St. Piran's Flag Ceramic Tile

St. Piran is patron saint of tin miners and--by extension--miners in general. Tin was mined in Cornwall in remote antiquity, but smelting techniques were lost during the recession that accompanied the Roman withdrawal from Britain in the early 5th century. According to tradition, it was St. Piran (d. 480) who rediscovered tin smelting when the molten metal rose to the top of his hot hearthstone forming a whitish cross. A white cross on a sable black field became the design of St. Piran’s Flag. + St. Piran’s Flag (or Baner Peran in Cornish) is flown on Cornish holidays especially on March 5 (St. Piran’s Day), at most Cornish and Cornish-descent gatherings as well as sporting events with Cornish teams. It has also been adapted for everything from lapel pins to bumper stickers. + Our golden yellow background derives from the gold coins on the shield of the Duchy of Cornwall. Black, white, and gold constitute the Cornish color scheme. + Image Credit (St. Piran’s Flag): Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons.