Seal Folklore in Ireland

Seals in the Irish oral tradition

Folklore about seals is certainly not unique to Ireland, and appears in other Celtic, Nordic and Baltic countries, and indeed in the many other countries of the world. The supernatural transformation from a human to seal is also a very old idea, and features in classical mythology and in medieval Irish texts. This concept remained intact in Ireland’s oral tradition, and accounts featuring it were eventually collected by the Irish Folklore Commission between 1935 - 1970. Within the material collected by the Irish Folklore Commission there exists a number of accounts about seals, and it is clear that the seal captured the imagination of coastal dwellers. 

There is quite a wide range of material about seals, from legends of the supernatural to accounts about their threat to fishermen and their stock. The uses of the seal are often described, as there was a certain value in seal skins, for the making of waistcoats and shoes. Oil from seal fat was also used, for pains in the bones, sprains and burns. The oil could also be used to clean sails, and it could also be used as an alternative to paraffin. Seal meat was also eaten historically, sometimes because other food was scarce. Though the eating of seal meat was often described as having died out, some accounts do remember a time when seal meat was eaten. These practical accounts do not only focus on the uses of the seal, but also describe the seal, its colourings, habits and habitats.

Many accounts also compare the seal to humans, and remark on particular traits, such as the seal’s large eyes, whiskers and above all, the seal’s cry, which is very often described to be like that of a human. This connection is further illustrated in the association between seals and certain surnames, such as Ó Conghaile or Ó Catháin, explaining that members of these families are actually desendents of seals. Other accounts illustrate a supernatural connection between the seal and the human, as seals are said to be humans under enchantment. Though the seal may appear in animal form, certain accounts reveal that they can speak, or even change into human form if they wish, which we often see in the many legends of the supernatural collected about seals.

Though this website only showcases a select number of the accounts featured in the National Folklore Collection, the wide range of different texts is still to be noted here. For more information on seals and seal folklore in Ireland, see our list of additional resources.

Béaloideas na Rónta in Éirinn

Ní in Éirinn amháin a aimsítear béaloideas faoi rónta, agus feictear é i dtíortha Ceilteacha, Nordacha agus Baltacha, chomh maith le go leor tíortha eile. Is cinnte gur seansmaoineamh é an iompú osnádútha ó dhuine go rón agus feictear é sa mhiotaseolaíocht chlaiseach agus i dtéacsanna Éireannacha ón meán-aois. D’fhan na coincheapa seo i dtraidisiún béil na hÉireann agus bailíodh iad ar deireadh nuair a bhí Coimisiún Béaloideasa Éireann ar an bhfód idir 1935-1970. I measc an ábhair a fad a bhailigh Coimisiún Béaloideasa Éireann, tá mórán cuntas ar rónta, agus is léir gur tharraing an rón aird mhuintir an chósta in Éirinn. Tá réimse fíorleathan san ábhar a bailíodh, ó fhinscéalta faoi rónta ag labhairt go cuntais ar a mbagairt ar iascaírí agus a gcuid iasc. 

Déantar cur síos ar an úsáid a bhí sa rón go minic, toisc go raibh luach maith ar chraiceann an róin, le bháschótaí nó bróga a dhéanamh. Bhí an ola róin in úsáid mar leigheas go minic, do phianta sna cnámha agus do leonta. Bhítí in ann an ola a úsáid le seolta báid a ghlanadh, agus d’fhéadfaí é a úsáid do lampaí ola chomh maith. D’ití an fheoil chomh maith, uaireanta toisc go raibh bia eile gann. Mínítear sna cuntais go bhfuil an cleachtas seo imithe i léag, ach tá cuimhne ag mórán faisnéiseoirí ar am a d’ití feol an róin. Ní ar úsáid an róin amháin a dhíríonn na cuntais phraiticiúla seo. Bhí eolas maith ag daoine ar chuma agus ar nósanna an róin fhéin, ag tabhairt suntais do na dathanna éagsúla a bhíonn orthu, ar an méid piscíní a bhíonn acu ag aon am amháin, agus ar na háiteanna a aimsítear iad.

Déantar tagairt go minic do no nósanna daonna a bhíonn ag an rón, áfach, agus is minic a cuirtear an rón i gcomparáid leis an duine. Luaitear na súile móra atá aige, an croméil agus thar aon ní eile b’fhéidir, déantar ionannú idir an fhuaim a dhéanann an rón agus fuaim a dhéanfadh duine. Taispeántar an nasc seo arís nuair a thagraítear do shloinnte éagsúla a luaitear leis na rónta, cosúil le Ó Conghaile agus Ó Catháin, ag tabhairt le fios gur ó shliocht na rónta a thagann na teaghlaigh seo. Míníonn cuntais eile gur daoine faoi gheasa atá sna rónta, agus cé go bhfuil cuma an ainmhí air, tugtar le fios go bhfuil cumas labhartha aige, nó cumas athrú ó riocht róin go riocht daonna, agus feicimid na tréithe áirithe seo go minic i bhfinscéalta a bailíodh faoi rónta.

Cé nach bhfuil ach cuid den ábhar ó Chnuasach Bhéaloideas Éireann le sonrú ar an suíomh seo, taispeántar fós an réimse leathan téacsanna atá le fáil futhu, ó chuntais ar chúrsaí praicticiúla go scéalta osnádúrtha. Le tuilleadh a fhoghlaim faoi rónta agus béaloideas na rónta in Éirinn, féach an liosta achmhainní breise.