Continuing Cornwall’s tradition of rock carvings

Last updated on: August 29, 2016 at 10:26 am by Megan Manson

Continuing Cornwall’s tradition of rock carvings 2016-08-29T10:26:32+00:00 Megan Manson

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English Heritage commissioned a local craftsman to hand-carve the face of Merlin the wizard into the rocks below Tintagel Castle, at the entrance to the inlet known as Merlin’s Cave which according to legend is where Merlin carried the infant King Arthur to safety. The carving, which took three months to complete, was unveiled earlier this month, prompting an outraged statement from the organisation Kernow Matters To Us (KMTU):

“This official vandalism has been condemned by people who love Cornwall, both at home and as far away as Australia. We are deeply shocked that the inappropriately named ‘English’ Heritage has installed a sculpture of Merlin in our Cornish Tintagel Castle. This is nothing but ‘false’ history and diminishes our heritage. It is a disgrace. No doubt it will enhance tourist numbers for a season or two – but at the cost of further denuding the Cornish cultural and historical context of this location.”
– “English Heritage accused of ‘vandalism’ after Merlin sculpture at Tintagel Castle causes outrage,” The Telegraph, February 16th 2016

Looking out from Merlin’s Cave, Tintagel. Jane Osborne, Creative Commons via Wikimedia Commons

From my perspective, this is a bit of an overreaction. For one thing, the sculpture can hardly be called “vandalism.” It was given full planning permission by the custodians of the site and designed very carefully so that the sculpture would not be detrimental to the beauty of its surroundings – a far cry from the real vandalism by members of the public at the Rocky Valley labyrinths. Some have compared the carving to desecrating the rocks at Stonehenge, but I hardly think the two are similar. The rocks at Stonehenge are themselves a monument and sacred to Pagans; the rocks at Merlin’s Cave have not, to my knowledge, ever been considered monumental or sacred in themselves, at least no more than any other rocks.

What’s more, the Merlin carving is pretty subtle. It’s quite small and flows very naturally from the rocks – at a quick glance it could even be mistaken for a natural formation. As Alex Page of English Heritage states,

“Our new carving reflects the legendary link between Tintagel Castle and Merlin. We took great care to ensure that the carving complements rather than competes with the spectacular setting. The carving of Merlin’s face is discreet, a little larger than life, and is tucked away amongst the rocks for people to discover.”
– “English Heritage accused of ‘vandalism’ after Merlin sculpture at Tintagel Castle causes outrage,” The Telegraph, February 16th 2016

Considering Tintagel’s history of locals carving mystical symbols into rocks as demonstrated by the Rocky Valley labyrinths, you could perhaps say that the Merlin carving is a continuation of intangible cultural heritage – in other words, traditions and practises that continue from generation to generation. Tradition is not something that exists in the past – it is something that we do in the here and now, following the examples of those before us. That’s why I believe that the Merlin sculpture in fact enhances, rather than diminishes, the cultural traditions of Cornwall, both by reminding us of the Celtic legends that enrich Tintagel’s heritage, and by continuing its curious culture of creating beautiful, magical works of art using the natural surroundings.

Sources:

“The Rocky Valley Labyrinths,” Abegael Saward. Labyrinthos.

“English Heritage accused of ‘vandalism’ after Merlin sculpture at Tintagel Castle causes outrage,” The Telegraph, February 16th 2016

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