Dòbhran (ˈt̪ɔːvɾan)
"We were born as all peoples are - from hardship, and from kindness. When Lirnach offered her milk to Rìona, she offered not only the food for a day, but a way to thrive and grow and transcend. That is why we honor the Sea Mother above all the Ellyll."
The Dòbhran are an ethnicity of the Selkie, descended from the Albannach people of northern Ynys. They are a part of the Dhewen cultural group. Their largest populations are found in the Arcaibh Islands, and smaller communities are located in the Kattalands and the islands of the Skìth Channel.
According to the Dòbhran, their ancestors were transformed by the god Lirnach to help them survive in their harsh environment. As Selkies, they are incredible swimmers and fisherfolk, and thrive in the cold waters of the Arcaibh Islands.
Physical Appearance
Like all Selkies, the Dòbhran have a thick coat of fur that protects them from the cold water. Their fur is usually lighter than other Selkies, with light brown, cream, grey, and white all very common. Their eyes are brown or black, and do not have visible sclera. Men and women have similar builds and stature, with an average height of 5'7" and a lean, wiry frame.Common Dress & Style
Most clothing among the Dòbhran is made from animal hides and furs, and is designed to be quickly donned and removed. Clothing is decorated with shells and beads, and intricate patterns are highly admired. Jewelry is also worn, often made from bone or shell. When swimming, or when the weather is warm, the Dòbhran will frequently forgo clothing altogether, although they are rarely without a satchel to hold their possessions. Selkie satchels are known to be particularly well waterproofed, and have several compartments, allowing them to separate items that may be used underwater from those that should not get wet. They are suspended from a strap that goes over one shoulder and across their torso, with the bag itself tucked under one arm.Social Structure
The Dòbhran live in clans and spend most of their lives out on the water on their floes. These floating structures serve as their homes and central warehouses, allowing them to fish and hunt for their sustenance. A Selkie floe is a collection of individual barges that can be lashed together, arranged with a space of open water in the center of the floe. The floe can be easily disassembled and rearranged, and the Dòbhran will choose the most advantageous configuration for the current situation.
Dòbhran society is matriarchal, with women making up the majority of leaders and decision-makers. Young men leave their clans to spend their late teens and young adulthood in bachelor groups, and will seek to join a clan when they outgrow the bachelor lifestyle. This period is seen as a rite of passage, allowing young men to gain independence and explore their connection to the sea. Young women may also choose to leave their birth clan and explore, but this is rare as it sacrifices any seniority or status they had from their birth clan.
As the young wanderers mature, they will look for a clan to join. Once they find one that attracts them they will bring gifts of food and trade goods to prove their value to the clan, and request to be married into the family. The matriarch of each clan will evaluate any candidates who present themselves, and may set additional tests for them to demonstrate their abilities and personality traits. They must show that they are responsible, hardworking, and loyal.Once a young person is accepted into a clan, they will spend time getting to know the other young people in the group. The matriarch will facilitate these meetings, encouraging the young people to spend time together and get to know each other's personalities and interests. If a mutual attraction develops, the matriarch will then arrange marriages based on her observations and the opinions of other senior members of the clan.
During the harshest months of the year, the clans gather at their rooks. These are frequently rocky islands traditionally inhospitable to other creatures, but can also be larger islands that support many clans in close proximity. These rooks serve as a stable place to give birth and raise pups, with permanent settlements for women with young pups, the elderly, and disabled. Each rook is protected by its own local god, and the Selkies pay their respects to the deity during their visit.
Religion & Folklore
Like most of the Dhewen cultures, the Dòbhran worship the gods and spirits known as the Ellyll. They are particularly tied to those of the Ellyll who embody the seas, and many of the stories of the Dòbhran are little known on land, such as the tales of Morvadan's Pod.
The Dòbhran celebrate many of the same holidays as the human Dhewen cultures, particularly the Albannach. They have four major festivals known as the Oidhcheannan Teine-Teine, or the Bonfire Nights. They roughly correspond with the turning of the seasons (which they place at the midpoints between equinoxes and solstices, like the other Dhewen peoples), and are marked with great fires built on the shore of every rook. The most important of the Bonfire nights is Samhain at the beginning of winter. This marks the time when many of Dòbhran clans have returned to their rooks for the winter, and they gather together in huge numbers to socialize with each other. Many marriages will be announced at Samhain, and then the wed at Meadgeamhradh when The Candles pass overhead. A wedding under The Candles is believed to be blessed.
The Samhain festival is also when the Dòbhran pay special honor to Lirnach the Sea Mother, who they credit with transforming them into Selkies. Handmade gifts and sacrifices to Lirnach are carried to the seabed during the festivities and tucked into holes and crevices, where the Dòbhran say that Lirnach will retrieve them.
Culture
Major language groups and dialects
Foods & Cuisine
Fish and seafood are staples of Dòbhran cuisine, and they also gather seaweed and kelp to use in soups and stews. Berries and other fruits gathered from the islands are used to add flavor to their dishes. They also keep herds of sheep and goats on the islands as a source of both meat and dairy products. A popular dish among many Dòbhran clans is Cliabh-Caoraidh, a crab stew topped with toasted sheep's cheese.
One effect of their transformation is that the Dòbhran and other Selkies cannot taste sugar, but have an expanded appreciation of savory flavors, especially those associated with meat. When the Dòbhran were first transformed, they found that many of their old recipes for sweet dishes no longer appealed to them, but that those associated with festivals still had sentimental value. As a consequence, the Dòbhran have developed several unique dishes meant to replicate those human desserts, but for a carnivore's palate. The best known of these is Bainne-na-Tuine, which means "Milk of the Tide". This concoction bears some resemblance to the Albannach dessert called cranachan, but is made from whipped blubber, roe, and crunchy fish skin. Bainne-na-Tuine is traditionally eaten at Samhain, and is a favorite offering to the Sea Mother.
Controversial Origins?
While the Dòbhran ascribe their transformation to the actions of Lirnach the Sea Mother, some of the the Tuniit Selkies contest this story. They claim that it is implausible that two gods would independently create Selkies, and that the Dòbhran must have found (and possibly still have) the lost artifact known as Igalaaq's Wand. Those Tuniit who believe this theory are often hostile to the Dòbhran, as they think the southern Selkies are keeping their most precious relic away from its rightful place. You can read more about Igalaaq's Wand here.
Dòbhran and the Sea-Longing
One trait that all the Selkies have in common is the Sea-Longing. Their transformation has tied them body and soul to the ocean, and being separated from slowly erodes at their soul and sanity. Among the Dòbhran, the Sea-Longing is known as Gairm na Mara, and they have structured their lives around access to the water as a consequence. There are some cases where the Sea-Longing has been used as a punishment, however. In cases of particularly heinous crimes, some Dòbhran have been confined in inland prisons where they cannot see, hear, or smell the ocean. Most often, this is a temporary punishment, but there have been cases where it was prolonged until the individual dies. The use of Sea-Longing as a punishment is controversial, and many Selkies see it as too cruel, even for the worst criminals, but it is still practiced by some communities.
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This article was originally written for Spooktober 2024. You can find all of my Spooktober Articles at Spooktober Central.
This article was originally written for Spooktober 2023. You can find all of my Spooktober Articles at Spooktober Central.
I love the concept of Dobhran, and it's obvious you put a lot of thought into many details of their lives. Well done!
Thanks! The Selkies are one of my pet projects - I was unsatisfied with traditional mermaids, and this is one of my alternatives for marine humanoids. At some point I'll do the more mermaid-like version based on manatees, for the merfolk should be mammals, not fish! (the silly things we fixate on).
Your capacity for producing quality content for your world astounds me.
Thanks!