The Flag of The Cornish - St Piran (Kernewek Flag)
St. Pirans Flag
Saint Piran's Flag is the flag of Cornwall. The banner of Saint Piran is a vertical white cross on a black background. Saint Piran is supposed to have adopted these two colours from seeing the molten tin spilling out of the black ore in his fire. This occurred during his supposed discovery of tin. Black and white is also a representation of good over evil.
He gives reference to "a white cross on a black ground [that] was formerly the banner of St. Perran and the Standard of Cornwall"
There are claims that the design dates from prior to c1188 when the flag was used in the Crusades and was seen in 1415 at the Battle of Agincourt.
One of the oldest depictions of the flag can be seen in a stained glass window at Westminster Abbey. It was unveiled in 1888 in memory of the famous Cornish inventor and engineer Richard Trevithick.
The window depicts St Michael at the top and nine Cornish saints, Piran, Petroc, Pinnock, Germanus, Julian, Cyriacus, Constantin, Nonna and Geraint in tiers below. The head of St Piran appears to be a portrait of Trevithick himself and the figure carries the banner of Cornwall.
The flag is, perhaps not coincidentally, similar to the Flag of Saint David, from the fellow Celtic nation of Wales.
Origins
The earliest written evidence of this flag was recorded by Davies Gilbert in his 1838 work: 'The Parochial History of Cornwall', Vol III, p. 332.He gives reference to "a white cross on a black ground [that] was formerly the banner of St. Perran and the Standard of Cornwall"
There are claims that the design dates from prior to c1188 when the flag was used in the Crusades and was seen in 1415 at the Battle of Agincourt.
One of the oldest depictions of the flag can be seen in a stained glass window at Westminster Abbey. It was unveiled in 1888 in memory of the famous Cornish inventor and engineer Richard Trevithick.
The window depicts St Michael at the top and nine Cornish saints, Piran, Petroc, Pinnock, Germanus, Julian, Cyriacus, Constantin, Nonna and Geraint in tiers below. The head of St Piran appears to be a portrait of Trevithick himself and the figure carries the banner of Cornwall.
The flag is, perhaps not coincidentally, similar to the Flag of Saint David, from the fellow Celtic nation of Wales.
Usage
Saint Piran's Flag is now more commonly seen flying from flag poles across Cornwall than the Union Flag or the Cross of St George, yet only a generation ago many saw it as a nationalist symbol for Mebyon Kernow. However for many today it is a symbol of pride in Cornish distinctiveness rather than a political call for independence. The flag is flown at most Cornish gatherings such as the Gorseth Kernow, St Piran's Day (5 March), Padstow Obby Oss, Helston Flora Day, Camborne Trevithick Day and at Cornish rugby matches. It is regularly seen around Cornwall on car stickers with the word 'Kernow' (Cornish for Cornwall), and is used around the world as a symbol of the Cornish diaspora or overseas Cornish associations. In Cornwall it is used on a variety of Cornish merchandising products and is seen on the Cornish Pirates rugby logo and other local companies such as Ginsters pasties use a similar emblem on their packaging and advertising. The unofficial 'Cornish ensign' is another flag that is sometimes used to represent the regional identity of Cornwall, although it is disliked by Cornish separatists.
