The Day of Saints - Day 37, Aldhelm

Perranporth after sunset

Today, a bit of trivial entertainment as this blog is nears its end. Aldhelm was a bishop sent to remonstrate with Celtic Christians in the west of England (now Devon and Cornwall), over the controversy on the dating of Easter. There was, in St Kew, a chapel dedicated to Aldheim, probably situated south of the village, but this is the only place linked with him. Perhaps he was not too well receieved! Anyway, Aldhelm was a poet/writer with quite an output. These included what are known as the Aenigmata, one hundred heximetrical riddles written in Latin. You can read about them here.

I have decided not to write heximeterically, nor in Latin, nor to do a hundred, but here is one riddle for you to try as a bit of fun:

My first is in county surrounded by sea,

My second and third, golden options to me,

My fourth began nice but then ended my pen,

The fifth helps me spy a beginning, and then

The sixth and the seventh should quieter sound,

The next starts a ship and at end also found,

Between in word two not a word is strictly,

My whole is the subject of my poetry.

(Scroll down below the picture for the the solution, if you are stuck)

[Solution: C O R N I S H S A I N T S]