The village was isolated, cut off from the rest of the world by the surrounding mountains. It was a small, close-knit community where everyone knew everyone else. Life was simple and hard, but the people were content. They had everything they needed within the village and didn’t desire anything more.

For as long as man has gone to sea, there have been tales of mermaids. Supposedly the result of ocean-weary sailors mistaking aquatic mammals such as manatees for the figure of a woman, the well-known image of a creature with the head and torso of a female but the tail of a fish from the waist downwards has become a popular feature in folklore. Each culture has their own variation on this legend, from the ‘Sirens’ of Ancient Greece, the ‘Melusine’ of Normandy, to the ‘Mami Wata’ spirits of West, Central, and Southern Africa. Despite the geographical and historical distance, they all share certain characteristics, namely their beautiful appearance which often leads to romances with humans. While each incarnation of the mermaid legend agrees on being female from the waist upwards, the most notable difference between depictions of mermaids across cultures is the form of their legs. The most recognisable is the classic fish tail, but in many areas, such as Western Europe and Africa, mermaids are imagined with the tail of a serpent. Elsewhere, mermaids are often pictured as almost identical to human women in shape, but with some subtle differences, such as pale skin and long green hair in Eastern Europe, or webbed hands and feet in China. One Chinese folklorist describes a mermaid captured on Namtao Island as ‘Her features and limbs were in all respects human, except that her body was covered with fine hair of many beautiful colours’. [3] 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.It is believed that the mermaid took Mathey Trewella into a cave in Pendour Cove (now often called Mermaids Cove) or into the sea to live with her. Some claim that when there is a storm coming in, you can hear a bell ringing, coming from the sea and that it is Mathey Trewella warning his friends in the village that bad weather is coming. He became so smitten that he left the church and plunged into the ocean for a life of love beneath the waves, never to be seen again. Or he drowned. 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. Special Operations Executive intelligence officer Vera Atkins was cremated after her death and the ashes scattered in the churchyard. Her memorial plaque, shared with her brother Guy, has the inscription: "Vera May Atkins, CBE Légion d'Honneur Croix de Guerre". [16] Culture and amenities [ edit ] Late Cornish language use [ edit ] Helm, Sarah (May 2005). A Life in Secrets: The Story of Vera Atkins and the Lost Agents of SOE. London, UK: Little, Brown. p.440. ISBN 0-316-72497-1.

William Bottrell (7 March 1816 – 27 August 1881) was a Cornish folklorist who documented many Cornish tales and wrote articles on Cornish life. He was born in Raftra, St. Levan, a few miles short of Land’s End, but spent much of his life abroad in Australia and Canada, where he worked as an English teacher. After the death of his wife he returned to Cornwall to write three volumes chronicling the folklore and legends of Cornwall. As stated on Wikipedia: “In a curious twist, the local arts writer who interviewed Hit Parade founder Julian Henry for The Cornishman was named Lee Trewhela.” saw the premier of "The Mermaid of Zennor" by Philip Harper, a work for brass band. [19] Commissioned for the Cornwall Youth Brass Band, it was chosen for the National Brass Band Championship regionals in the same year (second section). [20]

Finally, she came to the cliffs that overlooked the ocean. Mathew went and stood beside her, and they talked for a while. Zennor Head is a coastal promontory north of the village. The cliffs rise over 60 metres (200ft) from the sea and the highest point of the headland is 96 metres (314ft) above sea level. [1] The village itself is at an elevation of around 110 metres (360ft).

In 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 to represent the dual nature of Christ; just as the mermaid was both fish and human, Christ was both God and man.In 2012 the legend was adapted by Paul Drayton for an opera commissioned by the Cornish company Duchy Opera. [16] I have to admit to always having a deep fascination with the Mermaid of Zennor – I’m not calling it a myth, as it could be true … couldn’t it? It’s also said that the mermaid was seen several years later by a fisherman, who had inadvertently dropped anchor in front of the door to her house. Not being able to return to Matthew and her children, she wasn’t best pleased. Five or six times this unknown lady came to Zennor church, always on a fine day, and always she sat far apart from the congregation, watching Mathy and listening to every note he sang. Her eyes seemed to look right through him, and her gaze somehow reminded him of the dim light in caves under sea. He determined that somehow he would find out who she was. The Mermaid of Zennor", is a poem by John Heath-Stubbs, who lived in Zennor for a while in the 1950s.

One day, for reasons that are not clear, she was shot from a visiting boat. She dived for a moment but then re-appeared to make a vow.Zennor is a great place to stay if you are looking to stay in a quieter part of Cornwall and love walks through fields with stunning coastal views and coves and caves. According to local lore, in times long, long ago a beautiful and richly dressed woman would occasionally attend services at the church. She would appear from time to time over the course of many years, but never seemed to age. Locals noted her beauty and her lovely singing voice, but no one knew where she came from. Eventually, the mysterious woman came to fancy the churchwarden’s son, a young man named Mathew Trewella. One day Matthew followed her home, and the two were never seen again. I first saw the Mermaid Chair when I was a teenager in the 1990s. At the time I was just discovering my passion for our unique and quirky Cornish culture. Now, some twenty-five years later the chair has lost none of its mystery or its ability to stir the imagination. Visitors are drawn to Zennor Church from all over the world by the legend of the Zennor Mermaid and by the magical story of the ancient Mermaid Chair.