Folk tradition and mythology of the Cornish people in England
The
Merry Maidens
at St Buryan
Celebration of
St Piran's Day
in
Penzance
Cornish mythology
is the folk tradition and
mythology
of the
Cornish people
. It consists partly of folk traditions developed in
Cornwall
and partly of traditions developed by
Britons
elsewhere before the end of the first millennium, often shared with those of the
Breton
and
Welsh
peoples. Some of this contains remnants of the mythology of pre-Christian Britain.
The traditional folklore of
Cornwall
often consists of tales of giants, mermaids,
Bucca
,
piskies
or the 'pobel vean' (little folk.) These tales are still popular today, with some events hosting a 'droll teller' or storyteller,
[1]
[
page needed
]
to share Cornish myths and legends. The myths and stories of Cornwall have found much publishing success, particularly in children's books. The fairy tale
Jack the Giant Killer
takes place in Cornwall. Many early British legends associate
King Arthur
with Cornwall, putting his birthplace at
Tintagel
, the court of King
Mark of Cornwall
, uncle of
Tristan
and husband of
Iseult
, the most famous Cornish lovers.
Overview
[
edit
]
Cornwall shares its ancient cultural heritage with its '
Brythonic
cousins'
Brittany
and
Wales
, as well as
Ireland
and parts of England such as neighbouring
Devon
. Many ancient tales of the
Bards
, whether the
Arthurian Cycle
,
Tristan and Iseult
, or
the Mabinogion
take place in the ancient kingdom of
Cerniw
between Greater and Lesser Britains with a foot on either side of the
'British Sea'
Mor Brettanek/Mor Breizh
.
Part of Cornish mythology is derived from tales of seafaring
pirates
and
smugglers
who thrived in and around Cornwall from the early modern period through to the 19th century. Cornish pirates exploited both their knowledge of the Cornish coast as well as its sheltered creeks and hidden anchorages. For many
fishing villages
, loot and contraband provided by pirates supported a strong and secretive
underground economy
in Cornwall.
[2]
[
page needed
]
Legendary creatures
that appear in Cornish folklore include
buccas
,
knockers
,
Giants
, and
Pixies
.
[3]
Tales of these creatures are thought to have developed as
supernatural
explanations for the frequent and deadly
cave-ins
that occurred during 18th century Cornish
tin mining
, or else a creation of the oxygen-starved minds of exhausted miners who returned from the underground.
The
knocker
is said to be about two feet tall and grizzled, but not misshapen. They tend to live underground. Here they wear tiny versions of standard miner's garb and commit random mischief, such as stealing a miner's unattended tools and food - they were often cast a small
offering
of food ? usually the crust of a
pasty
? to appease their malevolence.
Many landscape features, from the barren
granite
rock features on
Bodmin Moor
, to the dramatic cliff seascape, to the mystical form of
St Michael's Mount
are explained as the work of
Giants
and English tales such as the early eighteenth century
Jack the Giant Killer
may recall much older British folk traditions recorded elsewhere in medieval
Welsh language
manuscripts and closely related to the folk traditions of
Dartmoor
in neighbouring Devon.
There is a Cornish legend of the lost land of
Lyonesse
, supposedly lost to the sea in one night. It is claimed to represent the folk memory of the flooding of the
Isles of Scilly
and
Mount's Bay
near
Penzance
.
[4]
For example, the Cornish name of St Michael's Mount is
Karrek Loos y'n Koos
, literally, "the grey rock in the wood". The
Breton
legend of
Ys
is a similar concept.
Old
Michaelmas Day
falls on 11 October (10 October according to some sources). According to an old legend,
blackberries
should not be picked after this date. This is because, so British folklore goes,
Satan
was banished from
Heaven
on this day, fell into a blackberry bush and cursed the brambles as he fell into them. In Cornwall, a similar legend prevails, according to which the
devil
urinated on them.
[5]
- The midnight washerwomen
Les Lavandieres
or the Midnight Washerwomen are three old
laundresses
in
Celtic mythology
. In
Wales
and Cornwall, a passerby must avoid being seen by the washerwomen. If they do get seen, however, they are required to help wring out the sheets. If they twist the sheets in the same direction as the washerwomen, the individual's arms will be wrenched from their sockets and they will get pulled into the wet sheets and killed instantly. If, however, they twist in the opposite direction, the washerwomen are required to grant the person three wishes.
- Weather lore
"Mist from the hill / Brings water for the mill; / Mist from the sea / Brings fine weather for me."
[6]
"Lundy plain, Sign of rain" (current in north Cornwall where Lundy Island is normally visible).
Enys Tregarthen
[
edit
]
Nellie Sloggett of Padstow devoted much of her attention to Cornish folklore and legend. She collected and recorded many stories about the
Piskey
folk, fairies of Cornish myth and legend. She published most of her works in this category under her better-known pen-name of
Enys Tregarthen
.
[7]
North Cornwall
[
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]
Dozmary Pool
is identified by some people with the lake in which, according to
Arthurian
legend,
Sir Bedivere
threw
Excalibur
to
The Lady of the Lake
.
[8]
: 11
Another legend relating to the pool concerns
Jan Tregeagle
.
The
Beast of Bodmin
has been reported many times but never identified with certainty.
The
Doom Bar
at the mouth of the River Camel was, according to legend, created by the Mermaid of Padstow as a dying curse, after being shot by a sailor.
Penwith
[
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]
16th century Zennor mermaid bench end
The lantern Parade on Tom Bawcock's Eve
Within the bounds of
Gulval
parish lies the disused
Ding Dong mine
, reputedly one of the oldest in Cornwall. Popular local legend claims that
Joseph of Arimathea
, a tin trader, visited the mine and brought a young Jesus to address the miners, although there is no evidence to support this.
[9]
[
page needed
]
At
Zennor
, there is a legend of the
Mermaid of Zennor
and at
Mousehole
,
Tom Bawcock
is a legendary fisherman from the village who, according to legend, risked his life to go out and fish and managed to come back with enough fish to feed the village until the storm was over. All the fish was put into a big pie, and the pie called "
Stargazy pie
".
The Merry Maidens stone circle at
St Buryan
: the local myth about the creation of the stones suggests that nineteen maidens were turned into stone as punishment for dancing on a Sunday. (
Dans Maen
translates as Stone Dance.)
The Pipers
, two megaliths some distance north-east of the circle, are said to be the petrified remains of the musicians who played for the dancers. A more detailed story explains why the Pipers are so far from the Maidens - apparently the two pipers heard the church clock in St Buryan strike midnight, realised they were breaking the sabbath, and started to run up the hill away from the maidens who carried on dancing without accompaniment. These
petrification
legends are often associated with stone circles, and is reflected in the folk names of some of the nearby sites, for example, the
Tregeseal Dancing Stones
, the
Nine Maidens of Boskednan
, as well as the more distant
Hurlers
and
The Pipers
on Bodmin Moor.
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
O'Connor, Mike (2010).
Cornish Folk Tales
. Stroud: The History Press.
ISBN
978-0-7524-5066-7
.
OCLC
865081421
.
- ^
Andrews, Robert; Brown, Jules; Humphreys, Rob; Lee, Phil; Reid, Donald; Whitfield, Paul (2006),
The Rough Guide to Britain
,
Rough Guides
,
ISBN
978-1-84353-686-4
- ^
Steves, Rick (2007),
Rick Steves' England 2008
, Avalon Travel, p.
253
,
ISBN
978-1-59880-097-5
- ^
de Beer, Gavin (June 1960). "Iktin".
The Geographical Journal
.
126
(2): 160?167.
Bibcode
:
1960GeogJ.126..160D
.
doi
:
10.2307/1793956
.
JSTOR
1793956
.
- ^
Taylor, Rob (7 October 2010).
"Michaelmas Traditions"
.
Black Country Bugle
. Local World. Archived from
the original
on 30 September 2015
. Retrieved
29 September
2015
.
- ^
Holloway, John, ed. (1987).
The Oxford Book of Local Verses
. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p.
104
.
ISBN
0-19-214149-X
.
OCLC
463975437
.
- ^
"Introduction to Cornish Fairy Folk Tales"
.
Celtic, Tolkien, and Arthurian Graphics, and Cornish Folklore
. William Rowe. Archived from
the original
on 30 November 2009
. Retrieved
15 September
2009
.
- ^
Tilley, Christopher (1995).
"Rock as resources: landscapes and power"
(PDF)
.
Cornish Archaeology
.
34
: 5?57. Archived from
the original
(PDF)
on 29 April 2018
. Retrieved
4 June
2017
.
- ^
Matthews, John, ed. (1991).
A Glastonbury Reader: Selections From the Myths, Legends and Stories of Ancient Avalon
. London: Aquarian Press.
ISBN
0-85030-999-9
.
OCLC
917210115
.
Further reading
[
edit
]
- Addicoat, Ian; Buswell, Geoff (2003).
Mysteries of the Cornish Coast: legends, ghosts and extraordinary events from Cornwall's south-west peninsula
. Tiverton: Halsgrove.
ISBN
1-84114-255-7
.
- Baring-Gould, Sabine
(1899).
A Book of the West: Being an Introduction to Devon and Cornwall
. Vol. II: Cornwall. London: Methuen – via Internet Archive.
- Bottrell, William
. Traditions and Hearthside Stories of West Cornwall. 3 vols:
- Couch, Jonathan
(1871).
The History of Polperro: A Fishing Town on the South Coast of Cornwall
. Truro: W. Lake – via Google Books.
(Reprinted: Polperro Heritage Press, 2004;
ISBN
978-0-9544233-7-7
,
OCLC
867913690
)
- Quiller-Couch, Mabel
(1914).
Cornwall's Wonderland
. London: J.M. Dent & Sons – via Internet Archive.
(Contents: How
Corineus
fought the chief of the giants.--The giant of
St Michael's Mount
.--The legend of the Tamar, the Tavy, and the Taw.--The strange story of Cherry Honey.--The fairies on the Gump.--The fairy ointment.--The exciting adventure of John Sturtridge.--The true story of Anne and the fairies.--Barker and the Buccas.--Lutey and the mermaid.--The wicked spectre.--The story of the lovers' cove.--The silver table.--
Cruel Coppinger
, the Dane.--Madge Figgy, the wrecker.--How Madge Figgy got her pig.--The story of
Sir Tristram and La Belle Isoult
.)
- Courtney, Margaret Ann (1890).
Folklore and Legends of Cornwall
.
- Ditmas, Edith
(1970).
Tristan and Iseult in Cornwall
. Gloucester: Forrester Roberts.
- Evans-Wentz, W. Y. (1911).
The Fairy-Faith in Celtic Countries
. London: Oxford University Press – via Internet Archive.
- Gary, Gemma (2011).
Traditional Witchcraft: A Cornish Book of Ways
(Rev. 2nd ed.). Troy Books.
ISBN
978-0-9561043-4-2
.
OCLC
819718908
.
- Hunt, Robert
(1995).
Cornish Fairies
. St Day: Tor Mark Press.
ISBN
0-85025-351-9
.
Selected from:
- Hunt, Robert (1865).
Popular Romances of the West of England, or, The drolls, traditions, and superstitions of old Cornwall
. Vol. First Series. London: John Camden Hotten – via Internet Archive.
- Hunt, Robert (1865).
Popular Romances of the West of England, or, The drolls, traditions, and superstitions of old Cornwall
. Vol. Second Series. London: John Camden Hotten – via Internet Archive.
- James, Beryl (1988).
Tales of the Tinners' Way
. Redruth: Dyllansow Truran.
ISBN
1-85022-042-5
.
- Jenkin, A. K. Hamilton
(1933).
Cornwall and the Cornish: the story, religion and folk-lore of 'The Western Land'
.
- Lach-Szyrma, W.S.
(1882). "M. Sebillot's System as applied to Cornish Folk-lore".
Transactions of the Penzance Natural History and Antiquarian Society
. New Series: 132?150.
- Matthews, John Hobson (1892).
"Legendary Lore"
.
A History of the Parishes of Saint Ives, Lelant, Towednack, and Zennor, in the County of Cornwall
. London: Elliot Stock. pp.
379
-392 – via Internet Archive.
(Reprinted: St Ives: St. Ives Trust and St. Ives Library, 2003)
- Paynter, William H.; Semmens, Jason (2008).
The Cornish Witch-finder: The Witchery, Ghosts, Charms and Folklore of Cornwall
. St. Agnes: Federation of Old Cornwall Societies.
ISBN
978-0-902660-39-7
.
OCLC
407137778
.
- Phillips, Carl.
"Mystical Geographies of Cornwall"
(PDF)
.
Thesis submitted to the University of Nottingham for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (2006)
. Archived from
the original
(PDF)
on 24 April 2012
. Retrieved
26 October
2011
.
- Semmens, Jason (2004).
The Witch of the West: Or, The Strange and Wonderful History of Thomasine Blight
. Plymouth: Jason Semmens.
ISBN
978-0-9546839-0-0
.
OCLC
62263902
.
- Semmens, Jason (1998). "A Case of Witchcraft in Camborne during the Late Seventeenth Century?".
Old Cornwall
.
12
(3): 3?4.
ISSN
1741-0932
.
- Semmens, Jason (2000). "The Usage of Witch-Bottles and Apotropaic Charms in Cornwall".
Old Cornwall
.
12
(6): 25?30.
ISSN
1741-0932
.
- Semmens, Jason (2003). "The Magus in Cornwall: an Unknown Chapter in the Life of Francis Barrett, F.R.C.".
Old Cornwall
.
13
(1): 18?21.
ISSN
1741-0932
.
- Semmens, Jason (2004). "An Account of One Ann Jeffries: Notes on the Background to the Curious Case of the Maid of St. Teath".
Old Cornwall
.
13
(3): 10?15.
ISSN
1741-0932
.
- Semmens, Jason (April 2005). "
'Whyler Pystry': a Breviate of the Life and Folklore-Collecting Practices of William Henry Paynter (1901?1976) of
Callington, Cornwall
".
Folklore
.
116
(1): 75?94.
doi
:
10.1080/0015587052000337734
.
JSTOR
30035240
.
S2CID
161902483
.
- Semmens, Jason (2005). "A Cure from the Cunning".
Cornish World
.
42
: 62?67.
- Semmens, Jason (Autumn 2005). "Old and a Trouble: Notes on the Life of Granny Boswell".
Meyn Mamvro
.
58
: 20?22.
- Semmens, Jason (2006). "Tales of Cornish Witches".
Old Cornwall
.
13
(7): 22?27.
ISSN
1741-0932
.
- Semmens, Jason (2008). "Folk-magic in East Cornwall: a Nineteenth-century Conjuror's Archive from
North Tamerton
".
Old Cornwall
.
13
(10): 20?26.
ISSN
1741-0932
.
- Semmens, Jason (2009). "On the Origin of 'Peller'
".
Old Cornwall
.
14
(1): 43?50.
ISSN
1741-0932
.
External links
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