Peregrine and the Mermaid: a wooden statue of a mermaid commemorates one fisherman’s generosity.

3 min read

2 years ago Leo S

In the small fishing village of St.Dogmaels, overlooking the river Teifi, tucked away on the West coast of Wales, is a wooden statue of a mermaid commemorating a local fisherman’s generosity.

It was late September 1789 when a man named Peregrine, who lived there and made his living from the sea, fishing for herring at Pen Cemaes, had the good fortune of landing a beautiful mermaid in his nets.
Overjoyed with his catch, he tied the mermaid up to his boat and set sail for St. Dogmaels but, on the journey home, she begged and pleaded with him to let her go.
He refused but, eventually, on approaching the village, he had a change of heart.
Of course, bringing a mermaid to shore would certainly make him rich, but what fate would await her?
Thus, as Peregrine reached the sandbar at the mouth of the river, he started to untie the knots he had used to fasten her to the boat to let her go.
Recognizing this kindness, the mermaid thanked him from the bottom of her heart and promised to repay him in the future.
Back home, he mentioned to no one his encounter upon the sea, who would believe such a tale.

Several days after his unusual catch, more precisely on 30 September 1789 in a nice calm morning, Peregrine and his boat were again heading out to sea to catch herring.
As he sailed past the sandbar in the river, the mermaid appeared at the side of his boat, calling out a warning that a storm was coming, and he should head home.
As a result, he turned his ship around and went back to the village, although all of the other fishermen laughed at his sudden change of heart.
However, their laughter soon turned to tears.
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.
Unfortunately, the rest of the fishermen were busy casting their nets out beyond the shelter of Cemaes Head, when a fierce storm blew up with all its full force and fury.
It whipped the sea into a frenzy and the howling winds and pummelling waves destroyed the other little boats from St Dogmaels, that were lost, and 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, he would remain safe and warm at his home in the Cwmmins, in the little fishing village of St. Dogmaels.
Believe it or not, St Dogmaels Parish Church has records that state there was a storm on September 30, 1789, and as many as 27 fishermen were killed.

The mermaid statue commemorates this tale, in a pleasant place to stop for a picnic, and also marks the start (or end) of the Pembrokeshire Coast Path, and long distance footpath running for 186 miles around the coast of Pembrokeshire, one of Britiain’s National Parks.
There is a small sculpture decorated with costal wildlife often seen from the shore but, unfortunately, there are no real mermaids. Maybe….