Who’d have thought kissing under the mistletoe originated from Cornwall?
Like many traditions, the Cornish Christmas tradition of the Cornish Bush has its roots in winter solstice Pagan celebrations.
Adapting the pagan meanings and symbolisms to fit Christian belief systems, the Cornish kissing bush represents new life. This three-dimensional wreath is made by weaving holly, mistletoe and ivy around a circle of willow – in the centre of which is hung a “crown” of rosy apples and a generous sprig of mistletoe.
The beautiful festive ringlet is then topped with a candle and hung indoors on December 20th. Cornish tradition states that dancing in rings underneath the Cornish Bush whilst the candle is lit welcomes in the God of Light.
The old “kissing bunch” (as it was sometimes known due to the dancing and merriment which took place underneath it) is still hung from the central beam of the living-room in cottages and homes across Cornwall.
Tucked away in a little dell in Perranarworthal, midway between Truro and Falmouth, St Piran’s Well is a delight. Lush, surrounded by ferns and prehistoric looking Gunnera plants it is a shady, secluded spot.
Wells like this have been sacred places since the earliest times and it is very likely that this spring was an important place even before the arrival of Christianity.
The well’s actual connection with the patron saint of Cornwall is also unclear. Saint Piran arrived in Cornwall around 460AD, legend has it, floating on a millstone. He was supposed to have performed various miracles and showed the Cornish how to mine tin. He has since given his name to several Cornish villages including Perranzabuloe, Perranuthnoe, Perranporth and Perranwell. Thomas Tonkin, the 17th historian, noted that St Agnes landed at ‘St Piran Arworthall’ on her return from Rome. But how the saint’s name became connected to the ancient manor of Arworthal is a bit of a mystery. Certainly he could have sailed there as at the time the estuary and river was far deeper than it is now and it was a busy inland port.
The water from St Piran’s Well was once prized for its medicinal qualities. A small plaque, which was attached to the granite wall of the well to mark the Millennium, states that the water is rich in iron salts. It is thought to be particularly good for returning health to ‘sickly children’.
To find the well, leave St Piran’s Church in Perranarworthal and walk towards the Cricket Ground. On the left you will see an ancient wooden turnstile (pictured, with our large hound leading the way) which takes you down a narrow path to the main road and eventually The Norway Inn on Truro/Falmouth road. Midway down there is a sign for the well, which takes you through some soul’s garden, but there you will find it, surrounded by greenery and brimming with the sweetest water in the land.204People reached37EngagementsBoost post
The path leading down to the well, complete with ancient turn-style, and my very wolfy companion.
Piran was a 5th-century Cornish abbot and is the patron saint of tin miners. St Piran’s Day is the national day of Cornwall, celebrated every year on 5th march.
Originally from Ireland, where he was a local priest, Piran fell out with the king and thus was thrown from a cliff with a millstone tied around his neck. But with saintly expertise, he managed to navigate a rock of granite across the Celtic sea and landed in Perranporth.
On this beach Piran met some locals keeping warm by a fire, close by there were a lot of black rocks around. As the fire got burnt the black stones got hotter and a white liquid started to pour out of them. St Piran noticed this and as a result gave us the process of smelting which showed the Cornish how to smelt tin. This is also where the white cross on the black background of the Cornish flag comes from.
Piran was something of a character. He travelled around Cornwall as one of a huge community of saints. He spoke to animals, enjoyed a drink, and had a very deep ethical code. He wasn’t afraid to stand up to authority (like all Cornish and Irish folk).
On a rainy day like today I dream of sunshine in Cornwall and the expectant journey there. Which brings me to remember the Nearly Home Trees at Lifton, just before the dip in the A30 that takes you over the Tamar.
Seeing them from afar always, with one eye on the road, I’d assumed they were fir trees and marked an ancient burial ground, examples of which you can see all over the UK.
But on closer inspection, (and a bit of googling) I discover they are beech trees (so losing their leaves around now) and only reckoned to be just over 100 years old.
Jo Maynard, of the family who bought the trees and surrounding estate in the 1970s says,
“These trees were planted by the Lifton Park estate and they were planted as game cover (around 1910). They were originally planted with beech in the middle and then they were surrounded by fir trees and then with laurel in the understory. But all that remains is the circle of beech trees.”
So not quite as romantic a story as you might imagine, particularly the version that says the trees were planted in a heart shape by the owner of the land as a memorial to his late wife.
But still they are a much loved landmark, and a welcome sight as you speed on into the homeland.
How the Cornish Village of St Agnes gained its name
We love walking the coast around St Agnes and Chapel Porth.
St Agnes is said to have been named after a local character, Bolster. Bolster was an evil, fierce giant who terrified the village, but he fell in love with a beautiful young local woman called Agnes and wanted to marry her.
But Agnes was a clever girl. Seeing an opportunity to free the parish from his tyranny, Agnes asked Bolster to prove his love for her by filling a hole in the rocks by Chapel Porth with his blood. What he didn’t realise was that the hole ran underground and opened into the sea, and in that way Bolster was tricked, his blood drained into the sea until it turned it red and he died there as a consequence.
Agnes was hailed a heroine, and the village later took her name.
You can see a plaque to the legend by the old engine house in Chapel Porth Valley, close to a filled mine shaft which might very well be the hole in question!
In remembrance and celebration, every May the villagers of St Agnes re-enact the legend with a pageant over the clifftops above Chapel Porth.
The manikin of Bolster the Giant, used in the annual St Agnes Bolster Festival The old engine house at St Agnes
Legends of Cornwall 