Thursday 22 November 2012

FinFolk (Work in Progress 2) 

The FinWife was said to be a far more sociable and peaceable creature than her male counterpart. The female FinFolk were said to be born as Mermaids or Selkie like tailed beings and if they were to live out their days under the water they aged very quickly into Sea "Hags". To retain their beauty they would take a mortal husband and go to live on land mixing with the natives and going about their daily business. The FinWife has similar lore to the Wise Woman or Witch in that she earned her way by performing the Healing Arts for the townsfolk and was associated with her cat "familiar". Little did the natives know that she was attached to her equally amphibious husband still and would steal away to the shore at night to deliver her "earnings" in silver coins.


This is the first portion of inking showing the FinWife beckoning her husband. The puffin represents Orkney wildlife and the Hares in the foreground represent the shape shifting nature of the FinFolk. I see them as guardians to the exchange, other FinWifes keeping a careful watch on proceedings. Often in Scottish Witch lore the witch was said to change into animal form and the most popular association was of a cat or hare.

            

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