Scotland, the Orkney Islands (folk tale)

The Selkie Belief

Folklore — not a documented case

A melancholic tale in Scottish and Irish folklore of seal-people who take on human form on land by shedding their skin. Passed down through generations in the oral culture of island communities.

The selkie tales, told in Scotland's Orkney and Shetland islands and in Ireland's coastal communities, form some of the most melancholic stories in northern sea folklore.

The stories in this section are folk tales and legends; they are not verified, real events and should not be confused with the rest of the archive.

From the same region