What is a Silkie?

[Mark]

I saw a boat called Silkie this weekend, and it reminded me of BM's own Silkie.

But what is a Silkie? A quick ask around and internet search suggests, a shape shifting seal, a chicken, an otter or an eel. Which is it?

[Telo]

I saw a boat called Silkie this weekend, and it reminded me of BM's own Silkie.

But what is a Silkie? A quick ask around and internet search suggests, a shape shifting seal, a chicken, an otter or an eel. Which is it?

A seal person. There's a fine song, The Silkie of Sule Skerry

An earthly nourris sits and sings,
And aye she sings, "Ba lilly wean,
Little ken I, my bairns father,
Far less the land that he staps in."

Then ane arose at her bed fit,
And a grumly guest I'm sure was he,
Saying "Here am I, thy bairns father,
Although I am not comely."

I am a man upon the land,
I am a silkie in the sea,
And when I'm far frae every strand,
My home it is in Sule Skerry."

Then he has taken a purse of gold,
And he has laid it on her knee,
Saying, "give to me, my little young son,
And take thee up thy nouriss fee.

It shall come to pass on a summer's day,
When the sun shines hot on every stone,
That I shall take my little young son,
And teach him for to swim the foam.

And thou shalt marry a proud gunner,
And a very proud gunner I'm sure he'll be,
And the very first shot that e're he shoots,
he'll kill both my young son and me."

nourris = nurse
ken = know
staps = stops
bed fit = foot of the bed
grumly = strange

[Gardenshed]

Wikipedia says.....

The Silkie (sometimes spelled Silky) is a breed of chicken named for its unique, fluffy plumage, which is said to feel like silk. The breed has several other unusual qualities, such as dark blue flesh and bones, blue earlobes, and five toes on each foot (most chickens only have four). They are often exhibited in poultry shows, and come in several colors {Red, Buff, Blue, Black, White, Blue, and Partridge}

In addition to their distinctive physical characteristics, Silkies are well known for their calm, friendly temperament. Among the most docile of poultry, Silkies are considered an ideal pet. Hens are also exceptionally broody, and make good mothers. Though they are fair layers themselves, only laying about three eggs a week, they are commonly used to hatch eggs from other breeds and bird species.

Silkies most likely originated in China, but Southeast Asia is also sometimes proposed. The first written account of the breed comes from Marco Polo, who mentioned chickens with fur-like plumage in his Asian travelogues in the 13th century. The Renaissance author Ulisse Aldrovandi also spoke of chickens akin to Silkies. Today, the breed is recognized for exhibition, and is fairly common in the poultry world.


I always though that it was a mythical celtic sea creature that was part seal part human and the stories usually have a tragic ending of either love being lost or someone being tricked into following a silkie (Selkie?) into the sea and then being lost ..... but not a chicken!

[Alan_D]

Joan Baez version of the song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zZy2Q3Q ... 1&index=34

[Mark]

Joan Baez version of the song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zZy2Q3Q ... 1&index=34

I'd never heard of Joan Baez till a week or so ago when she was mentioned on Mike Harding's show and I went to Spotify to find her. Now she's mentioned again. Impossibly small world.

Right, it's the seal. Seemed most likely but the spelling looked different.

[aquaplane]

There is an old Moody on Windermere and a bloke in the TSA has an Evasion 26, both called Selkie. A different spelling but I thought that they were seal related names.

[sahona]

...'I'd never heard of Joan Baez till a week or so ago ...

Good God man, how old are you, and on which planet were you reared?
I think I'm in love with her all over again after playing that tubeclip.

[FullCircle]

Just in case anyone is in any doubt.....

[claymore]

Thons a fine warp - et wid be mair at hame gracin the aft deck o' Claymore

[Silkie]

I'm not at all sure what it's doing there on such a fine October morning.

[claymore]

Resting and enjoying the morning?