Culture of Cornwall - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The culture of Cornwall forms part of the culture of the United Kingdom

Culture of the United Kingdom

The culture of the United Kingdom refers to the patterns of human activity and symbolism associated with the United Kingdom and its people. It is informed by the UK's history as a developed island country, major power, and its composition of four countries—England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and...

, but has some distinct customs, traditions and peculiarities. Cornwall

Cornwall

Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...

, a non-metropolitan and ceremonial county of England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

, a duchy

Duchy of Cornwall

The Duchy of Cornwall is one of two royal duchies in England, the other being the Duchy of Lancaster. The eldest son of the reigning British monarch inherits the duchy and title of Duke of Cornwall at the time of his birth, or of his parent's succession to the throne. If the monarch has no son, the...

, and a Celtic nation

Celtic nations

The Celtic nations are territories in North-West Europe in which that area's own Celtic languages and some cultural traits have survived.The term "nation" is used in its original sense to mean a people who share a common traditional identity and culture and are identified with a traditional...

, has many strong local traditions. After many years of decline, Cornish culture has undergone a strong revival, and many groups exist to promote Cornwall's culture and language today.

Language

The Cornish language is a Celtic language

Celtic languages

The Celtic languages are descended from Proto-Celtic, or "Common Celtic"; a branch of the greater Indo-European language family...

related to Breton

Breton language

Breton is a Celtic language spoken in Brittany , France. Breton is a Brythonic language, descended from the Celtic British language brought from Great Britain to Armorica by migrating Britons during the Early Middle Ages. Like the other Brythonic languages, Welsh and Cornish, it is classified as...

and Welsh. All of these are directly descended from the British language

British language

The British language was an ancient Celtic language spoken in Britain.British language may also refer to:* Any of the Languages of the United Kingdom.*The Welsh language or the Brythonic languages more generally* British English...

which was once spoken throughout most of Britain. The language went into decline following the introduction of the English Book of Common Prayer

Book of Common Prayer

The Book of Common Prayer is the short title of a number of related prayer books used in the Anglican Communion, as well as by the Continuing Anglican, "Anglican realignment" and other Anglican churches. The original book, published in 1549 , in the reign of Edward VI, was a product of the English...

(in 1549) and by around 1800 had ceased to be used as a community language, (see main article for further discussion.)

After 1800 researchers began to study the language from remaining isolated speakers and in 1904 Henry Jenner

Henry Jenner

Henry Jenner FSA was a British scholar of the Celtic languages, a Cornish cultural activist, and the chief originator of the Cornish language revival....

published A Handbook in the Cornish Language thus starting the revival proper. Although less than 1 % of Cornwall's population speak the language and 'mother tongue' speakers are in their hundreds rather than thousands, the language continues to play a significant part in the culture of Cornwall.

Many events will use Cornish, in short phrases, openings, greetings or names. There is a healthy tradition of music in the language, which can be enjoyed by non speakers. The vast majority of place names in Cornwall are derived from the language, and most people in Cornwall know a few words or phrases like, ironically, 'Kernow bys vyken!' ('Cornwall forever!). Many Cornish houses, businesses, children, pets and boats are named in the language, thus it has use as a 'official community language' and any speaker will often be asked to provide translations. A sign of this role is that two of Cornwall's five MPs swore their oaths to the Queen in Cornish.

Cornish literature and folklore

The ancient Brythonic

Brythonic languages

The Brythonic or Brittonic languages form one of the two branches of the Insular Celtic language family, the other being Goidelic. The name Brythonic was derived by Welsh Celticist John Rhys from the Welsh word Brython, meaning an indigenous Briton as opposed to an Anglo-Saxon or Gael...

country shares much of its cultural history with neighbouring Devon

Devon

Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...

and Somerset

Somerset

The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...

in England

England

and Wales

Wales

Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...

and Brittany

Brittany

Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...

further afield. Historic records of authentic Cornish mythology or history are hard to verify but the earliest Cornish

Cornish language

Cornish is a Brythonic Celtic language and a recognised minority language of the United Kingdom. Along with Welsh and Breton, it is directly descended from the ancient British language spoken throughout much of Britain before the English language came to dominate...

language (such as the Bodmin manumissions

Bodmin manumissions

The Bodmin manumissions or Bodmin Gospels is a manuscript supposed to be of the 9th century. The document is of interest to language scholars as it contains writing in Latin, Saxon and Cornish texts....

) marks the separation of Primitive Cornish from Old Welsh often dated to the Battle of Deorham

Battle of Deorham

The Battle of Deorham or Dyrham was fought in 577 between the West Saxons under Ceawlin and Cuthwine and the Britons of the West Country. The location, Deorham, is usually taken to refer to Dyrham in South Gloucestershire. The battle was a major victory for the West Saxons, who took three important...

in 577.

Due to language erosion and possible suppression caused by the dominant English language and culture in the later medieval period, many works of Cornish language are thought to have been lost, particularly at the time of the dissolution of the religious houses

Dissolution of the Monasteries

The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the set of administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their...

of (Glasney College

Glasney College

Glasney College was founded in 1265 at Penryn, Cornwall, by Bishop Bronescombe and was a centre of ecclesiastical power in medieval Cornwall and probably the best known and most important of Cornwall's religious institutions.-History:...

and Crantock College for example), which were regarded as repertories of 'Welsh' (i.e., foreign) conservatism by the English. Cornish grievances against the policies of the English government led to the unsuccessful uprisings of the Cornish Rebellion of 1497

Cornish Rebellion of 1497

The Cornish Rebellion of 1497 was a popular uprising by the people of Cornwall in the far southwest of Britain. Its primary cause was a response of people to the raising of war taxes by King Henry VII on the impoverished Cornish, to raise money for a campaign against Scotland motivated by brief...

and the Prayer Book Rebellion

Prayer Book Rebellion

The Prayer Book Rebellion, Prayer Book Revolt, Prayer Book Rising, Western Rising or Western Rebellion was a popular revolt in Cornwall and Devon, in 1549. In 1549 the Book of Common Prayer, presenting the theology of the English Reformation, was introduced...

of 1549.

However, significant portions of the 'Matter of Britain

Matter of Britain

The Matter of Britain is a name given collectively to the body of literature and legendary material associated with Great Britain and its legendary kings, particularly King Arthur...

' relate to the people of Cornwall and Brittany as they do to the modern 'Welsh'--this extends from Geoffrey of Monmouth

Geoffrey of Monmouth

Geoffrey of Monmouth was a cleric and one of the major figures in the development of British historiography and the popularity of tales of King Arthur...

to the Mabinogion

Mabinogion

The Mabinogion is the title given to a collection of eleven prose stories collated from medieval Welsh manuscripts. The tales draw on pre-Christian Celtic mythology, international folktale motifs, and early medieval historical traditions...

and the Breton

Breton language

-derived tales of King Arthur

King Arthur

King Arthur is a legendary British leader of the late 5th and early 6th centuries, who, according to Medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and...

which make frequent and explicit reference to the geography of the early Brythonic nation, such as his capital at 'Kelliwic in Cerniw' and the legendary sea fortress of King Mergh

Mark of Cornwall

Mark of Cornwall was a king of Kernow in the early 6th century. He is most famous for his appearance in Arthurian legend as the uncle of Tristan and husband of Iseult, who engage in a secret affair.-The legend:Mark sent Tristan as his proxy to fetch his young bride, the Princess Iseult, from...

at Tintagel

Tintagel Castle

Tintagel Castle is a medieval fortification located on the peninsula of Tintagel Island, adjacent to the village of Tintagel in Cornwall, United Kingdom. The site was possibly occupied in the Romano-British period, due to an array of artefacts dating to this period which have been found on the...

.

By the Shakespearean period, these ancient texts still maintained a currency demonstrated by King Lear

King Lear

King Lear is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. The title character descends into madness after foolishly disposing of his estate between two of his three daughters based on their flattery, bringing tragic consequences for all. The play is based on the legend of Leir of Britain, a mythological...

based on the ancient tale of Leir of Britain

Leir of Britain

Leir is a legendary ancient king of the Britons, as recounted by Geoffrey of Monmouth. His story is told in a modified form by William Shakespeare in the play King Lear. In the drama, some names are identical to those of the legend Leir is a legendary ancient king of the Britons, as recounted by...

which names Corineus

Corineus

Corineus, in medieval British legend, was a prodigious warrior, a fighter of giants, and the eponymous founder of Cornwall.According to Geoffrey of Monmouth's History of the Kings of Britain , he led the descendants of the Trojans who fled with Antenor after the Trojan War and settled on the coasts...

the eponymous founder of the Cornish nation; he traditionally wrestled the giant Goemagot into the sea at Plymouth Hoe

Plymouth Hoe

Plymouth Hoe, referred to locally as the Hoe, is a large south facing open public space in the English coastal city of Plymouth. The Hoe is adjacent to and above the low limestone cliffs that form the seafront and it commands views of Plymouth Sound, Drake's Island, and across the Hamoaze to Mount...

and claimed the land beyond for his people; the probable origin of the tale of Jack the Giant Killer

Jack the Giant Killer

"Jack the Giant Killer" is a British fairy tale about a plucky lad who slays a number of giants during King Arthur's reign. The tale is characterized by violence, gore, and blood-letting. Giants are prominent in Cornish folklore and Welsh Bardic lore, but the source of "Jack the Giant Killer" is...

.

The earliest Cornish literature is in the Cornish language and Cornwall produced a substantial number of passion play

Passion play

A Passion play is a dramatic presentation depicting the Passion of Jesus Christ: his trial, suffering and death. It is a traditional part of Lent in several Christian denominations, particularly in Catholic tradition....

s during the Middle Ages. Many are still extant, and provide valuable information about the language: they were performed in round 'plen a gwary' (place for playing) open air theatres.

There is much traditional folklore in Cornwall, often tales of giants, mermaids, piskies or the 'pobel vean' (little people.) These are still surprisingly popular today, with many events hosting a 'droll teller' to tell the stories: such myths and stories have found much publishing success, particularly in children's books.

Writing in the Cornish dialect

Anglo-Cornish

Anglo-Cornish is a dialect of English spoken in Cornwall by Cornish people. Dialectal English spoken in Cornwall is to some extent influenced by Cornish grammar, and often includes words derived from the Cornish language...

has generally been overshadowed by the Cornish language. However from the 19th century onwards poems and short stories have been published, often with a typically Cornish humour. Some Cornish newspapers have featured a column written in Cornish dialect. Then there are literary works in standard English including conversations between dialect speakers.

Cornish World

Cornish World Magazine

Cornish World is an independent, glossy, bimonthly magazine published in Penzance, Cornwall, United Kingdom.The magazine was launched in 1994 to keep the Cornish diaspora around the globe in touch with Cornwall...

, a colour magazine produced in Cornwall and covering all aspects of Cornish life has proved popular with the descendants of Cornish emigrants as well as Cornish residents. It includes a column in the Cornish language.

Notable Cornish writers include Arthur Quiller-Couch

Arthur Quiller-Couch

Sir Arthur Thomas Quiller-Couch was a Cornish writer, who published under the pen name of Q. He is primarily remembered for the monumental Oxford Book Of English Verse 1250–1900 , and for his literary criticism...

, alias "Q", Jack Clemo

Jack Clemo

Reginald John Clemo was a British poet and writer who was strongly associated both with his native Cornwall and his strong Christian belief. His work was considered to be visionary and inspired by the rugged Cornish landscape...

, deaf-blind poet, Silas Hocking

Silas Hocking

Silas Kitto Hocking was an Cornish novelist and Methodist preacher. He was born at St Stephen-in-Brannel, Cornwall, to James Hocking, part owner of a tin mine, and his wife Elizabeth. In 1870 he was ordained as a minister...

a prolific novelist, and D. M. Thomas

D. M. Thomas

Donald Michael Thomas, known as D. M. Thomas , is a Cornish novelist, poet, and translator.Thomas was born in Redruth, Cornwall, UK. He attended Trewirgie Primary School and Redruth Grammar School before graduating with First Class Honours in English from New College, Oxford in 1959...

, novelist and poet.

Poetry

N. B. Poets marked * are not themselves Cornish. Their writings therefore cannot be considered as part of "Cornish Culture."

The late Poet Laureate

Poet Laureate

A poet laureate is a poet officially appointed by a government and is often expected to compose poems for state occasions and other government events...

Sir John Betjeman

John Betjeman

Sir John Betjeman, CBE was an English poet, writer and broadcaster who described himself in Who's Who as a "poet and hack".He was a founding member of the Victorian Society and a passionate defender of Victorian architecture...

* was famously fond of Cornwall and it featured prominently in his poetry. He is buried in the churchyard at St Enodoc's Church, Trebetherick. Charles Causley

Charles Causley

Charles Stanley Causley, CBE, FRSL was a Cornish poet, schoolmaster and writer. His work is noted for its simplicity and directness and for its associations with folklore, especially when linked to his native Cornwall....

was born in Launceston and is perhaps the best known of Cornish poets. The Scottish poet W. S. Graham

W. S. Graham

William Sydney Graham was a Scottish poet who is often associated with Dylan Thomas and the neo-romantic group of poets. Graham's poetry was mostly overlooked in his lifetime but, partly due to the support of Harold Pinter, his work has enjoyed a revival in recent years...

* lived in West Cornwall from 1944 until his death in 1986.

The poet Laurence Binyon

Laurence Binyon

Robert Laurence Binyon was an English poet, dramatist and art scholar. His most famous work, For the Fallen, is well known for being used in Remembrance Sunday services....

* wrote For the Fallen (first published in 1914) while sitting on the cliffs between Pentire Point and The Rumps and a stone plaque was erected in 2001 to commemorate the fact. The plaque bears the inscription For The Fallen Composed on these cliffs 1914 The plaque also bears the fourth stanza (sometimes referred to as 'The Ode') of the poem:

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn

At the going down of the sun and in the morning

We will remember them

Fiction

N. B. Authors marked * have set novels, or parts of novels, in Cornwall, but are not themselves Cornish. Their writings therefore cannot be considered as part of "Cornish Culture."

Daphne du Maurier

Dame Daphne du Maurier, Lady Browning DBE was a British author and playwright.Many of her works have been adapted into films, including the novels Rebecca and Jamaica Inn and the short stories "The Birds" and "Don't Look Now". The first three were directed by Alfred Hitchcock.Her elder sister was...

* lived in Fowey, Cornwall and many of her novels had Cornish settings, including Rebecca

Rebecca (novel)

Rebecca is a novel by Daphne du Maurier. When Rebecca was published in 1938, du Maurier became – to her great surprise – one of the most popular authors of the day. Rebecca is considered to be one of her best works...

, Jamaica Inn

Jamaica Inn (novel)

Jamaica Inn is a novel by the English writer Daphne du Maurier, first published in 1936. It was later made into a film, also called Jamaica Inn, by Alfred Hitchcock...

, Frenchman's Creek, My Cousin Rachel

My Cousin Rachel

My Cousin Rachel is a novel by British author Daphne du Maurier, published in 1951. Like the earlier Rebecca, it is a mystery-romance, largely set on a large estate in Cornwall.-Plot overview:...

, and The House on the Strand

The House on the Strand

The House on the Strand is a novel by Daphne du Maurier. First published in 1969 by Victor Gollancz, it is one of her later works. The US edition was published by Doubleday....

. She is also noted for writing Vanishing Cornwall. Cornwall provided the inspiration for "The Birds

The Birds (story)

"The Birds" is a famous novelette by Daphne du Maurier, first published in her 1952 collection The Apple Tree. It is the story of a farmhand, his family, and his community, who are attacked by flocks of seabirds who have organized themselves into avian suicide warriors. The story is set in...

", one of her terrifying series of short stories, made famous as a film by Alfred Hitchcock

Alfred Hitchcock

Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, KBE was a British film director and producer. He pioneered many techniques in the suspense and psychological thriller genres. After a successful career in British cinema in both silent films and early talkies, Hitchcock moved to Hollywood...

.

Conan Doyle

Conan Doyle

Conan Doyle is a rugby player. His club is Garryowen. His usual position is inside centre, but he also plays out-half. He has made two appearances for Munster Rugby in the Magners League, but was released by Munster at the end of the 2008/2009 season. While at Munster he was selected for the...

's* The Adventure of the Devil's Foot

The Adventure of the Devil's Foot

"The Adventure of the Devil's Foot" is one of the 56 Sherlock Holmes short stories written by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. It is one of eight stories in the cycle collected as His Last Bow....

featuring Sherlock Holmes

Sherlock Holmes

Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective created by Scottish author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The fantastic London-based "consulting detective", Holmes is famous for his astute logical reasoning, his ability to take almost any disguise, and his use of forensic science skills to solve...

is set in Cornwall.

Medieval Cornwall is also the setting of the trilogy by Monica Furlong

Monica furlong

Monica Furlong was a British author, journalist, and activist. She was born at Kenton near Harrow, north-west of London and died at Umberleigh in Devon. An obituary called her the Church of England's "most influential and creative layperson of the post-war period."Many of Furlong’s books reflected...

*, Wise Child, Juniper, and Colman, as well as part of Charles Kingsley's* Hereward the Wake

Hereward the Wake

Hereward the Wake , known in his own times as Hereward the Outlaw or Hereward the Exile, was an 11th-century leader of local resistance to the Norman conquest of England....

.

Winston Graham

Winston Graham

Winston Mawdsley Graham OBE was an English novelist, best known for the The Poldark Novel series of historical fiction.-Biography:...

's* series Poldark

Poldark

Poldark is a BBC television series based on the novels written by Winston Graham which was first transmitted in the UK between 1975 and 1977.-Outline:...

(and the television series derived from it), Kate Tremayne

Kate Tremayne

Kate Tremayne is the name of a British novelist.She is best known as the creator of the Loveday series of fictional novels, about a family living in 18th Century rural England during the time of the French Revolution...

's* Adam Loveday

Adam Loveday

Adam Loveday is a novel by Kate Tremayne, and is the first in the Loveday series of books.-Plot summary:The plot centres around the rivalry between Adam and his brother St John. As the younger of the two, Adam knows that when their father dies, the family estate and shipyard that he loves so much...

series, and Greenwitch, and Mary Wesley

Mary Wesley

Mary Wesley, CBE was an English novelist. During her career, she was one of Britain's most successful novelists, selling three million copies of her books, including 10 best-sellers in the last 20 years of her life.-Background:...

's* The Camomile Lawn

The Camomile Lawn

The Camomile Lawn is a novel by Mary Wesley about the lives of Richard and Helena Cuthbertson and their five nieces and nephews; Calypso, Walter, Polly, Oliver and Sophy. The title refers to a fragrant camomile lawn stretching down to the Cornish cliffs in the garden of the main characters' aunt's...

are all set in Cornwall. Writing under the pseudonym

Pseudonym

A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...

of Alexander Kent, Douglas Reeman

Douglas Reeman

Douglas Edward Reeman, born at Thames Ditton, is a British author who has written many historical fiction books on the Royal Navy, mainly set during either World War II or the Napoleonic Wars....

* sets parts of his Richard Bolitho

Richard Bolitho

The Bolitho novels are a series of nautical war novels written by Douglas Reeman . They focus on the military careers of Richard Bolitho and Adam Bolitho in the Royal Navy, from the time of the American Revolution past the Napoleonic Era.-Richard Bolitho:Richard Bolitho is a fictional Royal Navy...

and Adam Bolitho series in the Cornwall of the late 18th and the early 19th centuries, particularly in Falmouth

Falmouth, Cornwall

Falmouth is a town, civil parish and port on the River Fal on the south coast of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It has a total resident population of 21,635.Falmouth is the terminus of the A39, which begins some 200 miles away in Bath, Somerset....

.

Hammond Innes

Hammond Innes

Ralph Hammond Innes was a British novelist who wrote over 30 novels, as well as children's and travel books....

's* novel, The Killer Mine; also has a Cornish setting.

Charles de Lint

Charles de Lint

Charles de Lint is a Canadian fantasy author and folk musician. He is also the chief book critic for The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction....

*, writer of many modern and urban fairy tales, set his novel The Little Country in the village of Mousehole

Mousehole

Mousehole is a village and fishing port in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is situated approximately 2½ miles south of Penzance on the shore of Mount's Bay.The village is in the civil parish of Penzance...

in Cornwall.

Chapters 24 and 25 of J. K. Rowling

J. K. Rowling

Joanne "Jo" Rowling, OBE , better known as J. K. Rowling, is the British author of the Harry Potter fantasy series...

's* Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows take place in Cornwall (the Harry Potter story at Shell Cottage, which is on the beach outside the fictional village of Tinworth in Cornwall).

Over Sea, Under Stone

The Dark is Rising Sequence

The Dark Is Rising is the name of a five-book series of children's contemporary fantasy novels by Susan Cooper, published in 1965–1977, which depicts the struggle between the forces of good, called The Light, and the forces of evil, known as The Dark...

and Greenwitch

The Dark is Rising Sequence

from the series of fantasy novels The Dark Is Rising

The Dark is Rising Sequence

, by Susan Cooper

Susan Cooper

Susan Mary Cooper is an English author best known for The Dark Is Rising, an award-winning five-volume saga set in and around England and Wales. The books incorporate traditional British mythology, such as Arthurian and other Welsh elements with original material ; these books were adapted into a...

*, are set in Cornwall. Ciji Ware* set her 1997 novel A Cottage by the Sea on the Cornish coast. Sue Limb

Sue Limb

Sue Limb is a British writer and broadcaster. She studied Elizabethan lyric poetry at Cambridge and then trained in education. She lives on an organic farm near Nailsworth, Gloucestershire....

's* Girl, (Nearly) 16: Absolute Torture is partly set in St Ives on the Cornish coast.

Cornwall is featured heavily in the beginning of The Mists of Avalon

The Mists of Avalon

The Mists of Avalon is a 1983 novel by Marion Zimmer Bradley, in which she relates the Arthurian legends from the perspective of the female characters.-Plot introduction:...

by Marion Zimmer Bradley

Marion Zimmer Bradley

Marion Eleanor Zimmer Bradley was an American author of fantasy novels such as The Mists of Avalon and the Darkover series. Many critics have noted a feminist perspective in her writing. Her first child, David R...

* as the home of Igraine, wife of Gorlois, Duke of Cornwall. The castle

Tintagel Castle

at Tintagel has been said to be where King Arthur was conceived (when Uther Pendragon entered the castle in the form of Gorlois).

Other novelists resident in Cornwall include the highly respected spy author John le Carré

John le Carré

David John Moore Cornwell , who writes under the name John le Carré, is an author of espionage novels. During the 1950s and the 1960s, Cornwell worked for MI5 and MI6, and began writing novels under the pseudonym "John le Carré"...

* who lives and writes in Cornwall, and the Nobel-prizewinning novelist William Golding

William Golding

Sir William Gerald Golding was a British novelist, poet, playwright and Nobel Prize for Literature laureate, best known for his novel Lord of the Flies...

who was born in St Columb Minor

St Columb Minor

St Columb Minor is a village on the north coast of Cornwall, UK. St. Columb alone by default refers to the nearby St. Columb Major.At one time St Columb Minor used to be the main settlement in the area, but it has now been encroached upon by its larger neighbour Newquay. The National School in the...

in 1911, and returned to live near Truro

Truro

Truro is a city and civil parish in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The city is the centre for administration, leisure and retail in Cornwall, with a population recorded in the 2001 census of 17,431. Truro urban statistical area, which includes parts of surrounding parishes, has a 2001 census...

from 1985 until his death in 1993. D. H. Lawrence

D. H. Lawrence

David Herbert Richards Lawrence was an English novelist, poet, playwright, essayist, literary critic and painter who published as D. H. Lawrence. His collected works represent an extended reflection upon the dehumanising effects of modernity and industrialisation...

* spent a short time living in Cornwall.

Drama and other literary works

Cornwall produced a substantial number of passion play

Passion play

s such as the Ordinalia

Ordinalia

The Ordinalia are three medieval mystery plays written in Cornish from the late fourteenth century. The three plays are Origo Mundi, , Passio Christi and Resurrexio Domini...

during the Middle Ages. Many are still extant, and provide valuable information about the Cornish language. Other notable plays include Beunans Meriasek

Beunans Meriasek

Beunans Meriasek is a Cornish play completed in 1504. Its subject is the legends of the life of Saint Meriasek or Meriadoc, patron saint of Camborne, whose veneration was popular in Cornwall, Brittany, and elsewhere...

and Beunans Ke, the only two surviving plays written in any of Britain's vernacular tongues that take a saint's life as their subject.
Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch

Arthur Quiller-Couch

author of many novels and works of literary criticism lived in Fowey: his novels are mainly set in Cornwall. Prolific writer Colin Wilson

Colin Wilson

Colin Henry Wilson is a prolific English writer who first came to prominence as a philosopher and novelist. Wilson has since written widely on true crime, mysticism and other topics. He prefers calling his philosophy new existentialism or phenomenological existentialism.- Early biography:Born and...

, best known for his debut work The Outsider

The Outsider (Colin Wilson)

The Outsider is a non-fiction book by Colin Wilson first published in 1956.Through the works and lives of various artists - including H. G. Wells , Franz Kafka, Albert Camus, Jean-Paul Sartre, T. S. Eliot, Ernest Hemingway, Harley Granville-Barker , Hermann Hesse, T. E...

(1956) and for The Mind Parasites

The Mind Parasites

The Mind Parasites is a science fiction horror novel by author Colin Wilson. It was published by Arkham House in 1967 in an edition of 3,045 copies. It was Wilson's first and only book published by Arkham House.The book is based on H.P...

(1967), lives in Gorran Haven

Gorran Haven

Gorran Haven is a fishing village on the south coast of Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is situated approximately south of Mevagissey.The village lies in a cove between two sandy beaches...

, a village on the southern Cornish coast, not far from Mevagissey

Mevagissey

Mevagissey is a village, fishing port and civil parish in Cornwall, United Kingdom. The village is situated approximately five miles south of St Austell....

. A. L. Rowse

A. L. Rowse

Alfred Leslie Rowse, CH, FBA , known professionally as A. L. Rowse and to friends and family as Leslie, was a British historian from Cornwall. He is perhaps best known for his work on Elizabethan England and his poetry about Cornwall. He was also a Shakespearean scholar and biographer...

, the historian and poet, was born near St Austell.

Thomas Hardy

Thomas Hardy

Thomas Hardy, OM was an English novelist and poet. While his works typically belong to the Naturalism movement, several poems display elements of the previous Romantic and Enlightenment periods of literature, such as his fascination with the supernatural.While he regarded himself primarily as a...

's drama The Queen of Cornwall (1923) is a version of the Tristan story; the second act of Richard Wagner

Richard Wagner

Wilhelm Richard Wagner was a German composer, conductor, theatre director, philosopher, music theorist, poet, essayist and writer primarily known for his operas...

's opera Tristan und Isolde

Tristan und Isolde

Tristan und Isolde is an opera, or music drama, in three acts by Richard Wagner to a German libretto by the composer, based largely on the romance by Gottfried von Straßburg. It was composed between 1857 and 1859 and premiered in Munich on 10 June 1865 with Hans von Bülow conducting...

takes place in Cornwall, as do Gilbert and Sullivan

Gilbert and Sullivan

Gilbert and Sullivan refers to the Victorian-era theatrical partnership of the librettist W. S. Gilbert and the composer Arthur Sullivan . The two men collaborated on fourteen comic operas between 1871 and 1896, of which H.M.S...

's operettas The Pirates of Penzance

The Pirates of Penzance

The Pirates of Penzance; or, The Slave of Duty is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. The opera's official premiere was at the Fifth Avenue Theatre in New York City on 31 December 1879, where the show was well received by both audiences...

and Ruddigore

Ruddigore

Ruddigore; or, The Witch's Curse, originally called Ruddygore, is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It is one of the Savoy Operas and the tenth of fourteen comic operas written together by Gilbert and Sullivan...

. A level of Tomb Raider: Legend, a videogame dealing with Arthurian legend, takes place in Cornwall at a tacky museum above King Arthur's tomb.

The theatre company Kneehigh Theatre

Kneehigh Theatre

Kneehigh Theatre is an international theatre company based in Cornwall, England.Kneehigh was started in 1980 by Mike Shepherd. Early productions were performed in village halls, marquees, cliff-tops and quarries...

is active in Cornwall. Amateur theatre groups exist in many villages and the open air Minack Theatre

Minack Theatre

The Minack Theatre is an open-air theatre, constructed above a gully with a rocky granite outcrop jutting into the sea...

is well-known.

The fairy tale Jack the Giant Killer

Jack the Giant Killer

takes place in Cornwall.

Religion

Recent developments

Renewed interest in Celtic Christianity

In the late 20th century and early 21st century there has been a renewed interest in the older forms of Christianity

Christianity

Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...

in Cornwall. Cowethas Peran Sans, the Fellowship of St Piran, is one such group promoting Celtic Christianity

Celtic Christianity

Celtic Christianity or Insular Christianity refers broadly to certain features of Christianity that were common, or held to be common, across the Celtic-speaking world during the Early Middle Ages...

. The group was founded by Andrew Phillips and membership is open to baptised Christians in good standing in their local community who support the aims of the group.

The aims of the group are these:

To understand and embody the spirituality of the Celtic Saints

To share this spirituality with others

To use Cornwall’s ancient Christian holy places again in worship

To promote Cornwall as a place of Christian spiritual pilgrimage

To promote the use of the Cornish language in prayer and worship

Fry an Spyrys

In 2003, a campaign group was formed called Fry an Spyrys

Fry an Spyrys

Fry an Spyrys is a group based in Cornwall, UK, who are campaigning for the disestablishment of the Church of England there...

(free the spirit in Cornish). It is dedicated to disestablishing the Church of England

Church of England

The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...

in Cornwall and to forming an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion - a Church of Cornwall. Its chairman is Dr Garry Tregidga

Garry Tregidga

Garry Harcourt Tregidga is an academic at the Institute of Cornish Studies in the United Kingdom.-Academic career:Garry Tregidga undertook both his MPhil and PhD degrees with the University of Exeter. He was appointed as the Assistant Director of the Institute of Cornish Studies in October 1997...

of the Institute of Cornish Studies

Institute of Cornish Studies

The Institute of Cornish Studies is a research institute in west Cornwall: it started in 1970/71 as a research centre jointly funded by Exeter University and Cornwall County Council, with three core staff being employees of the University of Exeter...

. The Anglican Church was disestablished in Wales to form the Church in Wales

Church in Wales

The Church in Wales is the Anglican church in Wales, composed of six dioceses.As with the primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church, the Archbishop of Wales serves concurrently as one of the six diocesan bishops. The current archbishop is Barry Morgan, the Bishop of Llandaff.In contrast to the...

in 1920 and in Ireland to form the Church of Ireland

Church of Ireland

The Church of Ireland is an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. The church operates in all parts of Ireland and is the second largest religious body on the island after the Roman Catholic Church...

in 1869.

Cornish symbols

Saint Piran's Flag

Saint Piran's Flag is the flag of Cornwall, in the United Kingdom. The earliest known description of the flag as the Standard of Cornwall was written in 1838. It is used by Cornish people as a symbol of identity. It is a white cross on a black background....

, a white cross on a black background is often seen in Cornwall

Cornwall

. The Duchy of Cornwall

Duchy of Cornwall

shield of 15 gold bezants on a black field is also used. Because of these two symbols black, white and gold are considered colours symbolic of Cornwall

Cornwall

.

The chough

Red-billed Chough

The Red-billed Chough or Chough , Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax, is a bird in the crow family; it is one of only two species in the genus Pyrrhocorax...

(in Cornish = palores) is also used as a symbol of Cornwall. In Cornish poetry the chough is used to symbolise the spirit of Cornwall. Also there is a Cornish belief that King Arthur

King Arthur

lives in the form of a chough. "Chough" was also used as a nickname for Cornish people.

An anvil is sometimes used to symbolise Cornish nationalism, particularly in its more extreme forms. This is a reference to 'Michael An Gof

Michael An Gof

Michael Joseph and Thomas Flamank were the leaders of the Cornish Rebellion of 1497....

', 'the smith', one of two leaders of the Cornish Rebellion of 1497

Cornish Rebellion of 1497

.

Fish, tin and copper together are used symbolically as they show the 'traditional' three main industries of Cornwall. Tin has a special place in the Cornish culture, the 'Stannary Parliament' and 'Cornish pennies' are a testament to the former power of the Cornish tin industry

Mining in Cornwall

Mining in Cornwall and Devon began in the early Bronze Age approximately 2,150 BC and ended with the South Crofty tin mine in Cornwall closing in 1998...

. Cornish tin is highly prized for jewellery, often of mine engines or celtic

Celtic art

Celtic art is the art associated with the peoples known as Celts; those who spoke the Celtic languages in Europe from pre-history through to the modern period, as well as the art of ancient peoples whose language is uncertain, but have cultural and stylistic similarities with speakers of Celtic...

designs.

Although Cornwall has no official flower many people favour the Cornish heath

Cornish heath

The Cornish heath is a species of heath that bears pink flowers and mid-green foliage. This is a shrub, reaching 0.75 m by 0.75 m. Its English name comes from the fact that, in Great Britain, it is only found on the Lizard peninsula in Cornwall, where the unusual geology gives rise to the alkaline...

(Erica vagans). In recent years daffodils have been popular on the annual Saint Piran

Saint Piran

Saint Piran or Perran is an early 6th century Cornish abbot and saint, supposedly of Irish origin....

's day march on Perran Sands although they are donated by a local daffodil grower and it is already considered to be the national flower of Wales

Wales

Cornish studies

The Institute of Cornish Studies

Institute of Cornish Studies

, established in 1970, moved to the new Combined Universities in Cornwall

Combined Universities in Cornwall

The Combined Universities in Cornwall is a project to provide higher education in Cornwall, one of the few counties in the United Kingdom not to have a university within its boundaries, and also one of the poorest areas of the country in terms of GDP per head...

Campus at Tremough

Tremough

Tremough Campus is a university campus situated in Penryn, Cornwall. It is the only such university project in Cornwall currently. The name Tremough derives from the Cornish word for "pig farm"....

, Penryn

Penryn, Cornwall

Penryn is a civil parish and town in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated on the Penryn River about one mile northwest of Falmouth...

in October 2004: the institute is a branch of the University of Exeter

University of Exeter

The University of Exeter is a public university in South West England. It belongs to the 1994 Group, an association of 19 of the United Kingdom's smaller research-intensive universities....

. A detailed overview of literature is provided by Alan M. Kent

Alan M. Kent

Alan M. Kent is a Cornish poet, novelist, dramatist, author and editor of a number of works on Cornish and Anglo-Cornish literature.-Creative writing:* Proper Job, Charlie Curnow!* Electric Pastyland...

's The Literature of Cornwall: it covers everything from medieval mystery plays to more recent literary works that draw on the Cornish landscape.

The historian Philip Payton

Philip Payton

Philip John Payton is a British historian and Professor of Cornish and Australian Studies at the University of Exeter and Director of the Institute of Cornish Studies based at Tremough, just outside Penryn, Cornwall.-Birth and education:...

, professor at Exeter University's department of Cornish studies, has written Cornwall: a History as well as editing the Cornish studies series. Mark Stoyle, Senior Lecturer in Early Modern History at the University of Southampton

University of Southampton

The University of Southampton is a British public university located in the city of Southampton, England, a member of the Russell Group. The origins of the university can be dated back to the founding of the Hartley Institution in 1862 by Henry Robertson Hartley. In 1902, the Institution developed...

, asks ‘Are the Cornish English?’ in his book West Britons, a work on Cornish history exploring the nature of Cornishness in the early modern period. John Angarrack

John Angarrack

John Angarrack is a Cornish nationalist who campaigns for greater recognition of Cornish identity and is an author on Cornish affairs. He is best known for his books "Breaking the Chains", "Our Future is History" and "Scat t’Larrups?" His interest in the Cornish language and history developed while...

of the human rights organisation Cornwall 2000

Cornwall 2000

Cornwall 2000 is a Cornish nationalist pressure group based in Bodmin, Cornwall, United Kingdom. The group was formed by John Angarrack, who has authored revisionist books on the history of Cornwall and has participated in the Cornish nationalist scene. The organisation is headquartered at John...

has self-published two books to date, Breaking the Chains and Our Future is History: both are polemical reexaminations of Cornish history and identity, not historical works.

The Federation of Old Cornwall Societies

Federation of Old Cornwall Societies

The Federation of Old Cornwall Societies was formed in 1924, on the initiative of Robert Morton Nance, with the objective of collecting and maintaining "all those ancient things that make the spirit of Cornwall — its traditions, its old words and ways, and what remains to it of its Celtic language...

is a group of societies of those interested in Cornwall's past which has published a number of books.

Cornish art

See also List of Cornish artists, architects and craftspeople
Cornish people#Culture#Visual arts

Cornwall has produced and inspired many artists. John Opie

John Opie

John Opie was an English historical and portrait painter. He painted many great men and women of his day, most notably in the artistic and literary professions.-Life and work:...

was the first Cornish-born artist of note and J. M. W. Turner

J. M. W. Turner

Joseph Mallord William Turner RA was an English Romantic landscape painter, watercolourist and printmaker. Turner was considered a controversial figure in his day, but is now regarded as the artist who elevated landscape painting to an eminence rivalling history painting...

visited in 1811. A number of artists settled in the Newlyn area in the 1880s, following the building of the Great Western Railway, and they went to form the Newlyn School

Newlyn School

The Newlyn School is a term used to describe an art colony of artists based in or near to Newlyn, a fishing village adjacent to Penzance, Cornwall, from the 1880s until the early 20th century. The establishment of the Newlyn School was reminiscent of the Barbizon School in France, where artists...

.

Sickert and Whistler both visited St Ives at the end of the 19th century, and the internationally famous studio potter, Bernard Leach set up his pottery in the town in 1920 St. Ives

St Ives, Cornwall

St Ives is a seaside town, civil parish and port in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The town lies north of Penzance and west of Camborne on the coast of the Celtic Sea. In former times it was commercially dependent on fishing. The decline in fishing, however, caused a shift in commercial...

. In 1928 Ben Nicholson

Ben Nicholson

Benjamin Lauder "Ben" Nicholson, OM was a British painter of abstract compositions , landscape and still-life.-Background and Training:...

and Christopher Wood

Christopher Wood (English painter)

John Christopher Wood , often called Kit Wood, was an English painter born in Knowsley, near Liverpool.-Biography:-Early life:Christopher Wood was born in Knowsley to Doctor Lucius and Clare Wood...

visited the town and met Alfred Wallis

Alfred Wallis

Alfred Wallis was a Cornish fisherman and artist.Wallis's parents, Charles and Jane Wallis were from Penzance in Cornwall and moved to Devonport, Devon to find work in 1850 where Alfred and his brother Charles were born. Shortly after this the children's mother died and this prompted the family to...

the naive painter, native to St Ives, who was to become an important influence on a generation of British artists: particularly those who were members of the Seven and Five Society

Seven and Five Society

The Seven and Five Society was an art group of seven painters and five sculptors created in 1919 and based in London.The group was originally intended to encompass traditional, conservative artistic sensibilities...

.
At the outbreak of World War II Nicholson came to live in St Ives with his wife Barbara Hepworth

Barbara Hepworth

Dame Barbara Hepworth DBE was an English sculptor. Her work exemplifies Modernism, and with such contemporaries as Ivon Hitchens, Henry Moore, Ben Nicholson, Naum Gabo she helped to develop modern art in Britain.-Life and work:Jocelyn Barbara Hepworth was born on 10 January 1903 in Wakefield,...

; staying initially with the philosopher and writer Adrian Stokes (critic)

Adrian Stokes (critic)

Adrian Stokes was a British writer and painter, known principally as an influential art critic. He was also a published poet.- Background :...

and his wife Margaret Mellis. Naum Gabo

Naum Gabo

Naum Gabo KBE, born Naum Neemia Pevsner was a prominent Russian sculptor in the Constructivism movement and a pioneer of Kinetic Art.-Early life:...

also joined them there as well as artists who at the time were at an earlier stage in their careers: John Wells

John Wells (artist)

John Wells was an artist and maker of relief constructions, associated with the St Ives group.He was born in London, and trained as a doctor at University College Hospital. He learned to paint at evening classes at St Martin’s School of Art. From 1936 to 1945, he worked as a General Practitioner...

, Wilhelmina Barns-Graham

Wilhelmina Barns-Graham

Wilhelmina Barns-Graham CBE was one of the foremost British abstract artists, a member of the influential Penwith Society of Arts.-Life:...

, Terry Frost

Terry Frost

Sir Terry Frost RA was an English artist noted for his abstracts....

and Bryan Wynter

Bryan Wynter

Bryan Wynter was one of the St. Ives group of British painters. His work was mainly abstract, drawing upon nature for inspiration....

. Other artists of international repute joined the colony later: notably Patrick Heron

Patrick Heron

Patrick Heron , was an English painter, writer and designer, based in St. Ives, Cornwall.- Early life :...

, Roger Hilton

Roger Hilton

Roger Hilton CBE was a pioneer of abstract art in post-war Britain. He was born in 1911 in Northwood, London and studied at the Slade School of Fine Art, London under Henry Tonks and also in Paris, where he developed links with painters on the Continent.In World War II he served in the Army, part...

and Sandra Blow

Sandra Blow

Sandra Blow was an English painter.-Life and work:Sandra Blow was born in London, England, and studied at Saint Martins School of Art from 1941 to 1946, at the Royal Academy Schools from 1946 to 1947, and subsequently at the Academy of Fine Arts, Rome from 1947 to 1948...

.

There are still a lot of artists in Cornwall many associated with the Newlyn Society of Artists. Artists led projects like PALP and artsurgery have also been important in the 21st century.

Cornwall has a dedicated online art journal called artcornwall.org.

Celtic art

Celtic art

is found in Cornwall, often in the form of Celtic cross

Celtic cross

A Celtic cross is a symbol that combines a cross with a ring surrounding the intersection. In the Celtic Christian world it was combined with the Christian cross and this design was often used for high crosses – a free-standing cross made of stone and often richly decorated...

es. Cornwall boasts the highest density of traditional 'celtic crosses' of any nation. In modern times many crosses were erected as war memorials and to celebrate events such as the millennium

Millennium

A millennium is a period of time equal to one thousand years —from the Latin phrase , thousand, and , year—often but not necessarily related numerically to a particular dating system....

Architecture

The church architecture of Cornwall and Devon typically differs from that of the rest of southern England: most medieval churches in the larger parishes were rebuilt in the later medieval period with one or two aisles and a western tower, the aisles being the same width as the nave and the piers of the arcades being of one of a few standard types. Wagon roofs often survive in these churches. The typical tower is of three stages, often with buttresses set back from the angles.

Churches of the Decorated period are relatively rare, as are those with spires. There are very few churches from the 17th and 18th centuries. There is a distinctive type of Norman font in many Cornish churches which is sometimes called the Altarnun type. The style of carving in benchends is also recognisably Cornish.

Music

Cornwall has a rich and vibrant folk music tradition which has survived into the present.

Cornish players are regular participants in inter-Celtic festivals, and Cornwall itself has several lively inter-Celtic festivals such as Perranporth

Perranporth

Perranporth is a small seaside resort on the north coast of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is southwest of Newquay and northwest of Truro. Perranporth and its long beach face the Atlantic Ocean....

's folk festival, Lowender Peran.

Cornish Celtic music

Celtic music

Celtic music is a term utilised by artists, record companies, music stores and music magazines to describe a broad grouping of musical genres that evolved out of the folk musical traditions of the Celtic people of Western Europe...

is a relatively large phenomenon given the size of the region. A recent tally found over 100 bands playing mostly or entirely Cornish folk music. Traditional dancing (Cornish dance

Cornish dance

Cornish dance originates from Cornwall in the British Isles. It has largely been shaped by the Cornish people and the industries they worked in. In most cases, particularly with the step dancing, the dances were still being performed across the region when they were collected...

) is associated with the music. These dance events are either Troyls, (a dance night more similar to a ceilidh) or Nozow looan

Noze looan

Noze looan is a style of Cornish-Celtic dance, and associated music and events similar to the Breton Fest Noz. Noze Looan is late Cornish for "happy night" ....

, (a dance night more similar to a Breton

Brittany

fest noz

Fest Noz

A Fest Noz is a Breton traditional festival, with dancing in groups and live musicians playing acoustic instruments....

).

Aphex Twin

Aphex Twin

Richard David James , best known under the pseudonym Aphex Twin, is an Irish-born electronic musician and composer described as "the most inventive and influential figure in contemporary electronic music"...

is a Cornish based electronic music project, though he was born of Welsh

Wales

parents in Ireland

Ireland

Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

. Many other pop musicians are based in Cornwall but many of them originate elsewhere.

Lanner and District Silver Band

Lanner and District Silver Band

The Lanner & District Silver Band is a brass band based in Lanner, Cornwall, United Kingdom, and an important part of village life.-History:The original Lanner & District Silver Band was formed in the Cornish village of Lanner in the mid 1890's...

is a Cornish Brass band

Brass band (British style)

A British-style brass band is a musical ensemble comprising a standardised range of brass and percussion instruments. The modern form of the brass band in the United Kingdom dates back to the 19th century, with a vibrant tradition of competition based around local industry and communities...

based in Lanner

Lanner, Cornwall

Lanner is a village and civil parish in west Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is situated about southeast of Redruth.Lanner is in the St Day, Carharrack and Lanner ward which had a collective population of 5,438 in 2001. The population of Lanner civil parish was 2,493 in the 2001 census...

, Cornwall

Cornwall

, United Kingdom

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

, and well-known for its concerts. There are many other brass and silver bands in Cornwall, particularly in the former mining areas: St Dennis is a notable example.

Festivals

There is a long tradition of processional dance and music in Cornwall. The best known tradition is the Helston Furry

Furry Dance

The Furry Dance, also known as The Flora , takes place in Helston, Cornwall, and is one of the oldest British customs still practised today...

. The term 'furry' is used generally to describe such a dance or associated tune. These bands have been referred to as 'crowders and horners' and generally have a motley mix of instruments with folk instruments such as the fiddle, bagpipe or crowdy crawn

Crowdy-crawn

A crowdy-crawn is a wooden hoop covered with sheepskin used as a percussion instrument known in western Cornwall at least as early as 1880. It is similar to the Irish bodhrán. It is used by some modern Cornish traditional music groups as a solo or accompaniment instrument...

mixed up with brass, reed and anything that can be carried.

Padstow

Padstow

Padstow is a town, civil parish and fishing port on the north coast of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The town is situated on the west bank of the River Camel estuary approximately five miles northwest of Wadebridge, ten miles northwest of Bodmin and ten miles northeast of Newquay...

'Obby 'Oss festival

Padstow, in Cornwall, UK is internationally famous for its traditional Obby 'Oss day . Held annually on May Day , which in Cornwall, largely dates back to the Celtic Beltane, the day celebrates the coming of Summer....

takes place on 1 May, the feast of Beltane

Beltane

Beltane or Beltaine is the anglicised spelling of Old Irish Beltaine or Beltine , the Gaelic name for either the month of May or the festival that takes place on the first day of May.Bealtaine was historically a Gaelic festival celebrated in Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man.Bealtaine...

to Celtic people.

Golowan festival in Penzance

Penzance

Penzance is a town, civil parish, and port in Cornwall, England, in the United Kingdom. It is the most westerly major town in Cornwall and is approximately 75 miles west of Plymouth and 300 miles west-southwest of London...

, which was revived in 1991, was part of a much wider tradition of midsummer festivals where bonfires were lit on hilltops on Midsummer's Eve. The tradition of midsummer bonfires continues, albeit to a lesser extent than when fires could be seen on every hilltop, throughout Cornwall.

Lowender Perran is held at the end of October in Perranporth

Perranporth

. This is a gathering of musicians and dancers from the six Celtic nations

Celtic nations

Historically Cornwall has had close links with Brittany

Brittany

and this is reflected in the music. The Cornish and Breton language

Breton language

s were mutually intelligible until Tudor times and there were many Bretons living in Cornwall before the Prayer Book Rebellion

Prayer Book Rebellion

. Myths, saints, dances and tunes are often shared with Brittany

Brittany

. It has been noted that The Kroaz Du (Black Cross)

The Kroaz Du (Black Cross)

The Kroaz Du is a flag used in Brittany.There is uncertainty about its historical origins. Some evidence shows that a flag did exist that displayed a black cross with ermine spots, the Breton ducal device, in each quarter....

flag used in medieval Brittany is the exact inverse of the Cornish flag

Saint Piran's Flag

, whether there is a reason for this is unknown. Breton flags are popular in Cornwall and are often seen alongside the Cornish flag on car bumpers and at musical events. This link continues today with Cornish-Breton festivals such as 'AberFest

AberFest

AberFest is a Celtic cultural festival celebrating “All things” Cornish and Breton that takes place biennially in Cornwall at Easter...

' in Falmouth

Falmouth, Cornwall

(Aberfal) and the twinning of Cornish and Breton towns.

The Gorseth Kernow

Gorseth Kernow

Gorseth Kernow is a non-political Cornish organisation, which exists to maintain the national Celtic spirit of Cornwall in the United Kingdom.-History:...

(or gorsedh), which was set up in 1928, is similar to the Welsh Gorsedd

Gorsedd

A gorsedd plural gorseddau, is a community or coming together of modern-day bards. The word is of Welsh origin, meaning "throne". It is occasionally spelled gorsedh , or goursez in Brittany....

, and indeed was formed by the Welsh

Welsh language

Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...

Gorsedd at the request of Henry Jenner

Henry Jenner

Henry Jenner FSA was a British scholar of the Celtic languages, a Cornish cultural activist, and the chief originator of the Cornish language revival....

. The Cornish Gorseth promotes the arts and the Cornish language

Cornish language

through competitions at the open gorseth.

Food

Cornwall is famous for its pasties

Pasty

A pasty , sometimes known as a pastie or British pasty in the United States, is a filled pastry case, associated in particular with Cornwall in Great Britain. It is made by placing the uncooked filling on a flat pastry circle, and folding it to wrap the filling, crimping the edge at the side or top...

(a type of pie often containing meat), but saffron bun

Saffron bun

A saffron bun, in Swedish lussebulle or lussekatt, is a rich yeast dough bun that is flavoured with saffron and cinnamon or nutmeg and contains currants. In Sweden, no cinnamon or nutmeg is used in the bun, and raisins are used instead of currants. The buns are baked into many traditional shapes,...

s, Cornish Heavy (Hevva) Cake

Heavy cake

Heavy cake or Hevva cake is a cake made from flour, lard, butter, milk, sugar and raisins that originated in Cornwall.Its name is derived from the Pilchard industry in Cornwall prior to the 20th century when a 'huer' helped locate shoals of fish. The huer would shout 'Hevva!, Hevva!' to alert the...

, Cornish fairings

Cornish fairings

A Cornish fairing is a type of traditional ginger biscuit commonly found in Cornwall, United Kingdom. "Fairing" was originally a term for an edible treat sold at fairs around the country, though over time the name has become associated with ginger biscuits or gingerbread, which were given as a...

(biscuit), Cornish fudge

Fudge

Fudge is a type of Western confectionery which is usually very sweet, and extremely rich. It is made by mixing sugar, butter, and milk and heating it to the soft-ball stage at , and then beating the mixture while it cools so that it acquires a smooth, creamy consistency...

and Cornish ice cream

Ice cream

Ice cream is a frozen dessert usually made from dairy products, such as milk and cream, and often combined with fruits or other ingredients and flavours. Most varieties contain sugar, although some are made with other sweeteners...

are also common.

Cornish clotted cream

Clotted cream

Clotted cream is a thick cream made by indirectly heating full-cream cow's milk using steam or a water bath and then leaving it in shallow pans to cool slowly. During this time, the cream content rises to the surface and forms 'clots' or 'clouts'...

is a popular topping on splits and on scones. Opinion varies as to whether or not the cream should be spread on before or after the jam. Clotted cream is often served as thunder and lightning (with syrup on bread.)

There are also many types of beers

Beers

Beers can refer to either:* plural of Beer - an alcoholic beverage.* Beers - a town in the Netherlands part of Cuijk mun.* Beers - another town in the Netherlands...

brewed in Cornwall including a stout

Stout

Stout is a dark beer made using roasted malt or barley, hops, water and yeast. Stouts were traditionally the generic term for the strongest or stoutest porters, typically 7% or 8%, produced by a brewery....

and there is some small scale production of cider

Cider

Cider or cyder is a fermented alcoholic beverage made from apple juice. Cider varies in alcohol content from 2% abv to 8.5% abv or more in traditional English ciders. In some regions, such as Germany and America, cider may be termed "apple wine"...

and wine

Wine

Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...

. Swanky beer

Copper Coast Wines

Copper Coast Wines is a South Australian brewer founded in 2005 to supply beer for the biennial Kernewek Lowender Festival held in the Copper Coast region of South Australia....

is a Cornish Australian

Cornish Australian

Cornish Australians are citizens of Australia whose ancestry originates in Cornwall, United Kingdom, one of the six Celtic Nations. They form part of the worldwide Cornish diaspora which also includes large numbers of people in the US, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, Mexico and many Latin...

beer most popular in South Australia

South Australia

South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...

(where 10% of the State is of Cornish descent), it would be homebrewed and taken to work at the mines with pasties. The term and recipes used were bought by immigrants from Cornwall.

Indoor games

Euchre

Euchre or eucre, is a trick-taking card game most commonly played with four people in two partnerships with a deck of 24 standard playing cards. It is the game responsible for introducing the joker into modern packs; this was invented around 1860 to act as a top trump or best bower...

is a popular card game

Card game

A card game is any game using playing cards as the primary device with which the game is played, be they traditional or game-specific. Countless card games exist, including families of related games...

in Cornwall, it is normally a game for four players consisting of two teams. Its origins are unclear but some claim it is a Cornish game, and was popularized in part by Cornish immigrants to the United States. There are several leagues in Cornwall at present. Whist and pub quizzes are also popular in many villages.

Cornish film

Cornwall has a small but growing film industry, mostly focusing on the Cornish language and culture. Numerous films, short and long, have been made in Cornwall. The Cornish film industry is well supported by organisations such as War-rag (War-rag meaning "ahead" in Cornish). The Celtic Film Festival allows entries from Cornish film makers and was held in Falmouth

Falmouth, Cornwall

in 2006. Also the Goel Fylm Kernow/Cornwall Film Festival

Cornwall Film Festival

The Cornwall Film Festival is an annual festival started in 2001 which focuses on Cornish film making, offering local and national premieres, and hosts masterclasses, workshops and discussions for everyone from the enthusiast to the professional.The festival supports Cornish film making in the...

is held once a year and supports Cornish film making made in either the Cornish or English language.

Goel Fylm Kernow hosts workshops, screenings and the "govynn kernewek" competition in which applicants present their idea for a film in the Cornish language and win money, material and knowledge support to make it. Films made due to this award include "Kernow's Kick Ass Kung-Fu Kweens", a kung-fu film in Cornish.

The only feature-length film in the Cornish language is Hwerow Hweg

Hwerow Hweg

Hwerow Hweg is a 2002 drama film directed by Hungarian film-maker Antal Kovacs and filmed in the native Cornish language, Kernewek.-Plot:...

, filmed alongside an English version, but due to several unusual decisions it wasn't as popular as hoped. However there are many short films in the language.

Traditional dress

The "traditional dress" of Cornwall for women is a bal maiden

Bal maiden

The term bal maiden refers to women and children who were probably working at or in the mines in Devon and Cornwall from the days of antiquity, but the earliest written records date from the Middle Ages. From this time, at least, it seems that women and girls did not work below ground, but usually...

's or fishwife's costume which included the wearing of a bonnet known as a "gook" (which were peculiar to a district or community), aprons and woollen shawls. For men fishermen's smocks, Guernsey

Guernsey

Guernsey, officially the Bailiwick of Guernsey is a British Crown dependency in the English Channel off the coast of Normandy.The Bailiwick, as a governing entity, embraces not only all 10 parishes on the Island of Guernsey, but also the islands of Herm, Jethou, Burhou, and Lihou and their islet...

sweaters (known as worsted-frocks in Cornwall) and long cut shirts are worn. The adoption of the Cornish kilt has recently become popular, and these kilts are available in various Cornish tartans

Cornish tartans

Cornish kilts and tartans are thought to be a modern tradition started in the early to mid 20th century. The first modern kilt was plain black, and other patterns followed. It is documented that a garment known as a bracca was worn by Celtic races that inhabited the British Isles, the term...

or plain black. The first reference to a "Cornish" kilt is from 1903 when the Cornish delegate to the Celtic Congress, convening at Caernarvon, L. C. R. Duncombe-Jewell

L. C. R. Duncombe-Jewell

Louis Charles Richard Duncombe-Jewell , born Louis Charles Richard Jewell, was a soldier, special war correspondent of The Times and Morning Post, sportsman and sometimes poet, he was a champion of the Cornish language....

, appeared in a in a woad

Woad

Isatis tinctoria, with Woad as the common name, is a flowering plant in the family Brassicaceae. It is commonly called dyer's woad, and sometimes incorrectly listed as Isatis indigotica . It is occasionally known as Asp of Jerusalem...

blue kilt, to impress upon the delegates the Celtic character of Cornwall. Black kilts are proposed by some as the traditional version of the garment, some claiming that the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry

Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry

The Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry was an infantry regiment of the British Army from 1881 to 1959. Its lineage is continued today by The Rifles....

wore black kilts on occasions in the 19th century (this may have been similar to the Irish saffron kilt). The most common kilt used in Cornwall is pleated Scottish-style with a leather, Duchy of Cornwall

Duchy of Cornwall

shield-style, sporran.

The Cornish national tartan was designed by E. E Morton Nance in 1963 using colours traditionally associated with Cornwall. Fragments of tartan have been found in Penwith

Penwith

Penwith was a local government district in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom, whose council was based in Penzance. The district covered all of the Penwith peninsula, the toe-like promontory of land at the western end of Cornwall and which included an area of land to the east that fell outside the...

External links

General

The Institute of Cornish Studies
Real Cornwall Explores the themes of Food & Drink, People & Places, Sports & Games and Arts & Media
Cornish Culture Guide
BBC Nations - Cornish history by Dr Mark Stoyle Look for The Cornish: A Neglected Nation?
The London Cornish Association BBC quiz How Cornish are you? (light hearted humour)
Tyr Gwyr Gweryn an alternative view of Cornish history
Cornish World Cornwall's biggest independent magazine
A Cornish Sourcebook

Specific topics

An Daras Cornish Folk Arts Web Portal
The Cornish Dance Society
The Trevithick Society A charitable organisation involved in Industrial Archaeology and the industrial past in Cornwall
Cornish Witchcraft Explores the historical evidence for witchcraft in Cornwall prior to 1951.
Cumpas A charitable organisation which aims to protect, research and promote traditional Cornish music
Cornwall Rugby Union Home to the Cornish Rugby Football Union
Cornish Folklore Society
Trelawny's Army Cornish Rugby Supporters*Connie's Cornish Kitchen A wealth of Cornish recipes.
artcornwall.org Online journal for art and artists in Cornwall

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