Maurice Claypole

The Legend of Sidora Maurice Claypole

This short collection of verse and prose encapsulates the myths and legends surrounding the mysterious figure of Sidora, wayward spirit of canals and navigations and goddess of inland waterways. The Ballad of Chevron and Sidora recounts the joys and agony of the young Sidora, daughter of Sautun and Chalyra, supreme rulers of fresh waters, and her lover, Chevron, crown prince of underwater life, whereas Uremariak attributes Sidora's origins to the entrapment and rescue of restless sylph Claryph in the waters of the mighty Duwanin. Although the origins of Sidora are complex and shrouded in mystery and much of the mythology has surely been lost, the calm waters of the ballad and the narrow carahtals of the legend can be found today in the canals and locks of the inland waterways of Great Britain. In order to place the esoteric narrative in a real-life context, a brief factual history of the inland waterways is therefore included in the appendix.