Coastlines encourage specialisation, species which do not live solely on the land and species which do not live solely in the sea have both evolved to make the most of this varied and varying environment.
Loved this!! I didn't know selkies could be either woman or man here. And you describe their eyes perfectly! There is no other animal whose eyes speak to me like a seal's.
Thank you! There are so many old stories, too. (Do you know the work of Gregor Lamb? I was lucky enough to have him as my primary school teacher, and his work on folklore, history, and, especially, Orkney dialect, is incredible. It’s a funny thing, how I thought such a style of teaching was normal, until I learnt, years later, that it wasn’t, that I was just incredibly fortunate to have such an education at that age. Similarly with seeing George Mackay Brown wandering around Stromness when I was peedie, I just took that for granted.)
In my view, the seals are a people of their own, they have a language and a culture and song, after all. I am sure you now know certain individuals, how they recognise you.
I don’t but I will look him up! he sounds wonderful
there is one seal I know well, who likes to follow me as I walk, and I think I can tell who she is by her face shape - the others, well, I’m working on it. They are always far more interested in my dog than in me - I’m sure they know who Magnus is, I am just the servant walking behind him!
I think you are right about the dogs. When I used to walk Orlando, the family sprocker, the seals certainly knew him. I know some people view seals as the dogs of the sea, with similar characteristics, and it makes a sort-of sense.
It opens a whole new world, when we start to identify individual animals (or birds etcetera). When I used to live in Caithness, I began to recognise individual house sparrows, as I would feed them on my window ledge. Each had their own mannerisms and character, each subtly different to the others. It took some times, but really made that experience special.
Once again I pine to visit your island Alex... this last post of the year is quite probably my favorite. I’m not sure how but I read (or heard) selkie stories eons ago now, but they always stayed with me. This is beautiful writing, thank you for sharing.
Many thanks for this. I think this ancient stories have a habit of sticking once heard, like burrs on woollen socks, perhaps?! One day I'm sure you'll make your way up to Orkney, and I'm looking forward to hearing about what you think.
Swimming here in Puget Sound, harbor seals will occasionally swim upside down underneath us to get a better look, or tap us on the foot. I'm glad the elephant seals and the sealions - especially the Steller sealions - don't get that close.
I believe the native Americans in these parts have similar stories, for sure with orcas and wolves. Now I have to go check...
They are such curious creatures, seals, always wanting to learn more and, seemingly, play. Big teeth, however...!
So many of these stories are beyond ancient, travelling with us, being reinvented, or reworked, picking up added local flavour. I love that different cultures often have similar tales to tell, history, myth, legend, story, they're all so utterly fascinating.
A really nostalgic read, despite never having been to Orkney myself. I can't help but feel there's something a little sad about the legend of the selkies - these sort of half-creatures, neither here nor there, using their song to be heard, to be seen. I'll listen carefully if ever I find myself on Orcadian shores. Thanks for sharing!
I agree, there is something sad, something melancholy about the selkies. I suppose for all these stories, and for those who straddle different cultures or nations, for example, there is that sense of either belonging everywhere, or nowhere. And one day, you should definitely visit Orkney, it leaves a lasting impression. Many thanks for your comment!
The tales of the selkies are well known here - similarly the tales of mermaids having their tails taken and hidden so they remain on land. Seals are so curious - I love seeing them just staring at you from the water. As you say, such liquid eyes. I’ve never heard them sing though, that would be something.
I could never work out why they sang when they did, what triggers this? Although I don't dive (under the water is Aurélie's domain!), I know the seals can be playful there, too, getting really close and nibbling! I like the statue of the mermaid at Balintore, there's something quite magical about the way it is partially covered by the high tide.
I never even got to snorkeling, despite living on Koh Tao in Thailand for months! I'm really not a water person, being out of my depth scares me--I would like to change this and have a goal to do so, but not while we live in the mountains! Maybe once we're back on an island again!
Good luck, lol. I did some snorkelling in the Maldives which was all well and good until we swam from the boat out to a small submerged atoll. I happened to catch a very large black shadow gliding down the steep side of the atoll out of the corner of my eye. Imagine a cartoon character swimming at high speed to a boat and you’ll capture my reaction 🤣🤣
Large black shadows would certainly do that! (Probably not to Aurélie, however, who loves all the swimming things, whether they've got sharp teeth or not!) I think I'll keep my feet mostly on land, seems wiser. Ha!
And a big thank you for signing up as a paid subscriber--that is indeed a lovely Christmas present!
When I first watched The Song of the Sea about seklis, I was mesmerized by the beauty of the myth - creatures that shed their skins to become part of us.
It is such an ancient myth too, a part of so many of the peoples who live by the sea. It is always a little melancholy too, which I think makes it such a powerful story. I've never seen The Song of the Sea but shall save it for a few years more, for when my daughter is old enough to watch, thanks!
I think the ocean is always missed if you know it well. I think, sometimes, even if you don't know it well, too, a fact Tolkien was also keen to get into his tales, I suppose. I always feel most at home by the sea and, especially, when on an island.
I love this, for obvious reasons. The Selkie story is so special. I love that it is found in harsh northern seafaring cultures. I grew up in Alaska and know the story from there, which came both from native Alaska folklore and was brought from Scottish and other European settlers, mainly fisherfolk. I always love reading your accounts of Orkney. I’m writing a fantasy novel set in a world very similar to it right now, and the details you give always fuel my imagination and help me build the world.
Oh I definitely thought of you when I crafted this piece! I was going to share it and tag you today, but you beat me to it.
It really is a special story and, when you sit and watch the seals, entirely understandable, too.
The stories of Orcadians (and other Scottish people, but Orcadians were favoured by the Hudson Bay Company) in Canada and out to Alaska are many. I've certainly mentioned Dr. John Rae, whose native-friendly attitude I really admire, even if it meant he was ostracised by polite Victorian society (mostly thanks to one Charles Dickens).
One day, I would love to read your novel and I'm very happy that my Orkney posts help fuel your imagination, that's a great thing.
Awh thank you! I love that you thought of me haha. It’s serendipitous because the day before you posted this I had the first session of a big selkie themed tattoo done. I have heard of him! I’ll have to look into it. I really want to learn more about the connections of commercial fishing here in Alaska to the Orcadians and other northern seafaring folks. There’s a strong tradition here of knitting ganseys, which made its way over from Ireland and Scotland. A lot of the knitting I’ve done in recent years has been inspired by patterns from that region.
That is indeed serendipitous! What a lovely idea for a tattoo, too. I actually have an Orcadian school friend who made his way over to BC, where he works as a commercial fisherman, so the connections are still there now. I love those traditional ganseys, it's a part of coastal culture in the UK which has enjoyed a recent revival, with people finally charting the patterns passed down to them orally. I really like how these things travel around the coastlines of the north, wool telling stories across fathoms, nautical miles and decades.
West Wales was where I first heard the lamenting seal song - I couldn't believe that I hadn't entered a mythical realm; well, actually I had! That was a long, long time ago but I go back often and love how the seals watch you from the water, while you watch them as you walk along the coast path. There's an artist called Tamsin Abbott who makes stained/painted glass, her work beautifully combines creatures, landscapes and mythical elements (I'm not promoting a sale here! I don't know her personally, just from Instagram @tamsintheshed, but I love her work) and she's made a few pieces that include seals as selkies, that chime with your post; here's a link to a print of one - https://www.numonday.com/product/selkie-reunion-signed-and-numbered-print-by-tamsin-abbott/#
It is a song which stays with you, somewhere deep inside. I miss it.
I looked up Tamsin Abbott, such beautiful work! Shall have to find her on Instagram too, seeing as I'm currently considering a mission to bring people of worth over from there to here! Also, I noticed she has co-authored a book with Jackie Morris, which is super. Jackie was one of the people I used to talk to a LOT online, back in the good old days of non-cruel twitter. I miss her (she even sent me a pack of her art postcards once, which I treasured and shared wisely and thoughtfully).
Many thanks for this comment and sharing that link (wasn't even sure we could share links in comments, so that's awesome!). Learning of new-to-me artists and art is one of the big reasons I remain on the internet. Thanks.
Oh I know that space! As there was a gap between moving out of our home in Stenness and moving into the new one in Deerness, we rented a place near there for a couple of weeks.
There is something strangely comforting about being watched by those dark eyes.
Loved this!! I didn't know selkies could be either woman or man here. And you describe their eyes perfectly! There is no other animal whose eyes speak to me like a seal's.
Thank you! There are so many old stories, too. (Do you know the work of Gregor Lamb? I was lucky enough to have him as my primary school teacher, and his work on folklore, history, and, especially, Orkney dialect, is incredible. It’s a funny thing, how I thought such a style of teaching was normal, until I learnt, years later, that it wasn’t, that I was just incredibly fortunate to have such an education at that age. Similarly with seeing George Mackay Brown wandering around Stromness when I was peedie, I just took that for granted.)
In my view, the seals are a people of their own, they have a language and a culture and song, after all. I am sure you now know certain individuals, how they recognise you.
Many thanks for reading!
I don’t but I will look him up! he sounds wonderful
there is one seal I know well, who likes to follow me as I walk, and I think I can tell who she is by her face shape - the others, well, I’m working on it. They are always far more interested in my dog than in me - I’m sure they know who Magnus is, I am just the servant walking behind him!
I think you are right about the dogs. When I used to walk Orlando, the family sprocker, the seals certainly knew him. I know some people view seals as the dogs of the sea, with similar characteristics, and it makes a sort-of sense.
It opens a whole new world, when we start to identify individual animals (or birds etcetera). When I used to live in Caithness, I began to recognise individual house sparrows, as I would feed them on my window ledge. Each had their own mannerisms and character, each subtly different to the others. It took some times, but really made that experience special.
Once again I pine to visit your island Alex... this last post of the year is quite probably my favorite. I’m not sure how but I read (or heard) selkie stories eons ago now, but they always stayed with me. This is beautiful writing, thank you for sharing.
Many thanks for this. I think this ancient stories have a habit of sticking once heard, like burrs on woollen socks, perhaps?! One day I'm sure you'll make your way up to Orkney, and I'm looking forward to hearing about what you think.
You’ll be the first to know !
Swimming here in Puget Sound, harbor seals will occasionally swim upside down underneath us to get a better look, or tap us on the foot. I'm glad the elephant seals and the sealions - especially the Steller sealions - don't get that close.
I believe the native Americans in these parts have similar stories, for sure with orcas and wolves. Now I have to go check...
They are such curious creatures, seals, always wanting to learn more and, seemingly, play. Big teeth, however...!
So many of these stories are beyond ancient, travelling with us, being reinvented, or reworked, picking up added local flavour. I love that different cultures often have similar tales to tell, history, myth, legend, story, they're all so utterly fascinating.
A really nostalgic read, despite never having been to Orkney myself. I can't help but feel there's something a little sad about the legend of the selkies - these sort of half-creatures, neither here nor there, using their song to be heard, to be seen. I'll listen carefully if ever I find myself on Orcadian shores. Thanks for sharing!
I agree, there is something sad, something melancholy about the selkies. I suppose for all these stories, and for those who straddle different cultures or nations, for example, there is that sense of either belonging everywhere, or nowhere. And one day, you should definitely visit Orkney, it leaves a lasting impression. Many thanks for your comment!
The tales of the selkies are well known here - similarly the tales of mermaids having their tails taken and hidden so they remain on land. Seals are so curious - I love seeing them just staring at you from the water. As you say, such liquid eyes. I’ve never heard them sing though, that would be something.
I could never work out why they sang when they did, what triggers this? Although I don't dive (under the water is Aurélie's domain!), I know the seals can be playful there, too, getting really close and nibbling! I like the statue of the mermaid at Balintore, there's something quite magical about the way it is partially covered by the high tide.
I don't dive either, snorkelling is as far as I ever got.
Yes, I like the Mermaid of the North too - she has an incredibly intense, direct gaze!
I never even got to snorkeling, despite living on Koh Tao in Thailand for months! I'm really not a water person, being out of my depth scares me--I would like to change this and have a goal to do so, but not while we live in the mountains! Maybe once we're back on an island again!
Good luck, lol. I did some snorkelling in the Maldives which was all well and good until we swam from the boat out to a small submerged atoll. I happened to catch a very large black shadow gliding down the steep side of the atoll out of the corner of my eye. Imagine a cartoon character swimming at high speed to a boat and you’ll capture my reaction 🤣🤣
Finally managing to get a moment to catch up!
Large black shadows would certainly do that! (Probably not to Aurélie, however, who loves all the swimming things, whether they've got sharp teeth or not!) I think I'll keep my feet mostly on land, seems wiser. Ha!
And a big thank you for signing up as a paid subscriber--that is indeed a lovely Christmas present!
It's a mad time of year! And I'm with you on keeping feet on terra firma, lol
You're welcome 🙂
When I first watched The Song of the Sea about seklis, I was mesmerized by the beauty of the myth - creatures that shed their skins to become part of us.
It is such an ancient myth too, a part of so many of the peoples who live by the sea. It is always a little melancholy too, which I think makes it such a powerful story. I've never seen The Song of the Sea but shall save it for a few years more, for when my daughter is old enough to watch, thanks!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SR7QTKe1D7Q
I thought I'd leave this for you to listen to.
Thank you! I shall have a listen later. I have a memory of that album cover, so I may have heard it some time ago. Definitely familiar.
and now I shall miss the ocean
I think the ocean is always missed if you know it well. I think, sometimes, even if you don't know it well, too, a fact Tolkien was also keen to get into his tales, I suppose. I always feel most at home by the sea and, especially, when on an island.
I love this, for obvious reasons. The Selkie story is so special. I love that it is found in harsh northern seafaring cultures. I grew up in Alaska and know the story from there, which came both from native Alaska folklore and was brought from Scottish and other European settlers, mainly fisherfolk. I always love reading your accounts of Orkney. I’m writing a fantasy novel set in a world very similar to it right now, and the details you give always fuel my imagination and help me build the world.
Oh I definitely thought of you when I crafted this piece! I was going to share it and tag you today, but you beat me to it.
It really is a special story and, when you sit and watch the seals, entirely understandable, too.
The stories of Orcadians (and other Scottish people, but Orcadians were favoured by the Hudson Bay Company) in Canada and out to Alaska are many. I've certainly mentioned Dr. John Rae, whose native-friendly attitude I really admire, even if it meant he was ostracised by polite Victorian society (mostly thanks to one Charles Dickens).
One day, I would love to read your novel and I'm very happy that my Orkney posts help fuel your imagination, that's a great thing.
Awh thank you! I love that you thought of me haha. It’s serendipitous because the day before you posted this I had the first session of a big selkie themed tattoo done. I have heard of him! I’ll have to look into it. I really want to learn more about the connections of commercial fishing here in Alaska to the Orcadians and other northern seafaring folks. There’s a strong tradition here of knitting ganseys, which made its way over from Ireland and Scotland. A lot of the knitting I’ve done in recent years has been inspired by patterns from that region.
That is indeed serendipitous! What a lovely idea for a tattoo, too. I actually have an Orcadian school friend who made his way over to BC, where he works as a commercial fisherman, so the connections are still there now. I love those traditional ganseys, it's a part of coastal culture in the UK which has enjoyed a recent revival, with people finally charting the patterns passed down to them orally. I really like how these things travel around the coastlines of the north, wool telling stories across fathoms, nautical miles and decades.
West Wales was where I first heard the lamenting seal song - I couldn't believe that I hadn't entered a mythical realm; well, actually I had! That was a long, long time ago but I go back often and love how the seals watch you from the water, while you watch them as you walk along the coast path. There's an artist called Tamsin Abbott who makes stained/painted glass, her work beautifully combines creatures, landscapes and mythical elements (I'm not promoting a sale here! I don't know her personally, just from Instagram @tamsintheshed, but I love her work) and she's made a few pieces that include seals as selkies, that chime with your post; here's a link to a print of one - https://www.numonday.com/product/selkie-reunion-signed-and-numbered-print-by-tamsin-abbott/#
It is a song which stays with you, somewhere deep inside. I miss it.
I looked up Tamsin Abbott, such beautiful work! Shall have to find her on Instagram too, seeing as I'm currently considering a mission to bring people of worth over from there to here! Also, I noticed she has co-authored a book with Jackie Morris, which is super. Jackie was one of the people I used to talk to a LOT online, back in the good old days of non-cruel twitter. I miss her (she even sent me a pack of her art postcards once, which I treasured and shared wisely and thoughtfully).
Many thanks for this comment and sharing that link (wasn't even sure we could share links in comments, so that's awesome!). Learning of new-to-me artists and art is one of the big reasons I remain on the internet. Thanks.
Oh I know that space! As there was a gap between moving out of our home in Stenness and moving into the new one in Deerness, we rented a place near there for a couple of weeks.
There is something strangely comforting about being watched by those dark eyes.