finfolk means sorcerous shapeshifters of the sea in Orkney folklore. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 85 out of 100.
Why “finfolk” is a great word
FINFOLK — [Noun] Malevolent, shapeshifting sorcerers native to the sea in the folklore of the Orkney Islands. The name derives from fin (referring to a fish's fin) + folk (people), a stark compound for these ocean-dwelling people. Unlike the "selkie" (a creature of poignant duality, bound by a stolen sealskin) or the "mermaid" (a singular, often tragic hybrid of woman and fish), the finfolk are a race of amphibious magicians, driven by predatory intent. They are the sudden, grasping hand from a becalmed rowboat, the false harbor that dissolves into mist, and the drowned meadow at the bottom of the sea where stolen souls are kept—a reminder that the oldest magic is not about wonder, but possession.
Etymology
From fin + folk.
noun
- Sorcerous shapeshifters of the sea in Orkney folklore.