SELKIES

Origin: Iceland/Greenland and surrounding islands

The selkies are shy, gentle creatures who are seals by day, but men and women by night. The Northern islands, around and including Iceland and Greenland, are where the Selkies are said to originate. In their human form the selkies are described as possessing an unearthly beauty. The legend says, on the ninth night of every month, the seals come out of the water and shed their skins to reveal a human form in which they frolic in until dawn. At daybreak, they replace their skins and return to the water. It is said that if a Selkie's skin is found by a human while on land, the Selkie can be claimed as a husband or wife by whomever found it. If the selkie finds her skin, she will return to the water and remain there as a seal forever. The selkie, however, will not forget her husband and children and can be seen swimming close to the shore watching over them.

Amarthi