Of Mermaids and Surf-Waves: Depictions of the Sea in Neo-Cornish Traditions

Surrounding the Cornish peninsula almost entirely, the sea has always been very important in Cornwall’s history: it has enabled migration and trade since the pre- historic times, played a prominent role in British warfare, was home to pirates and privateers during the 18th and 19th centuries and currently attracts surfers and tourists from all over the world.

Hardly surprising that the sea also plays a prominent role in Cornwall’s music revival and the neo-Cornish traditions that were introduced in the 1990s and are currently flourishing all over the county. Inspired by Robert Hunt’s Popular Romances of the West of England (1865), the Cornish revivalists have written numerous songs and tunes about mermaids, pilchard fishers, fish cellars, sunken ships and the lost legendary land Lyonesse. Many new music- and dance-festivals based on topics of the sea have been created, e.g. Golroos, St Piran’s Parade or the Aberfest. Besides this romantic Celtic imagery of the sea, the contemporary surf culture has become another important topic amongst Cornish trad musicians. The logo of the most prominent Cornish revival-band Dalla was designed by a surfboard designer. The song Cribbar uses a giant surf-wave as a metaphor for the increasing Cornish national pride. And the Interceltic Festival Lowender Perran is located in Cornwall’s primary surf destination Newquay.

All depictions of the sea by the revivalists portray it as something positive, romantic and nostalgic. There is no single mention regarding ecological issues, such as the yearly floods or devastating storm tides. This paper investigates why.