The Selkie World
Welcome! Come on in and have a seat by the peat fire
as we explore the folklore of selkies, theories of their origins, their role in popular culture,
and the natural history of seals that inspired the legends.
This page introduces the world of selkies.
The blog features articles, book reviews, interviews, and
old selkie stories, many collected and published in the 1800s.
Why Selkies
Despite growing up in Nebraska, where the only ocean is miles of golden wheat and green corn fields, I had always felt drawn to the true ocean. It called to my soul in a way I couldn’t articulate, but felt deeply.
I first met selkies when I was in my early twenties listening to the Joan Baez recording of “Silkie,” a version of an old folk song variously called “The Great Silkie of Sule Skerry” or “The Grey Selkie.” I was fascinated from the first listen. I think it was the idea of a being of mystery and secrets who could live a dual existence, both on land and in the sea. Learning to scuba dive was a joy—but being able to swim with the seals, at one with the ocean: that was the ultimate!
