53. The Sea Mither: The Battle for Spring and The Dreaded Nuckelavee

About this episode

This episode explores the Orcadian sea deity Sea Mither and her battle against winter forces and the Nuckelavee.

The Sea Mither is the Orcadian sea deity who brings the calm waters, warm weather, and bounty of spring and summer. But this is no easy feat, for first she must battle Teran, the fearsome winter god of the sea, for control of the waves.  Teran is not her only foe, however, as the dreaded Nuckelavee, surely Scotland’s most nightmarish creature, must also be banished. Join Jenny to hear all about the Orcadian (and Shetlandic) lore of the Sea Mither, Teran, and a poor fellow named Tammie who was unlucky enough to meet the Nuckelavee on a dark, winter night.  Follow The Scottish Folklore Podcast on Instagram Visit the website and view this episode’s interactive map Explore all the folklore covered in the podcast so far on the Folklore Map Support Jenny as she makes the show by joining the Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

People in this episode

Host: Jenny

Topics covered

• Orcadian lore
• sea deities
• winter gods
• Scottish folklore
• Nuckelavee
• mythical creatures

Keywords

• Sea Mither
• Nuckelavee
• Teran
• Orkney
• Scottish folklore
• mythology
• winter god
• deity

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: The Scottish Folklore Podcast

Books & works: Nuckelavee, Sea Mither, Teran

Places: Orkney, Shetland, Scotland

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