A bench end carved with a mermaid in the church of the coastal village of Zennor, Cornwall. A legend claims that a mysterious woman would sometimes attend church services, singing in a captivating, otherworldly voice. There seemed something of a spark between her and a handsome young chorister, and their voices would intertwine beautifully. After one service, the two walked to a nearby cove, disappeared beneath the waves, and were never seen again. The villagers realised the woman was a mermaid and had the bench she sat on carved with her image as a warning to men to beware of these dangerous creatures. Images of mermaids were quite common in medieval churches. Usually portrayed clutching mirrors and combs, they admonished worshippers about the temptations of vanity. At Zennor, the legend may have been invented to explain the carving after its meaning had been forgotten. #folklore #mythology #churches #medieval #gothic #history #architecture #weird #Cornwall