Title:
Bolster Day, Chapel Porth, St Agnes, Cornwall

Description:
May 4th 2008 Big, bad giant, Bolster, terrorises villagers in Chapel Porth on the beautiful North Cornish coast Camera: Lesley Ayers Bolster and St Agnes In the time of giants in the Penwith area there lived a particularly troublesome giant called Bolster, who was of such enormous stature that he could stand with one foot on Carn Brae and the other on the beacon near St Agnes a distance of 6 miles. Bolster himself was a terror to the surrounding countryside, stealing sheep and cattle from the ordinary Cornish folk. At that time in the same area lived St Agnes who was a pillar of early Christianity. Bolster became infatuated with St Agnes and eventually fell in love with her. Tired of the attention of the giant, and wishing rid of this evil brute, she asked him to prove his love for her by filling a hole in the cliff at Chapel Porth with his own blood. Bolster considered the task to be easy due to his huge size. Bolster went up to the cliffs at Chapel Porth, plunged a knife into his arm and waited for the hole to fill with his blood. The blood continued to pour and eventually the giant lost so much blood that he died. The hole actually led from the cliffs into the sea, a fact that St Agnes knew about but Bolster did not. The blood of Bolster is said to have stained the cliffs at Chapel Porth and the red mark is still visible today. http://www.mysteriousbritain.co.uk/england/cornwall/bolster.html

Author:
earthlydelights2006

Tags:
Agnes, bolster, community, Cornwall, Day, folklore, giant, kernow, legend, May, mummers, play, St, theatre,