The Legend of Angle Bay’s Oysters

Angle Bay, nestled between rocky cliffs and wide open skies, was a place of mystery. A small village, where everyone knew everyone, had for generations thrived on the rich oysters the bay generously bestowed upon them. These oysters, known throughout the land, were unlike any other; larger, juicier, and with a flavour so unique, it was said that even the finest chefs from the grandest cities could never replicate its taste. This is the Legend of Angle Bay’s famous oysters (you can buy yours in our web shop).

For as long as anyone could remember, Evan, an old fisherman, had been coming to the bay every dawn. No one quite knew his age, but his hunched back and wrinkled skin spoke of many decades lived by the shore. The most curious aspect about Evan wasn’t his age, but his method. He would sing a haunting, melancholy tune to the sea before casting his net. Locals whispered that the tune was an old Welsh lullaby, one that was not sung in homes anymore due to its eerie origins. And every day, Evan’s net would come back heaving with the best oysters of the lot.

Ella, a spirited young girl, had grown up hearing tales of the bay’s magic. She often sat on the cliffs watching Evan, trying to decipher the secret behind his mysterious yield. On one particularly foggy Halloween eve, curiosity overtook her. She decided to approach Evan, determined to uncover the mystery of the bay’s oysters.

As she approached the old man, she could hear him more clearly. The lullaby he sang was delicate, the words almost unintelligible, but the melancholy of it pulled at her heart.

“Why do you sing that song, Evan?” she asked, her voice breaking the ethereal tune.

Evan looked up, his pale blue eyes seemingly looking past her. “It’s the song of the bay, child,” he murmured. “The song of the spirits beneath.”

Ella’s heart raced. “Spirits?”

Evan nodded. “Aye. Centuries ago, before this village was even a thought, the waters of this bay were home to a mermaid queen named Myfanwy. Her beauty was unparalleled, and her voice, oh her voice! It was said that when she sang, the very stars would lean closer to the earth to listen.”

Ella listened, rapt. “What happened to her?”

“Love,” Evan whispered. “Myfanwy fell in love with a mortal, a fisherman. Every night, they would meet in secret, and she would sing to him, filling his nets with the bay’s treasure. But, as with all forbidden tales, tragedy struck. The fisherman’s boat was caught in a storm one fateful night. Myfanwy tried to save him, singing to the waves, begging them to spare her love. But the storm was too fierce. In despair, she sang one last lullaby, putting her love to sleep beneath the waves, joining him in eternal rest.”

Tears filled Ella’s eyes. “That’s so tragic.”

Evan nodded. “Every year, on this very night, Halloween, the veil between our world and the spirits thins. Myfanwy’s lullaby can be heard across the bay. I sing with her, to soothe her pain, and in gratitude, she fills my net.”

Ella looked around. The fog had thickened, casting an otherworldly glow over the bay. “Can… can I hear her? Tonight?”

Evan’s eyes bore into hers. “It’s risky, child. Many who’ve heard her song have been lost, drawn into the depths, chasing a voice they can never reach.”

Ella hesitated but then nodded. “I need to hear it.”

As midnight approached, the two sat side by side on the shore. Evan began the familiar lullaby, his voice joining the whispers of the wind. Then, faintly, another voice joined in. It was soft, heartbreakingly beautiful, and filled with eternal sorrow. It seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at once. Ella felt herself being drawn in, her heart aching with the weight of the song’s grief.

Hours seemed to pass, and when the song ended, the first light of dawn broke the horizon. Ella, tears streaming down her face, turned to Evan. “It’s beautiful,” she whispered.

Evan nodded. “A beauty that comes from pain and sacrifice. Remember this tale, child. Remember the love and the loss.”

From that day on, Ella too would come to the bay, not to fish, but to sing. The tale of Evan, Myfanwy, and the secret of Angle Bay’s oysters became a legend, passed down through generations. And every Halloween, when the veil thinned, the villagers would gather, singing the old lullaby, honouring a love that defied time and tide.