THE SELKIE FOLK In the Orkney and SHETLAND islands, located off the coast of Scotland, the word for “seal” is “selkie.”

In the Orkney and SHETLAND islands, located off the coast of Scotland, the word for “seal” is “selkie.” According to folklore, in the waters surrounded the two groups of islands lives a magical race called “the selkie folk”. The selkies are gentle creatures that have the ability to transform themselves from seals into human beings simply by removing their seal skins. Once they are in a human form, the selkies enjoy dancing on the beach in the moonlight or lying in the sun. Then a selkie decides it wants to return to the sea.