Cornish Folk Tales for Children

The Mermaid of Zennor
Under the sea, between the Lizard and the Isles of Scilly is the lost land of Lyonesse, drowned by a great storm long ago. There were woods, fields and 140 parish churches. It stretched far to the west with a watchtower at the farthest point.
Old folks say that when such a storm is about to happen again, you can hear the bell of the drowned village of Chy an Mor ringing out a warning and no good will come of it.

The Chough
In Cornwall you may see a black bird with red legs and beak. Its call is intimate, its flight is hesitant. But it always returns to its roost. That bird is the Chough, the royal bird of Cornwall. You find its picture on old coats of arms, and that bird is none other than King Arthur.

After his last battle Arthur was not seen again in human form. But he didn’t die; he sleeps at Avalon. When he wants to see his old kingdom, he turns into a Chough and flies over his native land. To this day he keeps an eye on Cornwall. If he’s ever needed he will return

Router and Bronn Wennili,’ said the carter, ‘the highest hills in Cornwall*.

ETH
Tintagel: Arthur’s Birth, The Sword in the Stone, Excalibur
Silver coinage carved in light,

A penny none can earn.

I sleep by day and walk by night,

And watch the seasons turn.

Around the headland ap‍

The Watcher of the West