Rowing on shore with her arms wide as whale song, she relives the day when she knew every note. She cries as she spins, but she each tear is a sliver of wisdom she weaves in the seams of your clothes. Armour of sea, from the Finfolkaheem, she will sing of the dark and the depths to those daring to never be captive, and always remember her caves and her waves and her chains are your own.
Firtha is a Finn Wife, a Whale herder and one of The Finfolk: mythological beings of Scottish folklore known for their magical powers. The Finfolk are amphibious shapeshifters who live both in the sea and on the land. They guide and protect whales, reflecting their deep connection to the natural world, the marine ecosystem and the magic of the other realm. Finfolk are both custodians of the sea and enforcers of her mysteries.
The ocean is a symbol of the unconscious, mystery and the emotions. This is reflected in Firtha’s role as a whale herder — tasked with guiding something as vast, untameable and wise as the whales, which themselves symbolise freedom, wisdom and the deep, often hidden forces of nature.
Firtha’s connection to Finfolkaheem – a mythical place in Orcadian folklore – suggests she is protected by the sea, yet also trapped by it. The waters that Firtha remembers are both liberating and confining, hinting at the dual nature of the sea and island life: an experience blessed with beauty and diversity, yet taunted by the threat of captivity and loss.
Firtha’s connection to the depths and the dark, cautions those who dare to venture into these mysterious places to be prepared to meet with the uncanny: that which is both familiar and totally alien. And I feel that we can learn something from the liminality of the Finfolk to guide us in these confusing times of rapid change; times in which we are caught between the material progress.
Firtha’s hollowed base is filled with a mixture of sea debris and discarded man-made objects, representing the fragments of human history, washed ashore and carried with her as a reminder of what the ocean claims and returns.
Firtha the Wale Herder is a meditation on the human experience of carrying unseen burden – of memory, trauma and wisdom that comes with age and experience – woven into the very fabric of who we are. She reflects how we are shaped by the deep forces within us and how we navigate through life carrying those invisible burdens and blessings. Ultimately, Firtha invites us to contemplate the relationship between humanity and the natural world, how we are both part of it and yet often at odds with it, and how the wisdom we gain often comes at a cost.
