Analysis of Mathey Trewella
The folk tale, Mathey Trewella, is a story written by Sybil Marshall back in 1981. It takes place “backalong the ages” in the legend-land of the West Country. More precisely in the Christian fishing village, Zennor. Here we meet the squire’s son, Mathey Trewella, who has the most amazing tenor voice. One day at the church, right before the priest says the mass, a beautiful strange woman enters. The stranger has the most stunning voice, described as “a silver bell on a frosty night! Like the tide in the moonlight rippling over the pebbles! Like the holy angels singing, the night that the Lord was born”. Drawn by her beauty, the men gave her all their attention. Especially Mathey could not stand the beauty of the strange woman, who later on appears to be a mermaid. The third time she came to the church, Mathey could not stand his desire for the woman so he followed her up to the cliffs. From that day, Mathey and the mermaid were not to be seen in the village. Many years later a ship dropped anchor off the Pondower Cove near Zennor. Unfortunately, the Anchor landed right across the mermaid’s front door, which resulted that her husband, Mathey Trewella, and their kids were caught. The Captain promised to help the mermaid and commanded the crew to raise the anchor. Back in Zennor, they heard the story and felt sorry for Mathey. To remind the village not to be seduced by other temptresses, they carved a figure of the mermaid on her bench in the church and gave orders to keep the tale alive. Today some means, that Mathey Trewella, the mermaid and their kids still lives on the bottom of the sea.
There is a lot recurring fairy tale elements through the folk tale. Even the first sentence in Mathey Trewella contains one: The words “backalong the ages” reminds a lot of the typical fairy tale beginning “once upon a time”. Also the number “three”,