Selkie is the dialect word for seal in the Orkney Islands,
where the Selkie Folk are still a local
myth. Indeed, the song which haunts our upcoming production of ‘The Selkie Wife’ at The Apollo is
itself from the Orkneys – more about that in another blog.
The basic folklore, of Celtic origin, and possibly connected
to the Scandinavian myth of the Finfolk, is of creatures able to shift their
form from seals into humans and back again, through the casting off and putting
on of their seal skin. In some variations they can only transform at certain
times, and many tales have humans concealing their mates’ seal skins to hold
them to their human form.
There are many tales of Selkies, most suggesting that in
human form, these creatures are alluring and mesmerising: they can mate with
humans and their children can themselves become selkies. Tales abound of Selkies
finding their skins after years on land and deserting their human partners,
often taking their children with them.
Selkies are variously believed to be a water-borne form of
fairyfolk; humans who for some
misdemeanour were condemned to spend their life as seals, and souls of humans
who had drowned. Kelley Jo Burke has taken a variation of the last explanation
as a basis for her beautiful and thought-provoking play.
‘The Selkie Wife’
will be staged at The Apollo Theatre on 21st, 22nd and 25th-29th
October at 7.30pm.
For tickets and further information please visit: http://www.apollo-theatre.org.uk/the-selkie-wife/
No comments:
Post a Comment