*Ø* Blogmanac January 24 | Cornish Tinners' and Seafarers' Day
Or Paul Pitcher Day
An old labour day, celebrating new season of sailing and mining in Cornwall, Great Britain. Cornish tin miners traditionally set up a pitcher in a public place and threw stones at it to destroy it.
A replacement pitcher was then bought and filled with beer, which was replenished throughout the day as they drank from it.
The miners were great inventors of reasons to celebrate, this one being a rebellion against the rule that only water was to be drunk during work time.
Was Jesus a tin man too?
Old Cornish tradition has it that Jesus Christ went to Cornwall with his uncle, Joseph of Arimathea. There is even an old local song that says "Joseph was a tin man". Legend has it that at Glastonbury, which was also known as Avalon (resting place of King Arthur), Joseph stuck his staff in the ground, and from it sprung the famous 'Glastonbury thorn' tree which always flowered on Christmas Day.
Cornwall has long been a centre of tin mining, known even to ancient Phoenician traders who travelled from the Mediterranean to Britain for the tin they sold in North Africa, the Middle East and other areas of their influence. It is not impossible that the ancient Cornish tradition about Jesus and his uncle might be true. We know from the Bible that Joseph was a wealthy man (he provided the tomb that Jesus was buried in), and he could quite feasibly have travelled to the British Isles.
This is just a snippet of today's stories. Read all about today in folklore, historical oddities, inspiration and alternatives at the Wilson's Almanac Book of Days, every day. Click today's date when you're there.
Or Paul Pitcher Day
An old labour day, celebrating new season of sailing and mining in Cornwall, Great Britain. Cornish tin miners traditionally set up a pitcher in a public place and threw stones at it to destroy it.
A replacement pitcher was then bought and filled with beer, which was replenished throughout the day as they drank from it.
The miners were great inventors of reasons to celebrate, this one being a rebellion against the rule that only water was to be drunk during work time.
Was Jesus a tin man too?
Old Cornish tradition has it that Jesus Christ went to Cornwall with his uncle, Joseph of Arimathea. There is even an old local song that says "Joseph was a tin man". Legend has it that at Glastonbury, which was also known as Avalon (resting place of King Arthur), Joseph stuck his staff in the ground, and from it sprung the famous 'Glastonbury thorn' tree which always flowered on Christmas Day.
Cornwall has long been a centre of tin mining, known even to ancient Phoenician traders who travelled from the Mediterranean to Britain for the tin they sold in North Africa, the Middle East and other areas of their influence. It is not impossible that the ancient Cornish tradition about Jesus and his uncle might be true. We know from the Bible that Joseph was a wealthy man (he provided the tomb that Jesus was buried in), and he could quite feasibly have travelled to the British Isles.
This is just a snippet of today's stories. Read all about today in folklore, historical oddities, inspiration and alternatives at the Wilson's Almanac Book of Days, every day. Click today's date when you're there.
Pip Wilson posted item above at 9:21 PM | Permalink
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