The Mermaid of Zennor Free

The present church dates to the 12th century, but it is thought to stand on the site of a cell founded by the 6th century saint, Senara, whose name has been altered over the centuries to become 'Zennor'. Senara may have been a Breton princess named Asenora, a devout Christian, who was married The Mermaid of Zennor a king named Goello. When Senara became pregnant, the king's mother falsely accused her of infidelity, and the king cast her into the sea. According to the tale, she was put in a barrel, The Mermaid of Zennor was then The Mermaid of Zennor shut and allowed to drift on the waves. The barrel drifted to Ireland, and she was rescued by an angel. After her son, Budoc, had grown, they both set out to convert the natives to Christianity. Alternative versions of the story say that she was washed up at Zennor, where she founded a church, before continuing on to Ireland, or that she came ashore in Ireland, and only later visited Cornwall and founded a church here. In either event, her husband heard of her good work and invited her to return to Brittany as his queen, and named her son as his heir. Alternatively, the church may have been founded by Irish or Breton missionaries and simply dedicated to Senara. The churchyard follows the oval outline of an Iron Age enclosure, which itself is built atop earlier Stone Age and Bronze Age The Mermaid of Zennor boundaries. The Mermaid Carving 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 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. The Mermaid of Zennor later images, the quince has become a mirror, a symbol of heartlessness and vanity, which rather twists the original meaning. In the medieval period, it was a common Cornish custom to perform 'miracle plays', in which the mermaid was used The Mermaid of Zennor represent the dual nature of Christ; just as the mermaid was both fish and human, Christ was both God and man. You can still see medieval wall paintings of mermaids in other Cornish churches, such as Altarnun and Breage, but only at Zennor is there a surviving mermaid carving. Why here? Well, St Senara, who founded the first church at Zennor over years ago, came The Mermaid of Zennor by sea, so the mermaid seems an appropriate symbol. Also, there is a local The Mermaid of Zennor linking Zennor to mermaids. A local squire's son named Matthew Trewhella was a member of the church choir and was known for his pure singing voice. A mermaid named Morveren, hearing his song, came into the church to listen. She was smitten by Matthew and lured the chorister into the sea at nearby Pendour Cove. You can guess the next bit; he never returned, and on warm summer evenings it is said that their voices can The Mermaid of Zennor heard joined in song, emanating from beneath the waves. Now, did the legend inspire the mermaid chair carving, or did the carving give rise to the legend? Also in the side chapel is a small stone carving leaning against the wall. This is very worn, but you can see that it depicts a saint. The church guide simply describes it as 'ancient', but I'd say it is at least Norman, and probably a lot earlier. The stone altar slab is certainly Norman. Above the altar is a window with stained glass depicting naval scenes, commemorating Admiral Borlase, who is buried in the churchyard. To the left of the south porch is a plaque to John Davey d. Natives of Mousehole, on the south coast, may like to point out that Dolly Pentreath d. The Mermaid of Zennor are a wonderful collection of monuments under the tower. One is to John Quick d. Another memorial is to a ' hen-pecked husband '. In the south-west corner of the church is a worn Norman font. This was found buried in the vicarage garden and was restored to the church in Close to the south door is the current font, dating to the late 13th or early 14th century. This has an octagonal bowl, decorated with quatrefoils, supported on four slender columns and a strong central pillar. Hanging from the roof near the window is a model of a West Country schooner, created as a memorial to WA Proctor, who died on a The Mermaid of Zennor round-the- world voyage, and also to all unnamed sailors who were shipwrecked along this stretch of the Cornish coast. In The Mermaid of Zennor churchyard are a pair The Mermaid of Zennor Celtic crosses and a cross head on a rough plinth. On the south wall is a sundial dated to decorated with crossed bones, for deathand an angel head and wings for immortality. NOTE: Zennor is very popular in summer. Free parking along the one-way village access road is very limited; you might get lucky and find a space, or you might not! There is, however, a paid parking lot beside the pub and museum, about 30 seconds stroll from the church! Most photos are available for licensing, please contact Britain Express image library. Very Usually open daylight hours. Heritage Rated from 1- 5 low to exceptional on historic interest. Towednack Church - 1. The Mermaid of Zennor Ancient Village - 2. Men an Tol - 2. Lanyon Quoit - 3. Madron Holy Well and Chapel - The Mermaid of Zennor. Barnoon Cemetery - 3. Tate St Ives - 4 miles Museum. More self catering near Zennor. More Hotels near Zennor. More bed and breakfasts near Zennor. National Trust membership. Membership details. About the National Trust. Port Eliot Historic House. St Neot Church Historic Church. Tintagel Castle Castle. Lanhydrock Historic House. Antony House Historic House. Cotehele Historic House. Toggle navigation. Best of Britain. Zennor church and Celtic cross. St Senara Senara may have been a Breton princess named Asenora, a devout Christian, who was married to a king named Goello. Norman altar slab and the mermaid chair. The Zennor Mermaid. John Davey memorial. More Photos. Rosewall Cottage, St Ives - 3. Blackberry Cottage, St Ives - 3. Trezelah Garth, Penzance - 3. Maristow - 4. Borthalan Hotel - 4. The Wellington Hotel - 6. The Coldstreamer - 4. Carnson House - 4. Dolphin Tavern - 5. Ives Truro. Michael's Mount Tintagel. Canvas Prints Cornwall Prints. Britain Express Canvas Prints. Crackington Haven Cornwall Prints. National Trust. Membership details About the National Trust. Top Historic Attractions in Cornwall. Self Catering in Cornwall. Previous Next. The Mermaid of Zennor and other Cornish Mermaids | Cornwall Guide Long ago, a beautiful and richly dressed woman occasionally attended services at St. Senara's Church in Zennor, and sometimes at Morvah. The parishioners were enchanted by her beauty and her voice, for her singing was sweeter than all the rest. She appeared infrequently for scores The Mermaid of Zennor years, but never seemed The Mermaid of Zennor age, and nobody knew whence she came, although they watched her from the summit of Tregarthen Hill. After many years, the mysterious woman became interested in a young man named Mathey Trewella, "the best singer in the parish. The villagers wondered what had become of the two, until one Sunday a ship cast anchor about a mile from Pendour Cove. Soon after, a mermaid appeared, and asked that the anchor be raised, as one of its flukes was resting on her door, and she was unable to reach her children. The sailors obliged, and quickly set sail, believing the mermaid to The Mermaid of Zennor an ill omen. But when the villagers heard of this, they concluded that the mermaid was the same lady who had long visited their church, and that she had enticed Mathey Trewella to come and live with her. The parishioners at St. Senara's commemorated the The Mermaid of Zennor by having one end of a bench carved in the shape of a mermaid. A shorter account of the legend was related to Bottrell on a subsequent visit to Cornwall. The mermaid had come to church every Sunday to hear the choir sing, and her own voice was so sweet that she enticed Mathey Trewella, son of the churchwarden, to come away with her; neither was seen again on dry land. The famed "mermaid chair" was the same bench on which the mermaid had sat and sung, opposite Trewella in the singing loft. This wiki. This wiki All wikis. Sign In Don't have an account? Start a Wiki. Biography [ edit edit source ] Long ago, a beautiful and richly dressed woman occasionally attended services at St. Categories :. Cancel Save. 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The legend has inspired works of poetry, literature and The Mermaid of Zennor. Long ago, a beautiful and richly dressed woman occasionally attended services at St. Senara's Church in Zennorand sometimes at The Mermaid of Zennor. The parishioners were enchanted by her beauty and her voice, for her singing was sweeter than all the rest. She appeared infrequently for scores of years, but never seemed to age, and nobody knew whence she came, although they watched her from the summit of Tregarthen Hill. After many years, the mysterious woman became interested in a young man named Mathey Trewella, [i] "the best singer in the parish. The villagers wondered what had become of the two, until one Sunday a ship cast anchor about a mile from Pendour Cove. Soon after, a mermaid appeared, and asked that the anchor be raised, as one of its flukes was resting on her door, and she was unable to reach her children. But when the villagers heard of this, they concluded that the mermaid was the same lady who had long visited their church, and that she had enticed Mathey Trewella to come and live with her. The parishioners at St. Senara's commemorated the story by having one end of a bench carved in the shape of a mermaid. A shorter account of the legend was related to Bottrell on a subsequent visit to Cornwall. The mermaid had The Mermaid of Zennor to church every Sunday to hear the choir sing, and her own voice was so sweet that she enticed Mathey Trewella, son of the churchwardento come away with her; neither was seen again on dry land. The famed "mermaid chair" was the same bench on which the mermaid had sat and sung, opposite Trewella in the singing loft. The "mermaid chair" at St. Senara's Church can be seen to this day, and together with the accompanying legend, is one of the popular attractions mentioned in tourist guides to Cornwall. Kingshill and Westwood suppose that the bench itself inspired the legend, rather than the other way around, as the villagers related. The legend is the subject of the song "Mermaid" by Cornish folk singer Brenda Wootton. Craig Weatherhill wrote the Mermaid of Zennor into his novel Seat of Storms Tabb House,giving her the name Azenor, as the previous tellings never name her. The Mermaid of Zennor The Mermaid of Zennor a poem by Charles Causleypublished with further content about the legend in a The Mermaid of Zennor of the same or a similar title -- some early editions are called 'The Merrymaid of Zennor'. It is illustrated by Michael Foreman ; [9]. Eileen Moloney published a book of the same title, illustrated by Maise Meiklejohn in The legend is linked to St. The first book of the series, Ingopublished inbegins with the story of the mermaid and the main story line is loosely based around the legend. In the legend The Mermaid of Zennor adapted by Paul Drayton for an opera commissioned by the Cornish company Duchy Opera. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Cornwall portal. Rodda, Penzance, Affinities PDF. London: Faber and Faber. Legend Land. The Mermaid of Zennor. Edmund Ward. The Mermaid Chair. Retrieved 13 April The Times. Cornish Guardian. Retrieved 14 June Archived The Mermaid of Zennor the original on 18 October Retrieved 21 June Culture of Cornwall. Cornish : Gonisogeth Kernow. Cornish hurling Cornish pilot-gig racing Cornish wrestling Rugby union in The Mermaid of Zennor. Categories : Cornish culture Cornish folklore Mermaids. Namespaces Article Talk. Views Read Edit View history. Help Learn to edit Community portal Recent changes Upload file. Download as PDF Printable version. Add links.