Ertach Kernow - Is the St Piran’s story fact or legend?
St Piran’s Day festivities are almost upon us when Cornish people Celebrate our national day both here in Cornwall and worldwide. The Cornish Diaspora where folk from more recent emigration and many of the descendants of those who left long ago still remember Cornwall fondly.
Although St Piran has become recognised as our national patron saint, he was originally the patron saint of miners. Piran was remembered and venerated during the 19th century only to any great extent around the area of his original oratory of Lanpiran on Penhale Sands near Perranporth. Piran has like King Arthur been raised from myth and legend to the status of actuality. Legend tells us that it was in the 5th century that Piran came to Cornwall from Ireland on a millstone. It wasn’t until the 14th century that Bishop of Exeter John de Grandisson appalled at lack of knowledge about the saints of Cornwall set in motion research and the creation of the lives of the saints. It is likely through his instructions that anything is known at all about most of Cornwall’s multitude of saints. Grandisson became Bishop of Exeter in 1327 when matters were in a pretty sorry state. The cathedral was only half complete, his predecessor Bishop Walter Stapeldon had been murdered in London the previous year, and later the Black Death would sweep the country with a Cornish death toll of some forty percent.
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The Lives of the Saints by Canon Nicholas Orme published in 2000 provides nearly three pages of information about the life of St Piran. However the accepted life of St Piran is not as clear cut as Orme explains. The 14th century ‘life’ was as adaption of the life of St Ciaran of Saighir as part of the so-called Gotha manuscript of saints lives. The document explains the Latinised name for Piran is Keranus who was allegedly born in Ossory Leinster, Ireland. Following thirty years as a lay preacher he travelled to Rome where after studying scriptures he was made a bishop. Returning to Ireland he lived there, according to the Gotha manuscript, for two hundred years later sailing to Cornwall. Establishing himself there for a number of years he died on 5th March 480, which is now known as St Piran’s Day and Cornwall’s national day. There seems to have been some explanation to the name change through the translation from the Goidelic to Brythonic Celtic languages, although this is somewhat suspect. A short or perhaps an abbreviated version of the life of St Piran was compiled by John of Tynemouth a 14th century clerical scholar who travelled extensively collecting stories relating to saints from libraries and cathedrals. Canon Gilbert Doble the mid-20th century author of Saints of Cornwall believes documents relating to St Piran was found by John of Tynemouth in Exeter Cathedral and he created a ‘Life of St Piran’ as part of his work known as Capgraves, Nova Legenda Anglie published in 1516 by Wynkyn de Worde. Was this St Piran related document found at Exeter by Tynemouth originally produced at the behest of Bishop Grandisson? Certainly John of Tynemouth was known to abbreviate and leave out what might be considered vital names and other information from the original documents and therefore lacking much substantial evidence.
What is known as the Gotha Manuscript was discovered in the library of the former Ernestine ducal house of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg in 1937. Written in the 12th and 13th centuries these provided more information of what we understand about St Piran and many other Celtic saints. The Gotha Manuscript may be the only surviving document from others and also a potential source of information accessed by John of Tynemouth. It was Canon Gilbert H Doble who translated this document and perhaps written the most expansive work on St Piran. This provides information relating to the various stories and compares them across the three Brythonic Celtic nations of Cornwall, Wales and Brittany.
Englishman John Leland often referred to as the father of English local history travelled through Cornwall at the behest of Henry VIII during the first half of the 16th century. He mentions St Piran on a number of occasions and links him to the name St Keueryn. He also mentions the church of ‘St Piranes in the sandes’, which may refer to the later medieval church rather than the oratory.
Besides the better-known churches and monuments to St Piran here in Cornwall is one, somewhat outside the main areas of St Piran interests at Trethevy close to Tintagel. A visit is suggested if in the area as this small chapel whilst looking somewhat uninspiring from the outside has a quite charming interior. A Grade II listed building it dates from the 15th century with first mention of a chapel dedicated to St Piran’s in a licence granted by the Bishop of Exeter to Parson Gregory to celebrate mass in 1457. A mixed history it was reconstructed and reconsecrated in 1944
William Copeland Borlase as President of the Royal Institution of Cornwall gave an address in 1878 relating to Cornish saints, with special reference to St Piran. Now in the best tradition of 19th century writers, Borlase writes extensively at length in what we would now days write in less than half the space. He writes ‘Lastly, in proof that our St. Piran is indeed the great St Ciaran, ‘first-born of the Saints of Ireland,” and no other of the seventeen’ persons of that name found in Irish calendars, we may take the following facts with regard to the date of his feast day in the respective countries.’ Borlase is convinced through the existence at a ‘cove called Tra-kieran, (St. Kieran’s Strand) on which is a pillar stone with a cross rudely cut towards the top, that they say was the workmanship of St. Kieran, and near it stand the walls of a ruined church, dedicated to the same Saint.’ He continues this ‘stone they hold in great veneration, and assemble round it every 5th of March, on which day they celebrate the festival of their patron.’
Further investigation confirms Borlase’s story about Tra-kieran and the saint’s stone which is located on a small island called Cape Clear Island. The islanders have a long history of still observing their saints day as 5th March and readily accept the connection with St Piran of Cornwall. Distance to Cornwall is two hundred miles as the crow flies and some years ago a group of Newquay Rowing Club rowers rowed to Courtmacsherry in Cork. No doubt some lusty Irish lads could also have made it all those centuries previously, albeit without a millstone.
Whatever the truth we now live in an extremely different age as far as religion is concerned. The beliefs and position of St Piran has evolved and now been elevated to the patron saint of Cornwall for a largely secular society. Although it seems that activities relating to the celebration of St Piran throughout Cornwall are from more recent decades commemoratory events have taken place within the Perranzabuloe parish since at least towards the end of the 19th century. The miners who celebrated led to the 19th century Cornish expression ‘drunk as a perraner’, perhaps leading to the legend of St Piran liking a mug or two of his favourite tipple.
We mustn’t forget that besides coming to Cornish shores from Ireland to become one of Cornwall’s major saints it is just here he is remembered. Both Brittany and Wales have references to him with churches and monuments in both Celtic nations dedicated to him. The connections of St Piran to Brittany is exceptionally strong, so much so that at Carnoët, in Brittany within the Valley of the Saints the 100th statue of 190 now there is of St Piran. The statue carved here in Cornwall was erected in 2018 and together with a growing number of saintly statues is a huge tourist attraction bringing some 300,000 visitors each year. Just an example of interest in Celtic cultural interests. There are close contact between Breton and Cornish communities with some 36 Cornish towns having twinning agreements.
Towards St Piran’s Day as events ramp up for the main festival day flags will appear in ever greater numbers in shop windows as well as those of people’s homes, vehicles and throughout communities. Town halls and churches will display the Baner Sen Peren, shame on those that don’t, although happily some do so all year round. ‘The Baner Sen Peren of Cornwall being a white cross on a black background, mentioned by Gilbert Davies in 1838, has a long history even further back in time than Davies’ writing. The current flag of Brittany known as the Gwenn ha Du (Gwynn ha Du in Kernewek) was designed in 1923. However, the historic Ducal flag of Brittany until the 16th century was the Kroaz Du, an exact negative of the Baner Sen Peren being a black cross on a white background. The Kroaz Du is now increasingly seen during Breton demonstrations and protest marches than in the past, especially those relating to Breton language issues with the French government. There has been progressively more nationalistic pride and calls for greater independence across both Cornwall and Brittany in recent years as well as with other Celtic nations.’ (Ertach Kernow 7th September 2022)
Besides the traditional march to the oratory and ancient St Piran’s cross the number of parades and events seem to grow year on year with new traditions being created. The now traditional ‘St Piran’s Shout’ at 9:00pm on St Piran’s Day when people throughout Cornwall and often worldwide join within their communities to sing ‘Trelawny’ dates from earlier this century. Gool Peran Lowen, Kernow Bys Vykken.
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