The Mermaid of Zennor

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If you go down to the village of Zennor, and take a walk to the church, you’ll find something interesting. On one of the benches, there is a carving of a woman with beautiful blonde hair. She holds a mirror in one hand and a comb in the other. But instead of human legs, she has a fish’s tail, long and shiny. Kirsty Fergusson, Slow Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly: Local, Characterful Guides to Britain’s Special Places, Bradt Travel Guide, 2012.

Zennor folks tell the following story, which, according to them, accounts for a singular carving on a bench-end in their Church. Helford is frequently mentioned as the best place to live in Cornwall. It is an extremely popular tourist destination because it is home to royalty and artisans. It is one of the most remote locations in the Duchy. Pete Townshend, lead guitarist for The Who, has been a resident of this area since the late Roger Taylor. It’s a good idea to stop by Helford on a typical visit and catch a glimpse of kingfishers and yachts cruising along the Helford River. After a Queen show, you may be able to take a break in the Shipwrights Arms next to Taylor for a beer. Despite its small population, the village has a strong sense of community, anchored by the pub.Either way, it’s fitting that the legend of a mermaid has grown from a church which was supposedly founded by a woman who emerged from the sea. On one of these occasions he reversed the role of the mythic siren and entranced a mermaid with his beautiful voice. Helen Dunmore's 1993 novel Zennor in Darkness is set in and around the village in 1917 when D. H. Lawrence lived nearby. Zennor is also mentioned in the Ulysses Moore series of books, written by Pierdomenico Baccalario; in fact, near Zennor and St Ives there would be the mysterious hamlet of Kilmore Cove, the place where the series is mainly set. One day, the mysterious woman noticed Mathew. After church ended, she smiled at him, and looked at the door. He followed her, and this time she walked slowly, so that he did not lose her. However, he could still not work up the courage to walk beside her.

A variety of fish-tailed gods were worshipped by the first civilisations of the Middle East. The earliest known of these was Oannes, Lord of the Waters, who appeared some 7000 years ago. There are also fish-tailed gods in one form or another found in the legends and beliefs of countries as diverse as India, China, Japan and Greece. The captain of a ship is the leader of a ship. The captain tells other people what to do and makes important decisions. In films and TV shows, we often see pirate captains. Pirate captains have a wooden leg and an eyepatch, a piece of cloth over one eye, and they say, ‘Arrrrr!’ Unfortunately, real ship captains are not so interesting. There’s a split-tailed mermaid on a roof boss at Linkinhorne church. If you look closely you can see her holding a comb and mirror in either hand. But why a mermaid in a church that’s as far from the sea as you can get in Cornwall?’ Credit: Roy Reed

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A carving on one of the church's chairs depicting the Mermaid of this tale is said to have been etched into the wood to warn every church-going man of the dangers of mermaids and how easy it is to be led astray by their beauty. So a few weeks ago, I went on holiday to visit my girlfriend, and this was actually the first time I met her in real life! Finally, she came to the cliffs that overlooked the ocean. Mathew went and stood beside her, and they talked for a while. 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. [3] The story of the mermaid is retold in later collections of Cornish folklore, generally following the original accounts collected by Bottrell. [4] In The Fabled Coast, the "mermaid chair" is described as a fifteenth-century carving. Kingshill and Westwood suppose that the bench itself inspired the legend, rather than the other way around, as the villagers related. [5] There are many reasons as to why there might have been a mermaid carved into a chair at a church, as mermaids represented two things to medieval Christians. They were thought to be a symbol of lust, due to their connection with the Greek goddess Aphrodite, and they were also thought to be an illustration of Jesus Christ, because of their fish-human form, for, just as mermaids are both human-like and fish-like, Jesus can be both human and divine. [6] Adaptations [ edit ] Excuse me, kind captain!’ called the person. ‘I’m afraid you have cast anchor on the door of my house, and I would like very much to go home. Could you raise the anchor again?’