Avariety of tales related to selkies (part-seal-part-human creatures) populate the mythology of many northern, coastal regions - Ireland, Scotland, Iceland, and Denmark. And these stories largely derive from tales of the Finfolk in Gaelic and Norse mythology.
According to information provided by the Windsor Public Library in Ontario, Canada, these legends trace their roots back to the Sami people of Scandinavia, an indigenous and nomadic people who roamed across the northern-most parts of Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia.