the zennor mermaid

A centuries old legend

Suggested by Cas Best

Cas writes, “One of the most mysterious, enigmatic and powerful legends of Cornwall. Her achievement is notoriety perhaps? The beautiful carving on the end of a pew in Zennor Church has drawn people from afar to see her over many years.

As a poet I have found that the legend of the Zennor Mermaid has been an inspiration. My family lived in Zennor many years ago and I would walk up to the Church and sit quietly just to see her.”

Edited from Wikipedia for those of you who don’t know her story: The Mermaid of Zennor or in Cornish, An Vorvoren a Senar, is a Cornish folk tale which originates in the village of Zennor. The legend tells the story of a mysterious woman who appeared from time to time in the parish church of Zennor. Enchanted by her beauty, her eternal youth and her sweet voice, Mathey Trewella, son of the churchwarden, was enticed to come away with her and 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 legend inspired Brenda Wooton’s song “Mermaid’ written in 1980, Martha Tilston’s song “Mermaid of Zennor” released in 2014 as well as operas, a work for a brass band, and many other creative works.