The Sealskin/Soulskin Story. (condensed from “Sealskin, Soulskin.” By Clarissa Pinkola Estes in her book Women Who Run With the Wolves)
There was once a man so lonely that over the years, tears had carved great chasms into his cheeks. Often whilst out fishing he would think of the stories that told how seals were once human.
One night as he returned home from fishing he came to a large rock and as he paddled closer he saw a small group of naked women dancing.
The man was dazzled by their beauty and as he watched, the loneliness in his chest was lifted away. Without thinking, he jumped onto the rock and stole one of the sealskins laying there.
Soon the women started putting their skins back on and diving into the water, but one was left searching for her skin.
Feeling bold, the man stepped towards her and asked her to marry him.
She resisted, explaining that she was “of the other, … the ones who live beneath.” The man promised that after seven summers he would return the sealskin to her and she could stay or go as she wished.
Reluctantly she agreed and soon they had a child, named Ooruk, who was brought up hearing stories of the creatures beneath the sea from his mother.
As time went on, the seal womans’ flesh began to dry out, the skin on her eyelids peeled, her hair fell out, she became pale white, she lost weight, her eyes became dull, her vision faded and she tried to conceal her limp.
After seven years, one night Ooruk awoke to his parents arguing loudly, his father refused to return his mothers skin, saying that if he did, she would leave them.
Later that night, Ooruk was awoken by the wind calling his name. He followed the call out into the night towards the cliff overlooking the water. A huge shaggy silver seal appeared, crying “Ooooruk!” and as he climbed down the cliff he found a bundle. Wrapped in it was his mother’s sealskin. He could smell her all through it and as he inhaled, her soul slammed through him like a summer wind. The old shaggy seal disappeared and Ooruk ran home with her skin flying behind him.
His mother was so happy to see him, she swept him up and hugged him close. She then pulled on her skin and ran with him to the water. When they got to the cliff, she took his face in her hands and breathed her sweet breath into his lungs, and then with him under her arm, they dove into the sea and breathed easily under the water.
They met a cove of seals including the great silver seal who called Ooruk Grandson. After seven days and nights, the luster returned to the seal womans hair and eyes, her skin darkened, her sight was restored and she swam uncrippled. The female seal and Ooruk’s grandfather swam with Ooruk to the waters edge to return Ooruk to land. Ooruks mother promised that her spirit would always be with him even though she couldn’t return with him for she would be as a prisoner.
As time went by, Ooruk became a mighty man and it was said to be because as a child he survived being carried out to sea by the great seal spirits.
Now, he can still be seen speaking to a female seal who comes near the shore. Many try to hunt her but all fail for she is known as the bright one, the holy one, and her eyes are capable of portraying those wise wild and loving human looks
(condensed from “Sealskin, Soulskin.” By Clarissa Pinkola Estes.)