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Cornish folklore is a vibrant tapestry, ever-changing yet deeply rooted in the past. The History of Cornish Tradition: A Folkloric Journey examines the rich tradition of the West Country, providing a definitive historical analysis of how the region’s legends, language, and customs have transformed over the last four centuries. This essential volume traces the evolution of Cornwall’s most famous stories, including Ann Jefferies and her fairies, the shifting identity of pixies/piskies from local spirits to international good-luck charms, enduring legends of King Arthur, the mystique of the lost land of Lyonesse, the birth of a sea serpent, and the escapades of the monstrous bogeyman Tregeagle.
The new approach offered by this book is its blending of history and folklore through a close examination of how Cornish tradition has manifested and changed over time. It also explores the geographical spread of tales, looking outward from Cornwall to the wider Atlantic fringe— including Brittany, Wales, and Ireland—to gauge the progress of history. The History of Cornish Tradition is intended for both historians and folklorists while still being entirely accessible to the general reader.
Ronald M. James has taught and published in the fields of history and folklore for five decades. He was adjunct faculty at the University of Nevada, Reno, and is a retired state historic preservation officer, also serving as chair of the National Historic Landmarks Committee. An I.T.T. Fellow studying folklore in Ireland, 1981–1982, he is a bard in the Gorsedh Kernow. He has authored or co-authored thirteen books and contributed chapters and articles to many more, including The Folklore of Cornwall: The Oral Tradition of a Celtic Nation (UEP, 2018), which was a finalist for the Katharine Briggs Award.
Introduction: folklore across time and space
1. Folklore preserved in the Cornish language
2. Ann Jefferies and her fairies
3. Pixies begin a journey
4. The legends of Bray and Tregarthen
5. Pixies on the other side of the Tamar
6. A history of pixies
7. Sunken cities of the Atlantic fringe
8. Ships in the clouds
9. King Arthur
10. ‘To roar like Tregeagle’
11. Sea serpents and the folkloresque
12. Festivals, events, and the invention of tradition
Conclusion
Appendix: Type Index for Cornish Narrative