, letting out a soft gasp. Before him, four ethereal women danced beneath the comforting light that shone down on their naked forms, their long hair trailing down their backs as they swirled and stepped, intertwining hands. They were the most beautiful women he had ever seen. Nearby, a pile of seal skins lay untouched, tempting the fisherman. Holding his breath, he took one, feeling the cool, soft texture against his chest and wondering which of the women it belonged to.

They danced for a long time while the fisherman continued to watch them, drunk with desire, unable to tear his eyes away. Finally, their bodies wearied from dancing, the women retrieved their seal skins and gracefully submerged into the watery abyss, laughter echoing as their heads disappeared beneath the waves. The fourth woman, smaller in stature with a mass of dark hair, melancholic eyes, and rosy lips, halted in search of her skin. The fisherman, unable to resist, revealed himself. The Selkie’s eyes widened further as they fluttered between him and the seal skin in his arms, realisation dawning upon her face.

“Let me take you home, as my wife.” The fisherman said, knowing that she would not forsake her skin. She remained silent, her head bowed in a silent plea. But the fisherman had no intention of letting her go, no remorse for what he had done, and the Selkie had no choice but to follow.

Years passed and the fisherman locked the skin away, concealing it in a chest in the uppermost room, keeping the key with him and forbidding the Selkie to touch it. Although she never loved her husband, the Selkie, whom he named Serana, grew to adapt to her husband’s presence. She was a quiet wife, but a virtuous one. They had three children; two boys and a girl, who brought Serana immense joy. However, with time, the fisherman saw a deepening sorrow in her eyes, and she spent more and more moments gazing out at her former home.

When their eldest son turned six, he asked his mother what bothered her, sensing her lingering sadness. Serana confessed her desire to return home, fearing that if she remained on land, she would wither away. She told him of the key kept beside the fisherman’s bed, forbidden to her. Feeling sorry for his mother, the young boy stole the key from his father’s bedside one night, opening the chest so that his mother could be reunited with her beloved skin. The Selkie cradled the seal skin in her arms and wordlessly passed her son, out of the house and into the embrace of the waves that had waited for her all these years. Tearfully, the son pleaded for his mother to say her goodbyes and promise to return to him, but the call of the sea had deafened her to his words.

The fisherman was devastated, and lived the remainder of his life in sorrow. When the first son reached 20, his father relinquished to him the lighthouse, and took a boat out one stormy day, searching for his lost wife. He called out to her, begging her to return, but he was met with no response. The waves, fierce and unforgiving, claimed him as their own. The Selkie did not help the fisherman, fearing he would take her captive once more. However, after the fisherman’s death, she returned for the son who had once saved her, appearing once every full moon. Together, they sat by the shore, the Selkie sharing tales of the sea and his heritage until the approaching dawn signaled her departure.

Sulkies are mystical water creatures from Celtic folklore. Unlike mermaids or sirens, Selkies are known for their gentle, timid nature. They appear as seals in the sea but are able to shed their skins to transform into humans when they come ashore.

APPEARANCE AND ATTRIBUTES

In their human guise, Selkies are enchanting and beautiful. They may have webbed fingers, and possess seal skins, which are needed in order to return back to the water.

The female selkies are often seen dancing in the moonlight on solitary shores. Many tales depict the union of a female Selkie and a human, who discovers and takes the seal skin while it is unattended. Since a Selkie cannot return to the sea without his/her coat, the Selkie is forced to remain with the human until the coat is rightfully returned.

Selkies are kind hearted and have beautiful voices. They may control the weather over the seas.

Despite the fact that Selkie myths predominantly focus on females, there are accounts of male Selkies inviting women feeling trapped and lonely in unhappy marriages. These irresistible males possess compelling powers, offering an escape and may have several children with the woman. To attract a male Selkie and take him as her lover, a woman must bring to the sea 7 tear drops.