Christmas Eve In The Cornish Mines In Days of Old

I like stories of old Cornwall and it's traditions. Here's a Christmas Eve tale originally published back in 1865. I have retained the style of words as of that period.

Spriggan Sculpture by Marilyn Collins, Highbury

On Christmas eve, in former days, the small people, of the spriggans, would meet at the bottom of the deepest mines and have midnight mass.

Then those who were in the mine would hear voices melodious beyond all earthly voices singing, "Now Well! Now Well!* The strains of some deep toned organ would shake the rocks.

Of the grandeur of those meetings, old stories could not find words sufficiently sonorous to speak; it was therefore left to the imagination.

But thus was certain. The temple formed by the fairy bands in which to celebrate the eve of the birth of a Saviour, in whose mercy they all had hope, was of the most magnificent description.

* Now Well! Now Well! the angel did say
To certain poor shepherds in the fields who lay
Late in the night folding their sheep;
A winter's night, both cold and deep.
Now Well! Now Well! Now Well
Born is the King of Israel!

St. Dennis, Cornwall and its Connection with a Beheaded Saint

An old story today from an 1865 book, originally written by a Robert Hunt. The story tells of St. Dennis and the links to the Cornish church of the same name. I have previously mentioned St. Dennis church in my post St. Denys, King Arthur and St. Dennis Church

"The patron saint of the parish church of St. Dennis, Cornwall was born in the city of Athens, in the reign of Tiberius. His name and fame have full record in the History of Saints of the Church of Rome. 

How his name was connected with this remote parish is not clearly made out. 

We learn, however, that the good man was beheaded at Montmartre and that he walked after his execution, with his head under his arm, to the place in Paris which still bears his name. 

At the very time the decapitation took place in Paris, blood fell on the stones of the courtyard of St. Dennis in Cornwall. Previously, to the breaking out of the plague in London, the stains of the blood of St. Dennis were seen again; and during our wars with the Dutch. The defeat of the English fleet was foretold by the rain of gore in this remote sequestered place.

William Hals the Cornish historian, with much gravity, informs us that he had seen some of the stones with blood upon them.  Whenever the phenomenon occurs again we may expect some sad calamity to be near."

Other Old Traditional Stories:

Who or What Are Cornish Knockers?

Old Cornish Ghost Story From 1800's

Bodmin Jail and a Hanging Watched by 25,000 People