The Equinox (Volume I, Number II)

AMONGST THE MERMAIDS their hands would otherwise have for several hours after- wards.” Persons of quality made hams of the seal flesh, and broth, made from the young seals, served the same purpose medicinally, but in a minor degree, as seal oil. In Roman Catholic districts the common people ate seals in Lent, on the ground that they were fish and not flesh! Annual raids were made on the seals after dark, usually in the autumn, and large numbers were captured. All, however, did not belong to the captors, for other persons of prominence were entitled to a share. The parish minister, according to Martin, “hath his choice of all the young seals, and that which he takes is called by the natives Cullen-Rory, that is, the Virgin Mary’s seal. The Steward of the Island hath one paid to him, his Officer hath another; and this by virtue of their offices.” In the Hebrides, as in Orkney, the seal is regarded not as an animal of the ordinary brute creation, but as one endowed with great wisdom, and closely allied to man. One of the old beliefs is that seals are human beings under magic spells. The seal was credited with being able to assume human form. While in human guise, he contracted marriages with human beings, and if we are to credit tradition, the Mac- Codrums of North Uist are the offspring of such a union. In former times the MacCodrums were known in the Western Islands as Stiechd nan Ron, or the offspring of the seals. Asa seal could assume the form of a man and make his abode on land, soa MacCodrum could assume the form of a seal and betake himself tothe sea! While in this guise we are told that several MacCodrums had met their death. 345