An introduction to Cornwall (Kernow) and the Cornish (Kernewek) people. The Cornish are a Celtic people who - along with other Celts - occupied the islands now known as the British Isles. King Arthur was infact, a Cornishman and his birthplace (Tintagel) is thought by some, to be Camelot. Cornwall has a long history; its people have seen times in freedom and repression - they have won and lost battles against the English in their fight to retain the land, culture and language. The Cornish have revealed their great ability and skill as - amongst other things - accomplished inventors, miners and fishermen - overcoming hostile environments and wild conditions to ensure their survival. The Cornish are a proud people; they assert their 'Cornishness' at any given opportunity and defy the false identities imposed upon them and their nation, by other nations. The most notable facet of 'Cornishness' is perhaps the infamous 'pirate' accent. In poverty-stricken times, some Cornish folks became desperate; survival was difficult and they were forced into piracy and smuggling. 'Wrecking' involved lighting shore fires at night, and coaxing bountiful headland vessles onto rocky shores. Penzance is a place in Cornwall made famous by the play 'The Pirates of Penzance'. To this day, Cornish people struggle to retain their rich culture and identity as it is demeaned by a wider society (and indeed, world) which has become more evolved in its technical/political nationalisation/internationalisation. It is a sign of Cornish spirit and resolve that the Kernewek (Cornish) language is now growing in popularity, since its decline in the 1700s. KERNOW BYS VYKKEN - 'Cornwall forever'.
28 авг 2024
