Puifín

Puifín

Séamus Rua (red James)

Éan Dearg (the orange-billed bird)

Fuipín (young puffin)

The clown of the sea, the Puffin is the provincial bird of Newfoundland and Labrador. The Witless Bay Reserve alone is home to 260,000 breeding pairs.

The puffin is seen as a creature of the in-between spaces, as they live both on the land and in the sea. Because of this, they have been described in Irish as “half fish, half flesh.” This duality is important to Gaelic folklore, where the boundaries between the natural and supernatural realms are blurred.

The puffin is sometimes depicted as a guardian or messenger of the sea. Long ago, they were believed to be enchanted Manxmen connected to Manannán Mac Lir, the sea-god and lord of the Isle of Man. Puffins are believed to offer guidance and protection to sailors and fishermen, as they possess the knowledge and wisdom of the ocean depths which give them special prophetic powers.

Puffin burrows were seen as portals to the otherworld, adding to the mystique and enchantment associated with these birds.

Béaloideas - Folklore

When the puffins come inland, they are welcoming a storm and so this signals wet days ahead.

When the seagull or puffin is seen flying very high in the air we are going to have bad weather.