So, who is Skellig?

As we finish reading Skellig, and watch the film adaptation starring Tim Roth, we have ended our study of this brilliant book by asking ‘Who is Skellig?’

Even the author, David Almond, feels that he cannot really answer this question – but here are some of the children’s ideas.

1.  Skellig is an unsolved riddle.  He is the definition of hope, and love, an inspiration for everyone with a problem.  He is hope itself.  He helps people in need of healing.  A truly amazing character.  An angel.  Otis
2. Skellig is a riddle left to be solved.  He connects to love, hate, death and life.  Skellig is self-hating, and, somehow, an angel.  But not the normal angel you see in Disney movies, the sort of angel who has arthritis and likes to eat Chinese takeaways.  But not only that, he’s the sort of angel you can trust in a way that I don’t understand.  Maggie
3. Skellig is hope.  Skellig is love.  Skellig is life.  Or a tramp in the garage with wings!  Nicolas
4. Skellig is an angel who comes when people are dying.  If he is helped, and shown help, he does something in return, to help whoever helped him.  Maddy
5. Skellig is some sort of mythical creature who shows himself to be a symbol of peace, help and survival.  Lucy
6. Skellig is a mystical creature who to me is friendship itself because if you do something friendly to someone then they will return it to you and that’s what he does.  Sasha
7. Skellig can simply not be explained.  He is everything: joy, terror, sadness.  He is a guardian, a tramp and a bird.  He is Skellig.  Sylvie
8. Skellig is a symbol of hope and love.  And he uses it to find the good in people.  If they love him, he saves something they love.  Jim
9. Skellig is a guardian of life and death.  Skellig is an angel of hope.  He is a man of humour.  He is bright darkness.  He is Skellig.  Danny
10. Skellig is a hidden riddle.  He’s a god, angel and ghost.  Tyree
11. I think Skellig is an angel that didn’t come to earth properly, like maybe  he got arthritis when he was coming.  Farhan
12. I think Skellig is an unknown person that has not been discovered yet.  In the words I have I think that Skellg is a kind of a mixture of an angel and a spirit.  Hayley.
13. Skellig is everyone and no-one.  He is a sort-of-a-kind-of question mark person.  He isn’t nice, yet he is.  He’s one of those things we can’t properly explain.  Like how dinosaurs became extinct.  Alex.