This week in #CreatureoftheWeek we are looking at two sea spirits; the #SeaMither and her evil nemesis #Teran from #Scottishfolklore. Twice every year they battle it out off the coasts of #Scotland in #spring and #autumn in this perpetual fight to control the seas.
The Sea Mither and the Teran fight two battles every year which mark the turning of the seasons. These epic fights are called #VoreTullye which means "Spring Struggle" and #GoreVellye meaning "Autumn Tumult".
But who are these fighting deities destined to battle forevermore?
The Sea Mither
The Sea Mither, or #MitheroftheSea, is a lovely and kind #seaspirit. Mither in old Orcadian Scots #translates as #Mother. She has the power to tame the wind, calm the mighty seas and empowers creatures of the sea with the ability to reproduce.
The #fishermen pray to her. In #Shetland they call on her to protect themselves from the #devil himself and she can summon a boatload of fish to feed hungry fishermen. She has been described in folklore as the human personification of a sea anemone with a beautiful serene aura.
Teran
Her nemesis is called the Teran. In the local Orkney dialect his name means "furious anger" and is most likely derived from "tyrren", the #Norse for "angry". This dude is the king of winter tantrums and the embodiment of rage.
Now, I'm not sure what he looks like because not many people have seen him and lived to tell the tale. However, he believed to be a ginormous #seamonster with the soulless eyes of a #shark and a shrill scream that can be heard in the fury of a winter storm.
He has huge #tentacles that are covered in #barnacles that flail about creating turbulent seas. If that's not enough to terrify you, he eats and excretes through the same hole! It's a disgusting leach like orifice which I hope you never have the pleasure of encountering.
Tell me more about these epic battles!
Vore Tullye
The #Sea #Mither always wins the spring round. During the Vore Tullye the Sea Mither gives Teran a serious whooping. She kicks his arse and ties him up and confines him to the bottom of the #ocean. She settles and warms the seas and brings about calm. Thanks to her, all the sea creatures can now start getting busy as she has given them the ability to #reproduce.
Although the Sea Mither has imprisoned Teran, sometimes he tries to break free! He kicks off, throwing a total hissy fit and thrashing around all over the place. This is what causes out of seasons ocean storms.
Gore Vellye
Unfortunately the Sea Mither isn't so lucky in the second round. Teran manages to break free and defeats the Sea Mither who. She fleas and goes into hiding until she is strong enough once again to reclaim the seas. Teran begins to cause chaos and wreak havoc on everything in sight. He creates storms, gales and treacherous waves.
To top it all off, the Teran also sets the #Nuckelavee free! The Nuckelavee is a skinless horse-human mashup of a #monster with pulsating muscles that drip with toxic black goo. Unlike Teran, this monster can go on land to terrorise the local villagers (if they didn't have it hard enough already!). Read more about the Nuckelavee here.
The winter is hard; the days get shorter and colder, fishing is dangerous in the relentless storms and the Nuckelavee is at large. The people become depressed, they are terrified and hungry. They pray for the return of the Sea Mither.
And guess what? The Sea Mither regains her stength and comes back to fight Teran the following spring! This wild cycle goes on, year after year. They are destined to fight until the end of the world.
Sound familiar? Do you have an evil nemesis that you are destined to battle with until the end of time? Or perhaps you are the evil nemesis?! Let us know in the comments below! Thoughts about the Sea Mither and Teran are also welcome.
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