Eilean nan Cailleach (ˈelan nəŋ ˈkaʎəx)

"Whenever a Sea-Trow dies, its spirit returns to Eilean nan Cailleach, into the womb of Mòr Cuan Cailleach, to be reborn. If we could ever find the island and dispatch the hag-goddess who lives there, we could be free of Sea-Trow forever. But the island itself is alive, and can move about from place to place, and is never where we can find it." - Dòbhran Selkie lore

Eilean nan Cailleach is the lair of the goddess Mòr Cuan Cailleach, mother of the Sea-Trows and bane of the Selkies. It is believed to be somewhere west of the Arcaibh Islands, and the birthplace of all the Sea-Trows who were ever born.

A Living Place

The island of Eilean nan Cailleach is small and rocky, with many caves and little vegetation. It is also, properly speaking, not an island at all. Beneath the rocks is the shell and carapace of an enormous crab, with more legs than any crustacean should have. The creature has no features beyond the shell and the legs, and it is an open question whether it eats at all since it has no apparant mouth.

What it does do is move. At the command of its mistress, the goddess Mòr Cuan Cailleach, the entire island will suddenly drop down to the sea floor and scuttle along the bottom of the ocean. The descent is so swift that any nearby boats or swimmers are often sucked down into the vortex left behind. The island can travel at enormous speeds, and can cover hundreds of miles in a day before suddenly rising to float on the surface of the waters again.

Nocturnal Refuge

Since neither Mòr Cuan Cailleach nor her offspring can bear the touch of sunlight, the island is rarely above the water in the day. It is most often spotted at night, when the monsters leave to go hunting. The Sea-Trows prefer to return home to the island during the sunlit hours, to sleep the day away as Eilean nan Cailleach scuttles to a new location.

A Formidible Home

Some people have attempted to assault Eilean nan Cailleach, with the hope of putting an end to Mòr Cuan Cailleach and the Sea-Trows for good. These attacks have not ended well for them. The island is more than capable of defending itself from encroaching vessels, and the last thing invaders usually see is an enormous claw ripping their ship to pieces, casting the crew into the grasp of angry Sea-Trows. In the few cases where enough ships appeared to threaten the island, it simply sank to the bottom and moved. According to the stories, the island later hunted each of the attacking vessels down and destroyed them, although how it was able to track them later is unknown.

A Hungry Brood

One of the most common and destructive monsters in the waters north of Ynys are the Sea-Trows, the children of Mòr Cuan Cailleach. They are notorious for ravaging seaside villages and fishing boats, and are particularly hated by the Dòbhran Selkies. Their appetites and violent tendencies are the stuff of legend, and you can read more about them here.

An Extension of Her Will

Many people believe that Eilean nan Cailleach is not a seperate being at all, but a manifestation of the power of the goddess Mòr Cuan Cailleach. If this is true, then the entire island is the body of the goddess, and her common depiction is only a small part of her being. Then again, some people claim that the Sea-Trow refer to the island as their father, which implies a completely different relationship between the goddess and Eilean nan Cailleach. You can read more about the goddess here.