Being surrounded by seas and pelted by rain, it's not really a surprise that the British Isles have plenty of watery folklore. This selection of fresh and salt-water merfolk features...
- The Boons and Banes of the Ceasg
- The Mischievous Shellycoat
- Jenny Greenteeth, Hag of the Waters
- The Sad Tale of the Selkie
- Finfolk, Orkney's Magical and Malicious Merfolk
- The Menace of the Merrow
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| Looks ideal for something to perch on... (Tim G) |
The Boons and Banes of the Ceasg
The Ceasg is an interesting take on a mermaid, being creature with the upper body of a woman and the lower body of a salmon. Legend has it that they haunt the lochs of Scotland, with their shimmering scales and enchanting song luring in passers by. She's said to simultaneously embody the danger and beauty of Scotland, being as likely to bless or to curse depending on her mood.
Folklore claims that a bold human who could catch a Ceasg would be granted three wishes - though since she was an unpredictable trickster, such an endeavor was fraught with peril. Other tales suggest approaching one at all was sheer folly - she could drag you below the water, or devour a human whole!
The Mischievous Shellycoat
Scotland's shellycoat is named after its rattling coat of shells (what a twist, I know.) This strange creature is said to resemble a goblin when it takes off its signature garment to rest - and apparently, getting your hands on their coat could grant a human power over its erstwhile owner.
Shellycoats are said to haunt the waterways and bogs of Scotland, particularly in the lowlands. Though not murderous, they are mischievous pranksters that can play nasty practical jokes.
One story goes that a pair of men heard a voice crying "lost" near the banks of Ettrick Water. The hour was late, so fearing a traveler was lost (and likely to drown in the darkness) the men pursued the voice up river... but oddly, it kept getting further upstream.
By dawn the men had almost reached the source of the river without finding the lost soul. They collapsed with exhaustion, only to hear a burst of laughter and the rattling of shells - the shellycoat applauding them for their efforts and impressed by its own practical joke!
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| Jenny Greenteeth was said to lurk in duckweed covered ponds... (sharkolot) |
Jenny Greenteeth, Hag of the WatersA pool layered in green duckweed sits silently outside a town in northwest England. The local children give it a wide berth - local folklore has it that Jenny Greenteeth lurks beneath surface, ready to snatch the unwary with long, clawed arms.
In the 19th century the physical appearance of Jenny Greenteeth was largely left to the imagination, but later versions of the legend describe her as a pale, green-skinned woman with long green hair, big eyes and long claws. Folklore also associates her with duckweed - the plant was said to indicate her presence in a pool.
Jenny Greenteeth and other similar creatures like Peg Prowler, Nelly Longarms or Grindylow are sometimes classed as a "nursery bogey" intended to warn children away from dangerous and deceptively deep pools. These pools are often clogged with duckweed that has a disturbing tendency to close back over anything that falls into the pond - much like someone being dragged beneath by Jenny!
The Sad Tale of the Selkie
Found in both the folklore of Ireland and Scotland, selkies are sometimes called the seal folk... and unlike the other entries on this list, they pose no real threat to humans.
The selkies were said to be somewhere between humans and seals - they explored the seas in the form of seals, but would sometimes shed their sealskins and come ashore. In human form, they were said to be creatures of grace and beauty - something that led to entanglements with humans.
One bit of folklore suggests that a woman unsatisfied in her marriage could walk to the shoreline and shed tears into the water - one of the seal folk would appear, shed his sealskin and seek "unlawful love" in her embrace.
Tales of female selkies are usually more tragic. Typically they begin with a mortal man stealing their sealskin, trapping them in the form of a human and preventing them from returning to sea. The forlorn selkie often ends up persuaded to marry the human and have a family... until one day, they (or in some particularly poignant tales) their children discover where the sealskin is hidden.The call of the sea is irresistible for the selkie, and the last her family see of her is her sprinting into the waves, skin in hand... though whenever the children are playing on the shore, a curious seal can be seen watching them from the waves.
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| The Orkney Isles have a rich blend of folklore... (Maxwell Andrews) |
Finfolk, Orkney's Magical and Malicious Merfolk
The Orkney Isles sit in the seas off the northern coast of Scotland, so it's fitting that they should have their own take on merfolk. These merfolk were mysterious and dangerous, famed for their habit of stealing unwary humans from the shoreline.
Legend has it that these "finfolk" once frequented the island of Eynhallow, then known as Hildaland and hidden from human sight with magic. They were driven from the island after one of their number abducted a fisherman's wife... and the fisherman sought revenge.
On the advice of a wise woman he walked around the Odin Stone (an ancient standing stone) nine times each full moon for nine months to counter the finfolk's magic, then armed himself with a chest of salt and set sail for Hildaland. The finfolk put monsters in his way, but each was defeated by throwing salt or presenting a cross. Finally he spread nine rings of salt on the island, claiming it for humanity.
While young finfolk women are described as traditional mermaids, adult finfolk are said to resemble humans with draping fins that can be mistaken for clothing at at distance - they're also familiar with the use of boats. The legend of the finfolk may have been partially inspired by sightings of Finn-men or Finnmen, Inuit kayakers seen in the seas around Orkney!
The Menace of the Merrow
The waters off the coast of Ireland are said to be the home of merrow, a race of merfolk who used a magical cap called a cohuleen druith to swap between existence on the land and in the deep waters. While the female merrow were said to be beautiful, the males were less well favored - in fact, in some versions of the tale female merrow would look outside their own race for a partner.
Outcast by their looks (they're described as having stunted limbs, green hair, a pig-like face and a coat of scales) the males developed a less than charming pastime - they'd collect the souls of drowned sailors and keep them in trapped in pots beneath the sea.
The females were much more dangerous. Though beautiful in appearance, they would drag human males that took their fancy beneath the waves to serve as mates - and an escape attempt could result in being eaten alive by the merrow. Should a captive reach land, the mermaid could still fly into a rage and conjure storms in revenge.
That said, some Irish men must have liked the thrill of danger - it was said that snatching a merrow's cap before she could enchant you could result in the merrow staying on land and even agreeing to marriage... at least until she found the cap and dragged you beneath the waves!
Thanks for reading - for more strange tales, try...