Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
many poems about the peninsula. His lines 'I have been taught the script of the stones, And know the
tongue of the wave' are quoted on a small memorial tablet on the west side of nearby Hunt's Bay.
One of the peninsula's supreme cultural assets was undoubtedly the last 'Zinger' of Gower, Phil Tan-
ner,whodiedinFebruary1950(Fig.6).Tannerwas'oneoftheseislands'greatesttraditionalfolksingers'
and was once, in 1948, noted as singing 88 songs, one after the other without hesitation. Only a handful
of these were recorded by the
BBC
, a great loss for traditional music. He was also the guardian of what
remained ofthe local customs andrituals. Llangennith, hishome village, wasfamous throughout the pen-
insula for its 'Mapsant' (saint's day festival) on 5 July, St Cenydd's Day, which was a great occasion for
dancing and singing. By 1900 this traditional custom, and others such as the 'Horse's Head' ceremony
had ceased, but Tanner kept the tradition of wassailing alive as long as he was able.
FIG
6.
Phil Tanner, the last 'Zinger' of Gower, at work with his dog. (Gower Society)
