The Mermaid of Zennor

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An interesting twist to the legend of the Mermaid of Zennor is that her love, Matthew Trewhella, may actually have existed. In the story Matthew was a churchwarden’s son, who sang at Zennor church. Apparently he disappeared one day with a strange and ageless woman. Never to be seen again. It was only later, when a ship’s captain reported seeing a mermaid at Pendour Cove that the villagers put two and two together and decided the mysterious woman had been in disguise all along. Even today, the village of Zennor itself seems exactly the sort of place where one would expect to encounter a mermaid. The dark cloisters of the church where the mermaid chair sits have an underwater feel to them, and even the local pub sells a ‘Zennor Mermaid’ ale (which, by the way, is delicious). Traces of the legend appear to have permeated many aspects of modern life in the area; there is even a local ice cream company named ‘Moomaid of Zennor’. However, it is at the edge of the cliffs over Pendour Cove, looking out to sea, where the words of Watkins’ poem or Wootton’s melodies are truly brought to life, and the sparkles on the waves could easily be mistaken for a mermaid’s tail. Zennor church is famous for a carved medieval chair, or bench end, displayed in the south side chapel. The carving is generally dated to between 1400-1500. The carving shows a mermaid carrying a comb and mirror. The pose is similar to classical depictions of the goddess of love and of the sea, Aphrodite. In the classical tradition, Aphrodite carries a quince (sometimes called a love apple). ST IVES FARMERS MARKET - an award-winning market, showcasing the best of local Cornish producers. You can find a wide range of local food and drink, including fish, meats, vegetables, baked goods, plants and alcoholic drinks.

The church was dedicated to St. Senara, and Zennor is believed to be named after the St. Senara as well, and Senara is a Cornish name that meant light.Everyone knows of mermaids, but where did these mystical creatures come from? From the Scottish Selkie to the sirens of Ancient Greece, mermaids in one form or another have been a part of our folklore since storytelling began. Mysterious means something has a lot of mystery, people don’t know much about it. For example, Stonehenge in the UK is a mysterious place, because we don’t know why it was made. Many people have theories about why Stonehenge was made, but it is still mysterious. The parish church of St Ives, St Ia, has similar deeply carved bench ends, also dating from around 500 years ago. But the Mermaid Chair is one of only two known carvings of a mermaids in Cornwall. The other was pointed out to me by Roy Reed: See my Cornwall Mining History and its Future post for more information on Cornwall’s mining history. Visit one of the nearby coves

In the churchyard are a pair of Celtic crosses and a cross head on a rough plinth. On the south wall is a sundial dated to 1737 decorated with crossed bones, (for death), and an angel head and wings (for immortality).After casting anchor, the captain heard something strange. It was a beautiful voice singing, although he could not tell if it was a man’s or a woman’s. And most mysteriously, it was coming from the water, where the anchor had fallen. Welcome to Easy Stories in English, the podcast that will take your English from OK to Good, and from Good to Great.