Thursday Thought: A Mystery Discovered

The prologue of The Miner & the Viscount is the story of St. Piran, the Christian missionary who was tied to a millstone by Druids and hurled off a cliff into the stormy Irish Sea. Miraculously, he survived and floated all the way to Cornwall where he landed at what is now Perranporth. He became the patron saint of Cornwall, and part of the mystique of that ancient Celtic land.

St. Piran's Oratory

St. Piran’s Oratory

An Oratory, a chapel of prayer, dedicated to St. Piran was built probably in the 12th century near the spot where he landed. Over the centuries it was lost. What happened? It was buried by wind-blown sand.

Many efforts have been made to preserve the Oratory. In 2000 A.D the Piran Trust was set up to provide support and funding. My daughter Sarah and I enjoyed the privilege of being shown over the site by trustees Eileen Carter and Colin Rotallick (who plays the role of the saint in the annual reenactment), both of whom have earned the title of bard of the Cornish Gorsedh.

You can see more about our visit and the work of the trust at their website: http://stpiran.org/blog/page/2/

 

 

 

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