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Cornish Flag
St. Piran's Day
Mar 5
Other Scottish Country Dances for this Day
Today's Musings, History & Folklore
"🎶 A good sword and a trusty hand,
A merry heart and true!
King James's men shall understand
What Cornish lads can do!
And have they fixed the where and when?
And shall Trelawny die?
Then twenty thousand Cornish men
Will know the reason why!"
~ The Song of the Western Men, Robert Stephen Hawker (1824)
Happy St. Piran's Day to all who live and dance in Cornwall, Janners all! This tribute reel, is so-named because it is a close derivative of the dance "St George's Cross" with the reverse formation, the "Kilt Pin" created, rather than "Sash Pin" reels!
St. Piran, the beloved patron saint of Cornwall and tin miners, embodies resilience, faith, and the triumph of spirit over adversity. According to legend, Piran was a revered Irishman, known for his wisdom and piety, until royal intrigue cast him out of favor. Ordered to be thrown into the sea by the king of Munster, he was bound to a millstone and cast adrift—yet, miraculously, the stone floated, carrying him safely across the waves to the shores of Cornwall. There, he dedicated himself to spreading his faith and knowledge among the local Celtic people.
Piran’s most famous contribution was the discovery of tin smelting—an event that would shape Cornwall’s economy and culture for centuries. As the story goes, one night, as he sat by his fire, a black rock heated in the flames began to ooze a silvery-white liquid—tin! This revelation revolutionized mining and metallurgy, ultimately inspiring the St. Piran’s Flag—a bold white cross on a black background, symbolizing tin flowing from the ore. Today, this flag remains a proud emblem of Cornish heritage and identity. 🖤 🤍 ⛏️
St Piran's Cross
The earliest known description of the St. Piran's Cross flag as the Standard of Cornwall appears in 1838. The flag's colours are said to be adapted from the story of St. Piran seeing molten tin spilling out of the black ore in a fire during his supposed discovery of tin in Cornwall, thus becoming the patron saint of tin miners.
According to legend, St. Piran, who was of Irish origin, was set upon by a jealous pagan ruler and thrown from a high cliff into the sea with a millstone tied to his neck. As his enemies watched in consternation, rather than drowning the saint began to float on his millstone across the sea and came ashore on a beach which still bears his name, Perranporth.
St. Piran built a chapel on the beach, and his first converts to Christianity were said to be a badger, a boar, and a fox. Piran not only gained a reputation for miraculous powers but also as a prodigious drinker (leading to the expression "drunk as a Perraner") and is said to have lived to the ripe old age of 206!
One of the oldest depictions of the St Piran's flag can be seen in the 1888 stained glass window at Westminster Abbey, created in memory of the famous Cornish inventor and engineer Richard Trevithick. The window depicts St Michael at the top and the nine Cornish saints, Piran, Petroc, Pinnock, Germanus, Julian, Cyriacus, Constantine, Nonna and Geraint in tiers below. The head of St Piran appears to be a portrait of Trevithick himself, and the figure carries the banner of Cornwall.
For more on St. Piran, click the stained glass!
Click the dance cribs or description below to link to a printable version of the dance!
