creature

Merrow (Murúch)

MUH-rukh

An Irish mermaid or merman, said to wear a magical cap that lets them pass between sea and land.

The merrow (from murúch, "sea maiden") lives beneath the waves and comes ashore by removing a magical cap or cloak; a human who steals it can supposedly compel the merrow to stay on land as a wife or husband, echoing the selkie tales of Scotland. Merrow men are traditionally described as considerably less comely than the women.