Selkie
Artwork by Benedetta Fiore. ArtStation | Instagram
Origin: Norse/Celtic mythology
Other names: silkie, sylkie, selchie, selkie folk
Selkies are beings who shed their skin to change from seal to human form. Their stories often revolve around a selkie being forced into a relationship with a human, only to have their sealskin hidden away so that they’re unable to change form. Selkies sometimes have an animal form other than a seal, such as a bear.
Though selkies are usually depicted as female, there are folktales around male selkies. They’re said to seduce human women, particularly those in unhappy marriages. There is one tale in which a woman named Ursilla would shed tears into the sea as a way to call her selkie lover to her.
Some stories suggest that selkies can only take on their human form once every seven years or so because their souls have been condemned; that they were once humans who committed grievous sins.
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