There exists a mystical creature named Selkies in the sea of Scotland, which is considered to be such seals that can take the form of humans at will and return to the sea as a seal whenever they want. This legend originated in the Orkney and Shetland Islands of Scotland where the word selkie is used to denote various seals of greater size than the grey seal, with the ability to shapeshift into humans.
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Legend says that in ancient times a man saw a beautiful woman on the sea shore, who was actually a selkie laying naked on the beach with selkie's skin removed. And when he got closer to her, he was completely fascinated by her beauty. The man was fully aware of the secret of the selkies, so he stole the selkie's skin, without which she could not go back into the sea. The man compels her to marry him and become his wife, so having no other option, the selkie married him and started living with him. After some years the selkie even gave birth to several children by her human husband, but despite this she often spends her time in captivity longing for the sea, seeking her true home. Fortunately, one day she discovered her skin and immediately returned to the sea, leaving her children behind, and never returned.
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But some islanders say that she used to come once a year to meet her children, sometimes in the form of humans and sometimes in the form of a talking seal. They also revealed that the selkie was already married to a first husband of her own kind before she became the wife of her human husband. Islanders living in the Shetland believe that Selkies still exist today, as they appear on the sea shore in midsummers to lure islanders. The islanders (especially the lovelorn humans) who are unaware of the selkies, get trapped in their temptation and leave with them, from where they do not return. Some believe that they reached the kingdom of Selkies, where they married Selkies, and according to some others, they are killed by selkies.
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