The Sailorman's Daughters is a love letter to the rugged Cornish coastline and mermaid myths. Because of this, the story itself is inspired by a local folktale, first recorded in 1873 by Cornish folklorist William Bottrell. It has since become one of the most well-known Cornish legends - and arguably what the village of Zennor itself is most famous for today.
I discovered the legend as a child, but it wasn't until I visited Zennor myself that I truly dug into it. What I found was the catalyst for a new story which had been brewing in my head, and which would eventually lead to The Sailorman's Daughters.
This story is more popular than that which inspired my other watery work Blindsighted Wanderer, but I would still like to share it here. The following is a version written by me, based closely on the one I read in childhood.
I discovered the legend as a child, but it wasn't until I visited Zennor myself that I truly dug into it. What I found was the catalyst for a new story which had been brewing in my head, and which would eventually lead to The Sailorman's Daughters.
This story is more popular than that which inspired my other watery work Blindsighted Wanderer, but I would still like to share it here. The following is a version written by me, based closely on the one I read in childhood.
The Mermaid of Zennor © March 2020 E. C. Hibbs
The village of Zennor is unassuming to most. Though only five miles from the bustle of St Ives, it lies tucked away among the headlands and coves, reached only by a single road. At its heart sits the Church of St Senara, and it is there where our story begins.
Once upon a time - so long ago, nobody knows for sure - a young woman arrived in Zennor. No-one knew her name or where she had come from. She was dressed richly and well, and was so beautiful, there wasn't a soul in the village who was not awestruck. She walked to the church to listen to the choir sing, and when she joined in with them, her own voice was so stunning, all the parishioners stopped to listen. But as quickly as she had come, she vanished before anyone could follow her.
She wasn't heard of again until several years later. There were rumours she had been sighted at the nearby village of Morvah, but nobody truly believed it until she came back to Zennor. Even though time had ravaged everyone else, she seemed untouched, and had not aged a single day. Once again, she sat in the same bench opposite the choir loft, listened to the singing, and left without another look back.
And so it continued for a long time. Whenever she left the village, men would hurry to the summit of Tregarthen Hill to try and see where she went, but they always failed. She would round the headland and disappear without a trace.
One day, a boy named Mathey Trewella was born to the churchwarden. He grew up into a handsome young man and took to singing in the church choir. But no matter how beautifully the others sang, Mathey's voice always outshone them all. His voice was so wonderful that people would stop their daily work to listen to him. Before long, he was declared "the best singer in the parish."
And then the mysterious woman came back. She walked to the Church of St Senara and sat in the old bench, her eyes fixed on Mathey Trewella. She barely blinked as she heard his song, and when she raised her own voice, Mathey stared back at her, entranced. Soon, it was just the two of them singing, the entire congregation silent around them.
The woman returned to the church for the next several days, her attention always on Mathey. And then, one afternoon, she walked away as she had all the other times, heading towards Pendour Cove. But this time, Mathey ran after her. Though the villagers looked for them, neither were seen in Zennor again.
Many years passed with no sign of Mathey Trewella. One day, a mile offshore from the cove, a passing ship dropped its anchor. However, the crew were alarmed by a splashing at the bow, and looked down to see a mermaid floating in the water, her arms raised to them in earnest.
"Please, lift your anchor, kind sirs!" she cried. "One of the flukes is resting upon my door, and I cannot get past to reach my children! I am returning home from church and am very anxious to see them!"
The sailors were so alarmed that they quickly raised the anchor and hurried to the safety of Zennor, terrified that the mermaid was an ill omen. But when they came ashore and told of the encounter, the villagers all looked among one another in realisation. The mermaid had to be none other than the mysterious woman, and she had enticed young Mathey Trewella away to live with her beneath the waves.
To make sure that nobody in Zennor would forget the story, the parishioners sent a carpenter into the church and asked him to carve the bench which the woman had always sat upon. He worked on it arduously, until the image of a mermaid was borne upon the wooden end. And the mermaid chair remains in the Church of St Senara to this day, turned to the choir loft, while the waves of Pendour Cove wash upon the beach below.
Once upon a time - so long ago, nobody knows for sure - a young woman arrived in Zennor. No-one knew her name or where she had come from. She was dressed richly and well, and was so beautiful, there wasn't a soul in the village who was not awestruck. She walked to the church to listen to the choir sing, and when she joined in with them, her own voice was so stunning, all the parishioners stopped to listen. But as quickly as she had come, she vanished before anyone could follow her.
She wasn't heard of again until several years later. There were rumours she had been sighted at the nearby village of Morvah, but nobody truly believed it until she came back to Zennor. Even though time had ravaged everyone else, she seemed untouched, and had not aged a single day. Once again, she sat in the same bench opposite the choir loft, listened to the singing, and left without another look back.
And so it continued for a long time. Whenever she left the village, men would hurry to the summit of Tregarthen Hill to try and see where she went, but they always failed. She would round the headland and disappear without a trace.
One day, a boy named Mathey Trewella was born to the churchwarden. He grew up into a handsome young man and took to singing in the church choir. But no matter how beautifully the others sang, Mathey's voice always outshone them all. His voice was so wonderful that people would stop their daily work to listen to him. Before long, he was declared "the best singer in the parish."
And then the mysterious woman came back. She walked to the Church of St Senara and sat in the old bench, her eyes fixed on Mathey Trewella. She barely blinked as she heard his song, and when she raised her own voice, Mathey stared back at her, entranced. Soon, it was just the two of them singing, the entire congregation silent around them.
The woman returned to the church for the next several days, her attention always on Mathey. And then, one afternoon, she walked away as she had all the other times, heading towards Pendour Cove. But this time, Mathey ran after her. Though the villagers looked for them, neither were seen in Zennor again.
Many years passed with no sign of Mathey Trewella. One day, a mile offshore from the cove, a passing ship dropped its anchor. However, the crew were alarmed by a splashing at the bow, and looked down to see a mermaid floating in the water, her arms raised to them in earnest.
"Please, lift your anchor, kind sirs!" she cried. "One of the flukes is resting upon my door, and I cannot get past to reach my children! I am returning home from church and am very anxious to see them!"
The sailors were so alarmed that they quickly raised the anchor and hurried to the safety of Zennor, terrified that the mermaid was an ill omen. But when they came ashore and told of the encounter, the villagers all looked among one another in realisation. The mermaid had to be none other than the mysterious woman, and she had enticed young Mathey Trewella away to live with her beneath the waves.
To make sure that nobody in Zennor would forget the story, the parishioners sent a carpenter into the church and asked him to carve the bench which the woman had always sat upon. He worked on it arduously, until the image of a mermaid was borne upon the wooden end. And the mermaid chair remains in the Church of St Senara to this day, turned to the choir loft, while the waves of Pendour Cove wash upon the beach below.