At a short distance to the northward of Men-scryfa, there is a large
flat stone, with a cross cut on it, to show that the four parishes of
Madron, Gulval, Morvah, and Zennor meet there. There is a tradition
that some Saxon kings dined on this stone in days of yore.
According to another tradition, when Prince Arthur and four British
kings were on their way to drive the Danes from Penwith, they rested on
this rock.
Then, on their way down along towards the Land’s End, Prince Arthur and
the four kings collected the native Cornish, who fought the Danes, and
under guidance of the royal personages, conquered them, in the battle
of Vellan-drucchar (wheel-mill) moor; where the Danes were nearly all
killed, and so great was the slaughter, that “the mill was worked with
blood,” so old folk said.
From Goon-men-scryfa, the bold and curious pile of Carn Galva (goats’
carn) is a very striking object in the view, standing out as it does
near the sea, and six hundred feet or more above the sea level.
From Men-scryfa, we take a northerly course, over the downs, to Carn
Galva.
One can’t fail to pass a pleasant time, should the weather be fine,
among the rocks and glades of Carn Galva. Above all, if we ramble
hither through the ferns, heath, and furze, in the whortleberry season,
we may pick the rich fruit, roll in the shade, or bask in the sun, on
the beautiful green patches of turf, as soft as velvet, to be found
everywhere; or one may ramble in and out, and all around, playing
hide-and-seek, through the crellas between the carns, whence the good
old Giant of the Carn often sallied forth to protect his Morvah and
Zennor people and their cattle against the incursions of the giants of
other carns and hills. Those of Trink and Trecrobben were the most
troublesome, because they lived near in castles strong and high.
Now they say that when the Trecrobben giant once got the cattle, or
tin, into his stronghold, he would defy all other giants in the
country. By the traditions, still preserved in Morvah and its
neighbourhood,