Mer-people 6

Otarelles, Otarians (Seal: Brittany) Roane, Rhona, Rónnat, Róonait, Rónnad (Seal) Fear Ron (Seal Men) Selkies (Sea Trows: Shetland) Rowena (White Mane) Rhonwen (Shining Spear, White Hair) Rowana, Rauni (Rowan Tree: Mountain Ash)

The portal at Pentland Firth:
Down, down they fell through the air, scattering the startled sea birds. ..and down and ever down the men continued to fall til they plunged into the sea, and sank and sank, while the light around them faded into darkness deeper than night. The fisherman wondered to find himself still alive as he passed through the sea depths, seeing nothing, hearing nothing, and still moving swiftly.

At length he ceased to sink and went forward. He suffered no pain or discomfort, nor was he afraid. At length he saw a faint green light, and as he went onward the light grew brighter and brighter, until the valleys and peaks and forests of the sea kingdom arose before his eyes.

– Donald A Mackenzie: In the Kingdom of the Seals

(pron. ROW-n, ROW-ween-ah, RHON-wen, RON-it) They are the Clann Righ Lochlainn fo gheasaibh: Children of the King of Lochlann (pron. clawn ree LOCK-lane foh YES-iv) who live in a mythological wonderland beyond the seas. Put under spells by their stepmother to be grey seals underwater, three times a year, under a full moon, the seals return to their natural state, and their hearts are filled with sorrow and envy for the human life they cannot have. They appear in human form with long brown hair, brown or black, doe-shaped eyes, but need their sealskins to travel to their underwater caves on the borders of the Land-under-Waves where they have a kingdom all their own. Their township of foam-white houses lies on the edge of a great brown & golden sea-forest, fronted by a bank of grass-green sea moss. Their foam-white palace sparkles with many bright windows. It is thatched with red seaweed and has a door of green stone. The Roane hunt the silver salmon in the forests of seaweed. They love music and dance; when a harpist or bagpiper plays on the beach they come to listen. They dance in in the twilight of midsummer. They have a language all their own, but understand human speech. Children of roane and human marriages have webbed fingers and toes. In the Faro Islands, the female roane comes ashore every ninth night, sheds her skin, leaves it on the shore, and dances with her fairy companions. They were created by the fay god Maph: Bear in the Second Age of the Sun. Others say they are the daughters of Ondin & Ondine. (31, 96, 101, 255)
Rowena is the guardian of rowan trees [mountain ash] and patroness of the knowledge of runes. Her feast day is July 15th: Wood, bark, and leaves, are used to make protective amulets with white or gold cloth with red thread. luis: the magical name of rowan, the fiodh for letter L, associated with protection and rejuvenation. (the American mountain-ash does not qualify as a true Rowan, which must have a hairy bud-head) Luis Caorthann Criafol Rowan - Tree of Life Protection against psychic attack. Metal dowsing. Planted around stone circles. luisne: red glare. Her father is Hengist. In Arthurian legend she is the younger sister of Nimue. Rónán: Little Seal. (71, 80, 89, 99, 133)