19/03/2024
For everyone who has ever wondered about the Mermaid statue:
Peregrin lived in the small fishing village of St.Dogmaels tucked away on the West coast of Wales and perfectly placed near the mouth of the River Teifi. Like his Grandfather before him, Peregrin worked hard as a fisherman, having grown up on the seas, he had an incredible understanding of the wild nature of his working environment, its unpredictability, shifting energy, but as importantly, an awareness of the best areas to find a catch.
Like the fishermen of today, each day, he would set sail in his little boat, using the ebbing tide through the 'bar' at Poppit Sands, to take him out into the heart of Cardigan Bay. The summer months provided an abundance of fish but the winters would only bring wild weather and heavy seas, the fishing would become more difficult to find, but more importantly, more dangerous as an occupation. This did not deter Peregrin and his friends, they had not a choice, it was their livelihood and they put their trust in God who would be sure to return these brave men back to shore and awaiting families.
It was August, the height of the season and with the weather set fair, Peregrin sailed off across the bar very early in the morning, his fellow fishermen had not yet woken, he headed straight for Cemaes Head, he knew the fishing would be good here that morning. With the nets cast and the sun beating hard upon the water, the local bottle neck dolphins jumped high and the Choughs swooped low, Peregrin lay in his boat, feeling slightly overwhelmed by such natural beauty and happy to be doing what he loved most, in his favourite place.
Suddenly his nets twitched hard and Peregrin leaped up from his daydreaming, he heaved at the stubborn bundle, the boat began to move against the current, this was certainly a good catch he thought. The battle continued for many hours, through the midday sun, until it seemed the fish were tiring, with a final tug, he heaved the final section of net into the boat. As the catch lay on the deck of the boat, Peregrin could not believe his eyes, the tail was quite large with two fins, the scales were so bright they almost blinded him in the afternoon sun, but the body, it was of a woman, beautiful beneath her mane of golden hair.
Peregrin took some time to gather his thoughts and to consider what he should do with such a fine catch, he concluded that someone on shore would pay good money for this fine creature and immediately set sail for home.
'Please release me back into the sea' gently whispered the half fish half woman, Peregrin with the breeze in his ears, did not hear her plea.
'Please let me go' she repeated. Peregrin looked across at the beautiful creature,
'Why should I?' replied Peregrin.
'My scales are fading in the sun, soon they will crack, my mouth is dry, I feel that soon I may die. Please let me go' she pleaded with him.
Peregrin felt overwhelmed with guilt for what he was doing, looking at this wonderful creature all wrapped up in his nets, she certainly was not looking in such good health. He quickly took his knife to the twisted chaos and slowly eased the creature over the side of the boat back into her home. Peregrin took a moment to reflect on the whole episode, it was difficult to comprehend just what had happened that day, a little confused, as if it were a dream, he turned his little boat with the wind, and reset his course for St.Dogmaels. As the boat slowly moved away, suddenly the mermaid appeared and pulled herself up to where Peregrin sat.
'Peregrin, you are man of honesty and good nature, one day I will repay your kindness' and with a flash of silver in the late afternoon sun, she was gone.
Back home, he mentioned to no one his encounter upon the sea, who would believe such a tale. Peregrin fished more often over the next few months at Cemaes Head in the hope of seeing the mermaid again, but soon the winter seas returned to Cardigan Bay and the head was no place to be in such heavy, unpredictable swells. The fishing fleet from St.Dogmaels would fish together, more closely over the winter days out in the bay, when one fateful morning, when the boats were leaving the calmer waters of Carreg Aderyn, Peregrin felt an unusual listing on his boat, the mermaid appeared to him.
'Peregrin you must turn back, Peregrin you must turn back, Peregrin you must turn back' she warned him three times, then vanished beneath the waters.
Peregrin quickly began to wave to the other boats and yelled, 'turn about, we must go back!' But they ignored him. He tried again, 'We must not fish today' he pleaded with them, but the others had already moved further out to sea into the open waters of the bay.
Peregrin heaved on the tiller and set course for the bar, with the wind behind his boat, he moved at quite some speed and it wasn't long before he was mooring up at St.Dogmaels and safely arrived home to his family. The rest of the fishermen were busy casting their nets out beyond the shelter of Cemaes Head, when the storm struck with all its full force and fury, many brave fishermen lost their lives.
Peregrin lived for many more happy years to fish the waters of Cardigan Bay. When, during some of the most devastating storms to hit the area and the local fishing fleet, Peregrin would remain safe and warm at his home in the Cwmmins, in the little fishing village of St. Dogmaels. He just seemed to have a way to read the weather signs, or was he getting a little help?
