The Story Of The Selkie Wife | Shetland Folktales | BBC The Social

The Selkie story appears time and time again across Norse and Celtic countries. Here's a Shetland retelling of the tale from Marjolein Robertson.

We’re also on other channels too!

[Santyago]

Oh this is beautiful and so well told by Marjolein. Captivating. Love it 💙👏👏👏

[fighttheevilrobots]

I had a dream about a selkie before I knew what one was. I wa so haunted by the image I began randomly googling what I saw ... and I dreamt of a selkie. Then, about 5 months later I picked up a small art card from local Pizza shop. I was drawn to it, with bright blues and pinks, fuschia and strong black lines. I put up as art, in the corner of a room. Another 2 weeks go by. I need to clean that corner and I move the art. For the first time I see the title: The Call of the Selkie, by Roisin Cairney. I don't know what this means.

[starswift]

Beautiful story, beautifully told. 🧜🙏💙

[Liederfuchs]

I really like this story. I've always been fascinated by Shetland and Orkney folklore.
This reminds me, there's another selkie story in which the roles are reversed and the tale ends in tragedy.

In the ballad of "The Great Silkie of Sule Skerry" a woman bears a child to a selkie man. He disappears for seven years, leaving her to raise the child on her own. When he returns he takes his son with him to the sea and foretells his own and his son's death at the hands of a seal hunter.

Eventually this woman marries a hunter who goes out to hunt the seals. He shoots one and discovers a golden chain around its neck. When he brings back the gold chain the woman realizes that her son and his father have been shot and breaks down in tears.

Only two traditional tunes for the ballad have been preserved, both from singers in Orkney, although it was also sung in Shetland in earlier times.

[wolfhardgorus]

does anyone know what the first tune is? been looking for ages

[ostravia]

My desert cat is called Selkie and a male. To catch a fish is one thing for a purpose; other is a parry for vengeance deserved.

[englishbars]

what year did this happen? and did the man remarry or try and find her again?

[nephys]

Jyst wance, A want wan o these tales tae tell the story a man wha wins er the wife wi is guid hairt, wioot coercin the lassie.