The Mermaid’s Tale
Writer ZUZANNA KOLBUCH makes her Pembrokeshire.Online debut
Kyraxys/Pixabay
Beloved by little girls globally, the elusive mermaid has captured the imagination of people since antiquity. Synonymous with femininity, independence and rebellion, this beautiful creature has shaped the folklore of certain areas through her powers of seduction and transformation. Mermaids are often depicted as messengers from the natural world and protectors of communities and the environment.
The Polish legend of the Warsaw Mermaid claims there were mermaid sisters who travelled from the Baltic Sea looking for places to settle. The sisters all shared the same characteristics, ‘silver of scales, peachy of skin, golden of hair and blue of eyes.’
One arrived in Copenhagen, and her mythos was adapted by Hans Christian Andersen who made her globally famous as The Little Mermaid.
Another, named Syrenka, made the fishing village of Warsaw her home. After being saved by a young fisherman who refused to sell her for profit, she blessed his community with her protection and abundance. Standing guard with a shield and sword, her statue has facial features that are a tribute to female freedom fighters such as Krystyna Krahelska. She miraculously survived even the Nazi attacks that flattened Warsaw during the Second World War.
A third and very special mermaid can be found in Pembrokeshire, and this is her story…
Our tale began one August in the 18th century in St Dogmaels. Peregrine, a local man born of a long line of fishermen living by the River Teifi, ventured out to Ciebwr Bay and cast his net into the blue waters off Cemaes Head.
He marvelled at the natural beauty of his homeland, watching dolphins and birds as he cast his nets and waited for his catch It was a day like any other but his daydreams and musings were halted when he felt a pull on his net. A lengthy tug of war between him and his catch ensued.
What he extracted from the depths was not a scrumptious fish but something much more valuable, a mermaid. This half woman-half fish, with a tail as silver as the moon, skin as rosy as peaches and lustrous golden hair looked toward him and thrashed in his net to escape. But it was too late; Peregrine bound her and set sail for home.
He knew he would become a rich man from the spoils of selling this mythical creature. The body parts of mermaids were believed to possess many magical qualities. Their hair and scales were used for making love potions. Their flesh and tears granted immortality and healing. Their mummified remains were profitable displays for the public to gawk at as curiosities in travelling circuses. Yet, on the slow journey back, the mermaid begged and persuaded him to set her free, her determination unwavering.
As he approached St Dogmaels, Peregrine had a change of heart, having noticed her deteriorated state for which he was responsible. He pondered the cruel fate that would await her and decided the mermaid deserved her freedom. He untied her and threw her back in the water.
Given her agency back the mermaid thanked him for his empathetic heart and promised to repay him for his kindness. Months later when Peregrine was out on the hunt for fish once more, he noticed a figure awaiting him on the sandy bank of the Teifi, just as he was to head out to sea. It was his mermaid.
She waited on the banks to warn him of a terrible impending storm, wanting to ensure he would escape with his life. He listened to her and returned to shore, even though the other fishermen laughed at him for going home “without a catch” again.
The prophesied storm came and those who remained at sea were tragically lost in the raging tempest, Peregrine was safe.
The universal myth of the good mermaid interconnects us all across cultures and seas. It is a story about the power of working together with nature and not against it, of choosing empathy over greed, of personal transformation and of freedom.
Perhaps we can be friends, just as the mermaids were to Peregrine, to the fishermen of Warsaw, to Danish princes, or an inspiration to us all to follow our hearts and treat others with respect.
As is written in the St Dogmaels parish records, on 30 September, 1789, a tempest tragically took the lives of 27 fishermen. One, named Peregrine, who lived at Cwmmins, survived. This was attributed to his knowledge of weather signs, and the behaviour local wildlife, from the combination of which he figured out a storm would hit, and correctly chose to stay on land. To commemorate the local legend of the Mermaid of St Dogmaels, a wooden statue was erected. To this day she watches over the fishing community from her spot on the Pembrokeshire Coast Path.
ZUZANNA KOLBUCH is a bilingual English-Polish writer, with experience in literature, multi-media, humanities and journalism, along with a passion for Welsh culture and the natural environment. She grew up in Poland, was an A-grade student and developed a fascination with heritage, constantly hearing cultural stories and experiencing the wonders of nature when traveling with her mother for PR and marketing work throughout Central Europe, the Mediterranean and North Africa. Her interest in Wales grew with every visit, and blossomed further upon receiving a copy of The Mabinogion. She has lived, studied and worked in Wales from her twenties onwards, aiming to combine her interests with projects promoting Welsh culture and language with a focus on promoting heritage and sustainability via digital and social media platforms, which are her area of expertise.
