The Recovered Thing: Selchie Stories and Fishermen’s Tales

Selchie stories are largely sad, violent, and absurd. Some say the grey seals are fallen angels. Some say they're the souls of drowned sailors. There are stories of selchie kings and their human children. There are many stories of beautiful selchie women who find their seal skin and return to the sea but continue to leave fish for their human children and husband on the shore. 

On this episode, we hear about the strange Celtic selchies and the haunting Irish landscapes they inhabit. We also hear some prize bits of wisdom from Tolkien himself on the value of “wasting time” creating art and fantasy.

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