Irish/Scottish Folklore Questions

[Pensive Shadows]

This is cross-posted from the NaNoWriMo boards, (I'm Darksong Shadowhart over there,) but I figured that this would get me a more concentrated, active audience, since it's off-season over there.

I'm looking for any and all resources that are related to the myth of the Selkie, from physical descriptions to stories to, well, anything y'all have heard.

In advance, thanks much!

[alcar]

Hrm, this (http://www.orkneyjar.com/folklore/selkiefolk/) looks quite useful, and I'm guessing wikipedia's external links would be good for reading, and a google image search can probably bring up enough pics *shrugs*

[Pensive Shadows]

I guess I should have mentioned that I've pretty much have exhausted the usual resources for such research. I've gone as far as encyclopedia mythica and wikipedia and the most pertinent results from a good google search will take me.

[Tundra]

Um... Well there's an Australian movie called Selkie that I quite enjoy. :P About a boy who can turn into a seal because he's half selkie.

[alcar]

Ah! Hrm. Local library is probably your best shot, or hoping for luck with a different search engine? ONe thought, the SurLaLune forums (a quick search of them got that (http://surlalunefairytales.yuku.com/search/text/forum/1?q=selkie&submit=Search+Forum)). This thread (http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/boardarchives/2002/dec2002/selkies.html) is decent as well. Apologies if you've already checked out the site (it IS one of the bigger ones on the subject after all).

[Dwiesel McAllister]

Well, from right off, I know that the Selkie are seal people that remove their seal skins when they leave the water and walk around in human form, and one Celtic legend I know involves a man who stole a Selkie woman's seal skin and locked it in a chest to coerce her into marrying him. She did, of course, and later, one of her daughters found the skin and gave it to her mother, allowing her to return to the sea. That isn't an entirely original theme in legends, though. I've heard a similar story that involves a swan-woman instead.

[Hobbit-bard Rosie]

Sorry I'm not being helpful, but I just wanted to mention I really enjoyed the Seal Maiden album Karan Casey made some years back. Very prettyful.

Edit: And now I wish to say that the link posted by alcar is a veritable treasure trove. I love folklore, and prefer it without sugar-coating, though as I mentioned I can appreciate some things that fall under that heading...for anyone else that enjoys such things with all their darkness and drama intact I highly recommend having a look around there. I've only just scratched the surface, there's links everywhere! I love it! :D

[WritersTear]

Pensuve, I hve a book on Scottish Myths - If you want, I can look in there for you in the next few days