Ghosts and Folklore of Wales with Mark Rees

What connects Gothic ghost stories, Dylan Thomas, Frankenstein, Swansea Castle, and shadow people that don't rest easy? Swansea Castle is a site brimming with contradictions and untold stories. Is it haunted or unhaunted? Easy or challenging for ghost hunters? Discover why this iconic landmark, steeped in history and surrounded by folklore, defies simple explanations. Unearth the secrets behind th...

The tragic story of Mallt-y-Nos (Matilda of the Night), the female spirit cursed to hunt and ride for eternity. What drove this Norman lady to such a fate? How did her passion for the hunt lead to everlasting torment? Discover the dark wish that sealed her destiny and how her ghostly cries still echo through the Welsh countryside. Explore the lore with Mark Rees (Ghosts of Wales) on the Ghosts and...

Join your host, Mark Rees, as he uncovers age-old secrets designed to protect against the otherworldly forces that lurk in the shadows. Don't let the spirits catch you unawares—listen now! Explore three traditional methods of warding off spirits, fairies, and even werewolves. Can invoking the name of God or Jesus truly banish malevolent entities? Discover how gorse forms an impenetrable barrier ag...

Delve into the eerie world of corpse birds, winged entities said to foretell impending death. Are these sightings mere coincidences or something more sinister? Uncover the chilling tales behind these supernatural avian visitors as we explore first-hand accounts like the tale of Miss Griffiths and the mysterious "little grey one," or the tragic fate of Mr Powell, who encountered the ominous bird on...

Ghostly encounters that defy explanation are reported at two haunted houses. Are you brave enough to explore these mysterious cases where the line between the living and the dead blurs, and every shadow holds a secret? In our first story, we delve into the grisly crimes of a house shrouded in a sinister past. Who—or what—haunts its halls, leaving guests trembling in fear? What secrets lurk within...

Mischievous spectral beings wreak havoc in a Welsh mansion that promises thrills and chills at every turn. Fact with folklore intertwine in this mysterious tale that blurs the lines between reality and the paranormal. Was it truly the work of supernatural forces, or merely the imaginings of a frightened community? As we explore the remnants of a once grand Welsh mansion, now reduced to ruins since...

Spectral hounds roam the land at night. Some possess the bodies of half-humans, with eyes like moons and mouths that emit smoke. What do these unearthly creatures signify? And why do they haunt the valleys and mountains of Wales? In our exploration, we'll encounter tales of evil fishermen chased into the sea, lost travelers saved by the power of prayer, and clergyman harassed for their sermons. Bu...

Step into the realm of the uncanny and delve into the mysterious world of death omens and supernatural secrets. From the infamous corpse candles to chilling premonitions, uncover the spine-tingling tales that have haunted communities for generations. What do these strange signs really signify? How do they choose their harbingers of death? And could you be the next witness to an otherworldly phenom...

Unravel the mysterious realm of exorcism, a practice as old as time itself, employed to banish ghouls, ghosts, and goblins from our world. Is there a safeguard against the forces of darkness? Could your daily piety be the key to repelling the bogeys and fairies lurking in the shadows? Are you ready to unravel the secrets of exorcism, spirituality, and the age-old battle between light and darkness?...

Can the most terrifying paranormal activity also be the most boring? Are dull ghosts really the scariest of all? In this chilling episode, Mark Rees unravels a paranormal theory that turns the mundane into the terrifying. What if the most ordinary ghost stories held a power that could send shivers down your spine? Delve into a "dull" ghost tale in a Romantic, Gothic house shrouded in eerie charm t...

Picture this: snarling spectral dogs traversing the air in hot pursuit of their prey. Their haunting howls are harbingers of death, and their appearance cannot be easily defined, ranging from small white creatures with rose-coloured ears to "ugly beasts" with fiery eyes. On this chilling episode, we delve into the eerie realm of the Welsh otherworld to unravel the spine-tingling tales of the Cŵn A...

Dive into the Christmas revelry with singing and dancing, but beware: there's a darker side to these Victorian traditions involving a frightening hag and a horse-skulled Christmas visitor. Uncover strange tales of festive celebrations, the Welsh love for singing in the 'land of song', the long-standing links between Morris Dancing and the Mari Lwyd, and introducing the bizarre Aderyn Pig Llwyd, a...

Christmas Gremlins have struck the Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast HQ. Sadly, there is no new episode this week due to some potentially paranormal technical difficulties. Instead, here's a quick update from Mark Rees (Ghosts of Wales) in which he explains what you can expect over the festive season, and calls on the Mari Lwyd to deliver some seasonal good luck. See you soon - merry Christmas/...

A haunting described as "one of the biggest poltergeist cases ever" saw a Welsh business plagued by paranormal activity. The chilling case of Peter the Poltergeist/ Pete the Polt is one of the most significant poltergeist cases documented. A haunting that spanned a decade, mysterious objects were thrown around a workshop in Cardiff that led the bewildered owners to suspect a paranormal presence. W...

Can an "uncanny piece of furniture" really suck your blood like Dracula? Is this vampire bed possessed by Nosferatu?  When a young family in seventeenth-century Cardiff acquire a heavy four-posted bedstead at a bankruptcy sale, little could they have known it was the soon-to-be infamous "vampire bed." It caused a four-month-old baby to scream in terror, and the man of the house was lost for words...

Dare you join Mark Rees and a team of paranormal investigators for an "as-live" spine-tingling ghost hunt in Wales? Nos Calan Gaeaf - as Halloween is known in the Welsh language - is the perfect time of year for ghost stories and, of course, ghost hunting. The "most haunted" location for this year's eerie exploration is a live music venue in the heart of Swansea city centre just off the Kingsway t...

Halloween folklore of Wales and the world: explore the haunted history of Nos Calan Gaeaf with Mark Rees and a special guest on this eerie seasonal special. Nos Calan Gaeaf, as Halloween is known in the Welsh language, has long been a time for tradition and festivities. But how did Victorian celebrations differ from modern-day parties? By teaming up with fellow cultural writer Chris Carra ( Planet...

Journey into the haunted heart of Welsh folklore, exploring eerie accounts of encounters with mysterious apparitions known as corpse candles (canwyll corff). In the 19th and early 20th centuries, innocent individuals walking through the Welsh countryside found themselves face to face with ghostly lights that foretold impending deaths. Tales from Maesydderwen and Silian talk of enigmatic lights tha...

Corpse candles were once a common sight in Wales. What's truly spine-tingling is that sometimes these lights were carried by ghostly figures, believed to be the very souls soon to depart.  This episode delves into historical cases of individuals who regularly witnessed corpse candles, shedding light on the eerie prevalence of this phenomenon. We also explore the belief that St. David himself praye...

Were witches, devils and fairies responsible for destroying cities? And what about the lake monsters and dragons lurking in the depths?    Events that some people might describe as an act of god have been blamed on all manner of supernatural creatures. What do you believe? Explore the lore with Mark Rees (Ghosts of Wales) on the Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast... if you dare!   BUY MARK REES...

Can you see, hear, smell and feel a ghost? Can you trust your senses in a haunted location?  The waft of lavender might suggests a Victorian woman’s perfume; a fleeting white shape might suggest the death shroud of a tormented soul; and the sensation of being touched by icy fingers might suggest that somebody, or something, is reaching out to grope you from beyond the veil. Explore the lore with M...

There's witchcraft in the earth, death omens in the dirt, and all manner of gothic graveyard traditions associated with the soil beneath out feet. Can these strange superstitions and unusual traditions bring good luck, bad luck, and a whole lot more? Explore the lore with Mark Rees (Ghosts of Wales) on the Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast... if you dare!   BUY MARK REES A COFFEE: If you'd like...

Sceptics and believers are divided when a "violent" entity targets an unassuming home and and transforms it into a haunted mansion. Can you solve the mystery of the Pembrokeshire poltergeist? Explore the lore with Mark Rees (Ghosts of Wales) on the Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast... if you dare!   BUY MARK REES A COFFEE: If you'd like to support the GHOSTS AND FOLKLORE OF WALES podcast you ca...

A trio of "real life" ghost stories including a young lover who pays a heavy price for sneaking out late at night, an extremely deadly death omen, and a series of haunted mansions in a Welsh town. Three eerie tales from Carmarthenshire that featute a "most haunted" fence (!), a rare spectral premonition that was thought to lead to multiple deaths, and a series of haunted mansions in Llanelli. Expl...

How can you tell if there's an evil spirit in your church? And if the demons attack, who can repel them? On this episode we investigate the ways in which Satan can deceive even the most faithful of churchgoers, and take a closer look at one of his fiercest battles with a man of God which left permanent scars in the Welsh landscape, the Legend of Llandaff. Explore the lore with Mark Rees ( Ghosts o...