Fin Folk – Mythical Amphibious Sea People On Orkney And Shetland

A. Sutherland - AncientPages.com - The Orkney Islands are situated between the North Sea to the east and the Atlantic Ocean. Due to the Norse settlement of the islands, a unique and fascinating folkloric tradition of the islands has much in common with Scandinavia.

Among many tales of fishermen, mythical creatures emerging from the waters, and sea voyages, there are stories about a curious mythological race of dark, gloomy, distrusted, powerful sorcerers known as the Fin Folk (Finfolk).

Unique to Orkney and Shetland, these strong and athletic amphibious sea people have always been feared by mortals.

Noted shapeshifters with unequal boating skills, the Fin Folk could step out of the water onto land as they choose and live easily between the two worlds.

Both benevolent and threatening, they could punish seamen with terrible storms or reward them with calm sea waters. It also happened that people were asked to do a favor for the Fin Folk.

A reward always came in copper coins, but never silver, because these strange beings valued silver greatly and were reluctant to part with it.

The Fin Folk lived in families, having a wife and children.

The Finfolk of Orkney. Credit: Adobe Stock - Marynkka_muis

On some occasions, they stole humans and brought them to their hidden island homes, where the abducted individuals were forced to remain for the rest of their lives.

Except for their daughters, who were mermaids, the Fin Folk were entirely humanoids. Their bodies were draped by fishlike fins, so cunningly made that humans mistook them for ordinary dresses.

They spent the long Orkney winters in the beauty of Finfolkaheem, a majestic city in an unknown location but usually said to be at the bottom of the sea.

In the summer, however, they returned to Orkney, where they took up residence on their magical island home, Hildaland ('Hidden Land') - one of Orkney's magical vanishing islands.

Legend has it that this mythical Hildaland was later taken from the Fin Folk and is today associated with the uninhabited island of Eynhallow.

Hildaland by Vicente Lezama Junio. Credit: Public Domain

Mythical islands were believed to be the 'summer home of the Finfolk, or their residence at such times as they chose to live above water.'

See also:

More Myths And Legends

This land was only visible at rare times, and some people had the power to see it far more clearly than others. One old man said, "Hid's only the eye that sees the unseen that can see Hilda-land."

Has this tale its origin in Orkney Islands' not uncommon fog-banks that appear and disappear rapidly?

Can usually occurring sea mists that disappear during the morning be responsible?

Written by A. Sutherland - Ancient Pages.com Staff Writer

Updated on May 21, 2024

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