Finn-men
Inuit kayakers seen off Scotland's Northern Isles.
Finn-men, also known as Muckle men, Fion, and Fin Finn, were Inuit spotted in the 1600s around Scotland's Northern Isles. Their presence in local waters made them a notable figure in Scottish folklore.
Quick Facts
- First recorded sighting
- 1682, Orkney
- Alternate names
- Muckle men
- Fion
- Fin Finn
- Region
- Northern Isles of Scotland
- Century of sightings
- 17th century
Facts from the source article.
Did You Know?
- In 1684, a Finn-man seen at Westray was linked to the disappearance of fish from the area.
- A Finn-man's boat was captured in Orkney and sent to the Physicians Hall in Edinburgh.
- The Finn-men were incorporated into existing selkie and Finfolk mythologies, sometimes being considered the same creatures.
Origins
The term 'Finn-men' originally referred to 'Finns', a local Orcadian label for Sami, Kven or Forest Finns. However, these individuals were actually Inuit from the Davis Strait region, a fact recognised by Wallace. Despite this, the misnomer persisted, partly because it was thought more likely they had sailed from the Cap of the North, and possibly due to phonological similarities between Greenlandic and Finnic languages. Wallace's eldest son James suggested they had been blown off course by storms. The most probable explanation is that they were escaped prisoners, taken by European ships as exotic curiosities. In 1720, the States General of the Netherlands passed a law against murdering or kidnapping Inuit, reflecting concern about such practices.
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