Bolster day is an annual festival held at Chapel Porth cove near St Agnes, Cornwall, UK. The festival is held on the Sunday before the early Spring Bank Holiday in May every year and reenacts the events of the Cornish legend of Bolster the

giant In folklore, giants (from Ancient Greek: ''gigas'', cognate giga-) are beings of human-like appearance, but are at times prodigious in size and strength or bear an otherwise notable appearance. The word ''giant'' is first attested in 1297 fr ...

and Saint Agnes with use of giant puppets and local performers. During the day there are also

Cornish dance Cornish dance ( kw, Donsyow kernewek) originates from Cornwall, UK. It has largely been shaped by the Cornish people and the industries they worked in. In most cases, particularly with the step dancing, the dances were still being performed across ...

displays and other entertainments. It is held on the last Sunday before the

May Day May Day is a European festival of ancient origins marking the beginning of summer, usually celebrated on 1 May, around halfway between the spring equinox and summer solstice. Festivities may also be held the night before, known as May Eve. Tr ...

bank holiday.

The legend of Bolster

Bolster was a legendary giant who was said to live near the cliffs at St Agnes. He was also rumoured to eat children, sheep, cattleBBC - Cornwall Uncovered -Bolster day
/ref> and people at random. A Knight, Sir Constantine, and other local dignitaries challenge Bolster to a fight to the death. Legend says that the fights took place at

Chapel Porth A chapel is a Christian place of prayer and worship that is usually relatively small. The term has several meanings. Firstly, smaller spaces inside a church that have their own altar are often called chapels; the Lady chapel is a common type ...

and that the giant overcame all who challenged him. The legend continues to say that he fell in love with a beautiful young girl called Agnes who steals his heart. Young Agnes was the one to finally vanquish the giant. She asks him to fill a nearby hole in the clifftops with his blood to prove his love for her, knowing that there is a crack in the hole which runs out to the sea. Bolster cuts himself to fill the hole and dies due to blood loss. The events of Bolster day recreate this story in more detail.

References

External links

Bolster day videoBBC Coverage of Bolster DayEnjoyEngland.com - St Agnes
Cornish culture Festivals in Cornwall {{Cornwall-stub