Corr and Dove symbolize the connection to nature that shapes Sean’s and Puck’s identities. While the Scorpio Sea represents nature’s vast power, these two horses represent a more personal, intimate relationship with it. Through Corr and Dove, the novel explores how belonging to nature can form the foundation of identity, emphasizing the theme of Belonging Versus Freedom in Identity Formation.

Corr embodies Sean’s deepest ties: to his father, Thisby, and himself. As a capaill uisce, Corr is wild and dangerous, yet Sean does not attempt to dominate him. Instead, their bond is built on trust and understanding. Sean’s desire to own Corr represents his longing for autonomy because, as long as Malvern owns Corr, Sean remains tethered to him. In purchasing Corr, Sean reclaims agency. Corr’s return after Sean attempts to release him into the sea conveys that Sean retains his connection to the ocean even as he crafts his own path in life.

Dove, in contrast, represents Puck’s grounded, steady relationship with nature. She is an ordinary horse, but she is loyal and brave. Riding Dove in a race dominated by water horses reflects Puck’s refusal to abandon her identity for spectacle or tradition, underscoring the theme of Gender and Tradition Breaking. While many of the other racers seek to dominate the capaill, Puck finds strength and courage in the trust and familiarity she shares with Dove.

Together, Corr and Dove highlight two approaches to belonging. Sean’s bond is intense and spiritual, while Puck’s is steady and nurturing. Ultimately, they both reinforce the idea that belonging and freedom coexist when the connection is chosen and centered on trust and respect.

The mare goddess symbolizes tradition and sacred continuity on Thisby and in the Scorpio Races. As a ritual figure who appears during the festival and the riders’ pledge, she embodies the island’s inherited customs and collective identity. Through her presence, the novel explores the theme of gender and tradition breaking, revealing how traditions can evolve. At the festival, her presence unsettles Sean, and he repeatedly tries to figure out who is wearing the costume to overcome his feelings of discomfort. In this way, the mare goddess is a supernatural figure who is shrouded in mystery to the residents of Thisby. However, the novel’s climax, during which Peg gives the costume to Puck, reveals that it was nothing more than a woman wearing a dress and horse’s head. This fact conveys the reality of the traditions on Thisby: They are maintained through custom and are not binding. When Peg then gives the costume to Puck to wear during the race, it serves as a symbolic transferring of that ritual, inviting Puck into the customs of Thisby and allowing her to defeat the gender barrier that tried to prevent her participation.