Are you a Selkie? Recent discoveries suggest there may be more to this ancient Irish and Scottish myth than mere legend. Salt In The Blood: Myth, Ancestry & Being A Selkie examines the enduring power of folklore – our connection to the sea, and whether some of us might just be closer to the legend than we think…
What Is Selkie Lore?
Selkies are mythical shape-shifting beings, often envisioned as enchanting creatures that are seals at sea, but then shed their seal skins to take human form. The classic Selkie tale usually involves a lonely islander, who stumbles across a beautifully transformed Selkie – only to then hide their seal skin and therefore, preventing them from reclaiming it and returning to the sea.
Typically, a fisherman finds a Selkie woman’s skin, hides it, and marries her.
Though she may settle into human life (as an alternative to being eaten!) and even have human children, she remains drawn to the sea and her seal family that await her.
If she ever finds her skin, she immediately (although often sadly) returns to the water, leaving her human family behind.
Selkie Equality
Other, more obscure versions tell of male Selkies – irresistibly alluring, naturally – who sometimes take human lovers, particularly those who are lonely or dissatisfied with the human alternatives. But, like all good folklore heartthrobs, they can never remain on land for long.
The Selkie myth reflects themes of longing, belonging, and the pull between two worlds – land and sea, duty and desire.
But what if Selkie lore isn’t just a charming, wistful myth?
What if some of us carry the pull of the sea in our blood, an ancestral longing woven into our very names?
Are You A Selkie? A (Highly-Scientific) Self Assessment
This may seem like an unusual question for a discussion on mythological folklore. But I’m not convinced I don’t have Selkie ancestry. Stay with me.
As a child, I tolerated the obligatory summer beach trips to England’s chilly shores with little enthusiam.
As time passed, my indifference developed into something stronger – a deep-seated fear of the sea. Not because of what lurks beneath the waves (though that’s unsettling), but because of the ocean itself; its raw power, an untamed force with a sheer disregard for human planning.
Yet, my fear has always been entwined with fascination. awe and an inexplicable pull towards the tide.
That said, fear and fascination are close cousins. Today, when standing on the west coast of Ireland, I feel more drawn to the water than repelled by it.
Perhaps my fear wasn’t fear at all? Was it the pull of ‘home’? Maybe the tides aren’t trying to drown me; they’re just calling me back.
Selkie Surnames & Family Ties
In Irish folklore, certain surnames are linked to Selkie legends. If you’ve got an O’Sullivan, Murphy, or even a Keane in your family tree, you might want to check for signs of webbed toes.
More significantly, the surname Conneely (Ó Conghaile), heavily associated with Connemara, is among those said to be descended from Selkies.
My maternal great-grandmother had the maiden name, Kenealey. A name that, thanks to the joyful inconsistency of 19th-century Irish emigration records, sounds remarkably similar to Conneely, Coneely, and Connolly
Her family came to England after the Great Famine from Cong, a village not to far from Connemara. It’s exactly the kind of place where Selkie tales aren’t just bedtime stories but whispered truths.
My ancestry research provides evidence that my family’s name has been documented in many variations, including: Kinally, Conneely, Connolly – because Irish emigrants of that time often provided their details verbally, and officials wrote down what they heard.
So, there you have it. My own family’s name, linked to Selkie mythology and part of my lineage! Of course, this could be a coincidence …
Selkies in Literature & Pop Culture
The Selkie legend has captured the imaginations of writers and artists for centuries. A few notable examples include:
- David Thomson’s The People of the Sea (1954) – A beautiful blend of folklore and travel writing, capturing Selkie tales from Irish and Scottish coastal communities.
- The Secret of Roan Inish (1994) – A hauntingly beautiful film based on The Secret of Ron Mor Skerry by Rosalie K. Fry, relocating the story from Scotland to Ireland. A main character? Fiona Coneely. The connections just keep stacking up!
And then there’s Shirley Hughes’ Sea Singing. A story so hauntingly beautiful that it directly inspired my artwork ‘Going Back, The Selkie’s Return.’
If you haven’t read Hughes or feasted your eyes on her artwork, I implore you to do so.
Her words and illustrations have a warmth and depth that makes the world feel a better place and connects us with a mutual nostalgia, beyond your own recollections. Her books are for absolutely all ages, regardless of who her target audience may have been, in her mind.
To celebrate World Poetry Month I have penned a Selkie ballad – The Sea Will Wait. I’ve also splashed out several artworks exploring my self-proclaimed Selkie heritage. The more I reflect, the clearer it becomes: I am a reluctant, fearful, landlocked Selkie; never a true-bride, rebellious of all domesticity, not one for planting roots, always drawn to untamed choices and the pull of freedom.
So, Am I A Selkie?
Let’s examine the evidence:
- Drawn to the sea, but wary of its power? ✔
- Irish coastal ancestry with a suspiciously Selkie-related surname? ✔
- A lifelong reluctance to settle or conform? ✔✔✔
It’s all starting to make sense.
Life-Affirmation
To conclude, I don’t actually fear that the sea will one day rise up and pull me under, at all. No, my real fear is that if I step in too deep, I won’t want to come back; that the waves will recognise me and take me home.
And so, I lean into the mysticism: I paint the Selkies, I write their stories and ballads and I continue to watch the tide, wondering if it’s watching me back.
If you know a Connolly, Conneely, or Kenealey, or anyone with surnames to the left, do let them know – they might just be Selkies too.
We should probably arranged a reunion, but preferably inland… just incase the sea has any ideas.
If you enjoyed “Salt In The Blood: Myth, Ancestry & Being A Selkie”, why not take a look at my other Celtic, Spiritual, Wiccan blogs, right here in my Lifestyle Blog.
Here’s my little ballad. I hope you enjoy it!
If you enjoyed “Salt In The Blood: Myth, Ancestry & Being A Selkie”, why not take a peek at another of my Celtic, spiritual inspired blogs and articles
Sarah H Davis an artist in Celtic, Spiritual pyrography (wood-burning) and pencil and acrylic artwork. Available to buy now, made-to-order and by commission.
