Origin of Seal

The seal was important to ancient Finns mostly because it was a valued quarry so there are very few beliefs or myths related to it. It was both a symbolic and a concrete sign of wealth in the waters, but also a competitor who was after the same prey as humans, fish. People would avoid calling quarry by their real names since doing so would bring bad hunting luck. Due to this the Finnish word for seal, “hylje”, most likely derives from the verb “hylätä”, to abandon, because it was considered more safe to say that the sea had abandoned and surrendered the animal to humans rather than begin killed by humans.

Even without much mythology tied to the seal the animistic traditions were strong. According to animism all animals were thought to have souls and thus were thought to be like humans. All animals were worthy of respect, even and especially prey because people’s livelihood depended on them.

This painting is from my “Old Gods – Origins” series in which I explore various origin myths and how animals are involved in them.

Painted in ink and gold medium on 300 g/sqm Lanaquarelle cold press watercolour paper, 100% cotton. The painting is unframed.