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In Irish folklore the otter is
often characterized as a friendly and helpful creature, and is
given the name 'water dog'. In the Irish story The Voyage of
Maelduin, otters bring the sailors salmon to eat, collecting
firewood and cooking them as well. The Voyage of Brendan tells
of how an otter similarly assisted a hermit. St. Cuthbert is
the patron saint of otters, and after standing waist-deep in
the North Sea during his nightly prayer vigils, two otters
would come and warm his feet with their breath and dry them
with their fur.
But there are also traditions of the "King Otter" (a
fairy or Sidhe otter), who is dangerous, and will devour any
animal or beast that comes in its way. This otter is sometimes
described as white with black rimmed ears and a black cross on
his back, and sometimes as pure black with a spot of white on
his belly.
In Scottish tradition, common otters are similarly benevolent,
but there are also tales of 'Otter Kings'. When captured,
these beasts would grant any wish in exchange for their
freedom. Their skins were thought to provide protection
against drowning and to render a warrior invincible. But Otter
Kings were hard to kill, their only vulnerable point being a
small spot below their chin.
In Norse mythology, the god Loki killed the dwarf Otr while
the latter was in the form of an otter. The dwarves were
furious, and demanded compensation from the gods who gave them
the otter skin filled with gold.
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Purchase
now on 
This
piece is bezelled in brass and strung with bronzite and pearl but is also available with
a chain
In
ancient Persia the otter (again known as the 'water dog'), was
esteemed above all other animals, and a severe penalty was
imposed on anyone who killed one.
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