Is It True That People On The Shetland Islands Think Seals Have Special Gifts?
No, people on the Shetland Isles, do not think that seals have any ‘super sensory’ or god like qualities. This is in fact a ‘rural’ myth in the same way as urban myths are created. Historically on the Shetland Islands, there was a folklore tale which described how when the moon was full, male seals (selkies) would come ashore at midnight and turn into the most handsome of men. With time, this then evolved into a myth that these ‘seal men’ would impregnate young women and she would have a ‘selkie’ baby, which would be completely human, but very good looking. However, this seems more a convenient excuse to explain away the existence of illegitimate children, as opposed to any valid belief system. Within a small, isolated community, the explaining away of illegitimate babies was probably a comfort for some of the men folk, if not for the young women ! But today this whole myth is regarded as just that : a myth.
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