Saint Senara is a legendary
Cornish saint with links to the village of
Zennor
Zennor is a village and civil parishes in England, civil parish in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The parish includes the villages of Zennor, Boswednack and Porthmeor and the hamlet of Treen (Zennor), Treen. Zennor lies on the north coast, ...
on the north coast of
Cornwall
Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people. Cornwall is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic ...
, UK. The
Church of Saint Senara, Zennor is dedicated to her; the village, nearby headland
Zennor Head
Zennor Head is a 750-metre (2,460 ft) long promontory on the Cornwall, Cornish coast of England, between Pendour Cove and Porthzennor Cove. Facing the Atlantic Ocean, it lies 1 kilometre north-west of the village of Zennor and 1.6 kilometr ...
, and the neolithic tomb
Zennor Quoit
Zennor Quoit is a ruined megalithic burial chamber or dolmen, located on a moor about a mile (1.6 km) east of the village of Zennor, Cornwall, England, UK. It dates to 2500–1500 BC. Aside from the roof, which collapsed some time between ...
received her name indirectly.
Historical records
According to scholar
Nicholas Orme
Nicholas Orme (born 1942) is a British historian specialising in the Middle Ages and Tudor period, focusing on the history of children, and ecclesiastical history, with a particular interest in South West England.
Orme is an Emeritus Professor ...
, a Saint Sinar of Zennor was first recorded in 1170 as a male saint ("Sanctus Sinar"), but from 1235 onwards as a female one ("Sancta Sinara"). Orme states that unless she can be identified with Azenor, the mother of Saint
Budoc
Saint Budoc of Dol (also Budeaux or Beuzec) was a Bishop of Dol, venerated after his death as a saint in both Brittany (now in France) and Devon (now in England). Saint Budoc is the patron of Plourin Ploudalmezeau in Finistère where his relics ar ...
in Breton legends, nothing else is recorded about her. He also points out the similarity to Saint Senan, commemorated at nearby
Sennen
Sennen (''Cornish: Sen Senan'' or ''Sen Senana'') is a coastal civil parish and a village in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. Sennen village is situated approximately eight miles (13 km) west-southwest of Penzance.Ordnance Survey: Landra ...
.
Legend
Senara was reputedly a Breton princess of
Brest
Brest may refer to:
Places
*Brest, Belarus
**Brest Region
**Brest Airport
**Brest Fortress
* Brest, Kyustendil Province, Bulgaria
* Břest, Czech Republic
*Brest, France
** Arrondissement of Brest
**Brest Bretagne Airport
** Château de Brest
*Br ...
originally named Asenora, She was married to a Breton king who wrongly accused her of adultery and threw her into the sea in a barrel while pregnant. She was visited by an
angel
In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God.
Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles include ...
, whilst floating in the sea off the westernmost end of Cornwall, and gave birth to a son in the waves, who later became Saint
Budoc
Saint Budoc of Dol (also Budeaux or Beuzec) was a Bishop of Dol, venerated after his death as a saint in both Brittany (now in France) and Devon (now in England). Saint Budoc is the patron of Plourin Ploudalmezeau in Finistère where his relics ar ...
or an Irish bishop. She was washed up on the Cornish coast, and some believe she founded
Zennor
Zennor is a village and civil parishes in England, civil parish in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The parish includes the villages of Zennor, Boswednack and Porthmeor and the hamlet of Treen (Zennor), Treen. Zennor lies on the north coast, ...
and gave her name to the eponymous village (and subsequently
Zennor Head
Zennor Head is a 750-metre (2,460 ft) long promontory on the Cornwall, Cornish coast of England, between Pendour Cove and Porthzennor Cove. Facing the Atlantic Ocean, it lies 1 kilometre north-west of the village of Zennor and 1.6 kilometr ...
,
Zennor Quoit
Zennor Quoit is a ruined megalithic burial chamber or dolmen, located on a moor about a mile (1.6 km) east of the village of Zennor, Cornwall, England, UK. It dates to 2500–1500 BC. Aside from the roof, which collapsed some time between ...
and Porthzennor Cove), before continuing to
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
.
Due to the striking similarity, the legend's origins possibly lie in
Greek mythology
A major branch of classical mythology, Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the Ancient Greece, ancient Greeks, and a genre of Ancient Greek folklore. These stories concern the Cosmogony, origin and Cosmology#Metaphysical co ...
and the story of
Danaë
In Greek mythology, Danaë (, ; ; , ) was an Argive princess and mother of the hero Perseus by Zeus. She was credited with founding the city of Ardea in Latium during the Bronze Age.
Family
Danae was the daughter and only child of King Acris ...
who was also cast to sea with her son
Perseus
In Greek mythology, Perseus (Help:IPA/English, /ˈpɜːrsiəs, -sjuːs/; Greek language, Greek: Περσεύς, Romanization of Greek, translit. Perseús) is the legendary founder of Mycenae and of the Perseid dynasty. He was, alongside Cadmus ...
in a wooden box.
Legacy
![Zennor Mermaid Chair](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1f/Zennor_Mermaid_Chair.JPG)
Senara was highly venerated by local fishermen and is said to represent the dual nature of Christ (human and divine).
She gives her name to
St Senara's Church in Zennor and it contains the Mermaid Chair, an ancient chair with carvings of fish on the seat and a pew end with a depiction of the mermaid admiring herself in a mirror, which is believed to be at least 600 years old.
A statue of St Senara lies in an enclosed garden next to the church.
Modern adaptations
Senara is the subject of a book and linked to the
Mermaid of Zennor
The Mermaid of Zennor ( kw, An Vorvoren a Senar) is a popular Cornish folk tale that was first recorded by the Cornish folklorist William Bottrell in 1873. The legend has inspired works of poetry, literature and art.
Synopsis
Long ago, a bea ...
by
Sue Monk Kidd, ''
The Mermaid Chair
''The Mermaid Chair'' is a 2005 novel written by American novelist Sue Monk Kidd, which has also been adapted as a Lifetime movie.
Synopsis
''The Mermaid Chair'' is the tale of Jessie Sullivan, a middle-aged woman whose stifled dreams and desi ...
'',
which was adapted into a movie in 2006.
The Mermaid Chair
at IMDb
IMDb (an abbreviation of Internet Movie Database) is an online database of information related to films, television series, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and personal biographies, ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Senara (saint)
Medieval Breton saints
Castaways
Cornish folklore
Christian female saints of the Middle Ages
Folk saints
Medieval Cornish saints
Medieval legends
Angelic visionaries