Tuesday, September 9, 2008 Cornwall
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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2008 CORNWALL Today would be our last full day of touring Cornwall before we turned East, back to England tomorrow. St. Madron’s Well Madron is a village and parish near St. Just in Penwith, dating back to the Domesday Book, but it was probably settled far earlier. We traveled through a pretty woodland area, the ground muddy from the recent rains, but the journey was worth it. A magical woodland path, a feeling of forest spirits and faeries: The trees twisted into eerie contorted shapes, feeling as if they were the ever watchful guardians of this holy wood, and if we did not pass muster, they would not let us through. A mystical woodland pool Madron’s ruined chapel, said to be built before the Normal Conquest: Madron, with its healing well, has a long history of healing abilities. Clouties are tied to the nearby trees, supplications for healing. Our group, gathered in the chapel Madron’s well, within the chapel: St. Madron is said to be a Cornish saint and patron of cures and protection against pain. She was probably the ancient Mother Goddess of these lands, which was later Christianized to St. Madron. Strangely, the saint is listed as male, but the energy is clearly female. Virginia dowsed the area with her pendulum and it swung vigorously counter clockwise, indicating female energy. Altar, bed, or seat? Mara told us that the stone bench inside the chapel has served as an altar, a bed for the sick to receive healing dreams, and a place of divination. It is still used to this day, and some religious services such as baptisms are still performed in these ruins. “Mara Freeman proposed a very interesting theory in her article "Sacred Waters, Holy Wells" that St. Madron’s was not only a healing well but also a "dream-temple". Evidently many sacred wells have a radioactive quality which makes many people drowsy and to actually fall into a sleep while visiting the wells. During this time dreams occur, many of a divinatory form. The altar, or dream-seat, according to Freeman, "was customarily used for dream-incubation purposes" at St. Madron’s. This practice of soliciting sacred dreams appears to have been a replacement for the ageless oracles which were normally consulted at sacred wells prior to the arrival Christianity.” (from the internet site: http://www.authorsden.com/visit/viewArticle.asp?id=4607) Mara led us in a meditation inside the chapel, where a gift would be given to each of us by St. Madron herself, who was in fact, the Mother Goddess and sovereign of this land. In the meditation she appeared to me dressed in a gown of deep watery blue, and gave me a healing cup of the same color. I dipped my altar cloth in this most holy well, and also set Merlin within the waters of the well for a moment. Merlin on the lip of Madron’s Well Cloutie tree near Madron’s Well: I had one last ribbon to tie onto this tree, again wishing health for ailing family members, and also a wish to return and spend more time in this magical place! Lanyan Quoit Lanyon Quoit This Neolithic structure looked remarkably similar to “Poulnabrone”, a Neolithic tomb Mara took us to on a visit to the Burren in Ireland in 2005. I’m posting a photo from that trip for comparison: Virginia at Poulnobrone, on the Burren in Ireland, on our tour with Mara in 2005 Lanyon Quoit This Neolithic structure is probably the remains of a chambered tomb, composed of a massive capstone with three upright support stones. Archeologists believe that this was once a burial chamber, part of a long rectangular mound with a low platform at one end. There are a number of barrows close to Lanyon Quoit, indicating that they may have been part of a single structure, or there were several structures in this burial area. This would have once been covered by dirt, creating a mound, which has by now eroded away, leaving this intriguing bare structure. Stone barn near Lanyon Quoit This amazing local barn consists of stone walls that look suspiciously like they may have been pirated from ancient stone sites. Men–an-Tol Men-anTol This unique formation of standing stones is near Madron in Penwith, and is also known locally as the “crick stone”. The complex consists of only three stones – two uprights and one round hold stone. The original purpose is unknown, although they may have been the entrance to a long vanished tomb. Locals say that if a woman passes through the stone seven times under a full moon, she will soon conceive a child. Fertility magic – phallic and yoni symbols Local legends state that the stones have healing properties, especially the holed stone in the middle. It is supposed to be guarded by fairies or pixies who can grant miraculous cures for various ailments. In one legend, a changeling baby was put through the stone and the real baby was returned to his mother. Children were passed through the stone three to nine times to cure them of a common disease of rickets. The stones are also in a perfect alignment with the central stone of Boscawen-un, indicating that they are all part of a ritual complex, perhaps a procession of holy stones. Amely crawling through the stone Simon crawling through the stone Several of the more limber members of our party crawled through the stone at least three times (ritually, it has to be three or nine times). I cheated, and simply passed my surrogate, Merlin, through nine times! Zennor Zennor is a quaint town, which was probably settled in ancient times, as there is a Zennor Quoit which we did not have time to visit. It’s most famous resident, D.H. Lawrence and his wife stayed here sometime during World War I. The town of Zennor: Lunch was at the Tinner’s Arms. I had a wonderful salad for lunch followed by a refreshing cappuchino. It was so good, I had to sample their latte, which did not disappoint me. Tinner’s Arms sign Lunch at the Tinner’s Arms A perfect Cappuchino! Zennor Parish Church: Zennor is most famous for it’s Mermaid chair in the local Medieval church. The mermaid of Zennor The mermaid is depicted holding a mirror in one hand and a comb in another, which is a traditional way of depicting a mermaid throughout the British Isles. Seat cushion for the Mermaid chair Font in the church Inside the church Church’s stained glass windows Cushions on the pew seats for this agricultural community In the local legend, a beautiful woman garbed in rich clothing would occasionally attend the church at Zennor, although nobody knew who she was or where she came from. She was noted not only for her physical beauty, but her lovely voice. Although many of the men admired her, only one had the courage to follow her, young Mathew Trewella. He was a handsome youth with the best singing voice in the village. When the mysterious woman smiled at him in church one day, he decided to follow her after the service, and was last seen following her towards the cliffs. He was never again seen in Zennor, or anywhere else, and neither was the mysterious woman. Years past, and the mystery was never solved. Then one Sunday morning, a ship cast anchor in nearby Pendower Cove. The captain heard a beautiful voice hail him from the sea, and looked over the ship’s railing to see a lovely mermaid, long blond hair flowing in the sea around her. She asked him if he would mind raising his anchor, for it had landed on the doorway of her house under the sea. She explained that she was anxious to get back to her family – her husband Mathew and her children. She told the captain that she was the mermaid Morveren, one of the daughters of King Llyr, the Lord of the Sea. The captain, wary of the power of her royal father, immediately weighed anchor and headed for deeper waters to avoid the bad luck of displeasing the merfolk. He returned to the town later to tell them of the fate of young Mathew. The townsfolk commemorated the tale by carving a special seat dedicated to Morveren in their church. “Morveren” is similar to other Celtic names, such as Morgan, Morven, and Morrigan, and related to the sea. In Irish, Mor Rhigan mean Sea Queen. Another intriguing tale of the beautiful Morveren is that she was drawn to the church upon hearing Mathew’s voice singing in the choir. She disguised herself as a human and listened at the back of the church. One night, he sang so sweetly that she couldn’t help but sigh, and he turned to see her for the first time. It was love at first sight. Frightened, Morveren tried to flee, making her way back to the sea, but Mathew was in hot pursuit. When he realized at the shore, that she was not human, but a mermaid, it mattered not in the least, and he followed her into the sea. Villagers say that he can still be heard – singing soft and high if the day was to be fair, deep and low in warning if his father in law, King Llyr was planning to create a storm and rough sea. The fishermen would listen for his singing and know when it was safe to put to sea, or to stay at home.