ECHOES: A FATHOMS DEEP PODCAST - SHOW NOTES
Selkies & Seal People: Shape-shifters of the Sea
Episode 9 | September 8, 2025 | Duration: 23 minutes
EPISODE DESCRIPTION
A young fisherman discovers an abandoned seal skin beside a tide pool, while in the water a woman bathes with eyes holding secrets deeper than the sea itself. This moment of transformation—suspended between human and animal, captivity and freedom—captures the profound psychology embedded in selkie folklore. In this episode, we explore how these Celtic and Norse shapeshifter traditions offer sophisticated frameworks for understanding identity fluidity, the environmental conditions that support authentic transformation, and the courage required to exist between worlds. From medieval Iceland to contemporary environmental movements, selkie stories reveal that authenticity might not require rigid consistency, but rather the capacity to honor multiple aspects of ourselves simultaneously.FEATURED
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FEATURED EXPLORATION
The Skin Between Worlds: How selkie skins represent the liminal nature of identity itself
Biological Inspirations: Seal behavior, molting patterns, and the reality behind the legend
Gender Dynamics: The captive spouse narrative and feminist interpretations of supernatural bride tales
Psychological Frameworks: Winnicott's true/false self, Jung's individuation, and Estés' transformation psychology
Environmental Connections: How selkie traditions inform modern marine conservation efforts
Contemporary Relevance: Transgender experiences, multicultural identity, and fluid selfhood
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SOUND CREDITS
Wave bell attributedPirate Ship at Bay.wav by CGEffex -- https://freesound.org/s/93678/ -- License: Attribution 4.0
SHIP SOUND REQUEST!.wav by hello_flowers -- https://freesound.org/s/31006/ -- License: Creative Commons 0
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RESEARCH FOUNDATIONS
Primary Article: "Selkies & Seal People: Shape-shifters of the Sea" - Read the complete maritime legend exploration at fathoms deep beyond dot substack dot com
Historical Sources: 14th-century Icelandic folk narratives, David Thomson's The People of the Sea (1954), Barbara Rieti's Newfoundland oral traditions
Global Variations: Inuit/Yupik Sedna stories, Pacific Northwest salmon people, Japanese ningyo, African Mami Wata traditions
Scientific Context: Marine biology research on seal behavior, archaeological evidence from Neolithic Orkney
Psychological Theory: D.W. Winnicott, Carl Jung, Clarissa Pinkola Estés, trauma psychology frameworks
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REFERENCES & FURTHER READING
Thomson, David. The People of the Sea: A Journey in Search of the Seal Legend (1954)
Warner, Marina. From the Beast to the Blonde: On Fairy Tales and Their Tellers (1994)
Warner, Marina. Once Upon a Time: A Short History of Fairy Tale (2014)
Winnicott, D.W. The Maturational Processes and the Facilitating Environment (1965)
Estés, Clarissa Pinkola. Women Who Run With the Wolves (1992)
Abram, David. The Spell of the Sensuous (1996)
Silver, Carole. Strange and Secret Peoples: Fairies and Victorian Consciousness (1999)
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RESOURCES & TOOLS
Related Content:
Building Believable Magical Systems - essay
Cartographers of the Impossible -essay
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ON Dimidium:
See maritime worldbuilding in action through the stories at dimidiumtales.substack.com
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CONNECT WITH FATHOMS DEEP
Articles & Research: fathomsdeepbeyond.substack.com
Dimidium World's Fiction: dimidiumtales.substack.com
Author Website: www.morganadrake.com
Newsletter Signup: subscribe to the Author's newsletter
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ABOUT ECHOES
Echoes: A Fathoms Deep Podcast explores where maritime legend meets the craft of fantasy. Each episode dives into historical mysteries, cultural traditions, and supernatural phenomena of the sea, revealing how this research can transform your approach to worldbuilding and character creation. Hosted by Morgan A. Drake, author of dark maritime fantasy and architect of the Dimidium world.
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NEXT EPISODE
Coming next: "Shapeshifters and Boundary Crossers: The Appeal of Fluid Identity" - Expanding our exploration to examine why maritime shapeshifter traditions feel more relevant than ever in our era of fluid identity and rapid change.
As always, thank you for listening. Share this episode to support FATHOMS DEEP.
Morgan A. Drake
