Ghosts and Folklore of Wales with Mark Rees

Folklore so absurd it can't possibly be true... can it? On this episode we investigate the ways in which the fairy folk can be stopped from committing such crimes as kidnapping children with all manner of ingenious - and bizarre - superstitions. It also works on repelling vampires, demons, and all manner or supernatural intruders. Explore the fairy lore with Mark Rees ( Ghosts of Wales ) on the Gh...

All aboard the phantom funeral train for a ride you'll never forget... if you survive! In this episode we explore eerie first-hand accounts of death omens that predict bad news for the good folk of Wales. There's phantom trains, phantom funerals, and phantom singing - yes, singing - along the way. Explore the lore with Mark Rees ( Ghosts of Wales ) on the Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast ... i...

Dare you take a ghost tour around the dark streets and haunted mansions where headless ladies and coughing poltergeists lurk around every corner? In this episode we head to Carmarthenshire and a road outside Carmarthen for a quarter of uncanny accounts in search of clues to unsolved paranormal mysteries.  Explore the lore with Mark Rees ( Ghosts of Wales ) on the Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podca...

Summer and winter do battle in some weird and wonderful folk horror-like traditions to celebrate the coming of brighter days.  In Welsh folklore, the May Day celebrations emerge from the great fire festivals of the ancient druids in which the king and queen of May are crowned. All manner of rites are performed for a bountiful harvest and fertility in the natural world, ranging from the magical to...

What happened during the biggest fire festival of the ancient druids of Britain? Welsh folklore tells us that the British pagans loved nothing more than a big bonfire to mark special occasions, from the Summer Solstice to the Winter Solstice, and Midsummer to Samhain. But there was one fire festival to rule them all, the biggest fire festival of all, and precursor to May Day: Beltane. Explore the...

A paranormal hotspot has attracted spooks for centuries. What is going on in Wrexham? In this centuries-spanning haunting, what began as something of a grisly urban legend becomes a terrifying modern-day ghost story when a poltergeist is disturbed from their slumber. Explore the lore with Mark Rees ( Ghosts of Wales ) on the Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast ... if you dare!   BUY MARK REES A C...

The frightening fairy folk known as changelings steal babies from their mothers and replace them with something far more sinister.  If you suspect your children have been swapped for uncanny doppelgangers, what can you do? Maybe it's time to visit the local witch or conjurer for some magical help. Explore the creepy lore of the fairies with Mark Rees ( Ghosts of Wales ) on the Ghosts and Folklore...

Death omens come in many guises, from eerie dark spirits to psychic visions witnessed only by mediums.  Some are phantoms who foreshadow a death in community and appear in the form of spirits, others in the form of sounds. Sometimes they after the shades of night have fallen, others in broad daylight. Whenever and wherever they manifest, the result is always the same – to encounter these harbinger...

Explore the mysteries of the skies, where gods and witches battle in the heavens.  Learn how to avoid turning your children into lunatics, being targeted by thunder and lighting, the real meaning of rainbows and comets, and much more. Explore the cosmic 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 su...

There's paranormal activity in the ancient Welsh county. Is Gwent haunted? From Newport to Newcastle, there are reports of giant phantoms, spirit-infested trees, magical wells, and even a friendly apparition or two.  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 FOLK...

Dare you follow the "Old Woman" who laughs with a weird, uncanny, crackling old laugh? The Gwyllion are the mountain fairies of Wales who are said to lead weary travellers astray in the fog and mist. Friends of the goats who take delight in your plight, when the shades of night fall beware their fairy tricks. But there are ways to protect yourself, such as the Welsh Ghostbusters favourite weapon,...

Three haunted house with very different paranormal activity - what connects them? A trio of "real-life" hauntings are seemingly linked by haunted objects: a centuries-old conspiracy concerning a vicar, a sinister old lady who hates visitors, and the skeleton of a man who came to a rather unfortunate end. Explore the lore with Mark Rees ( Ghosts of Wales ) on the Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcas...

Dare you tackle this fiendish festive quiz? 10 questions, from the Mari Lwyd to Welsh witches! If you think you know your strange superstitions and weird Welsh traditions, try and beat the score of special guest Chris Carra on this Christmas and New Year's Eve quiz. If you win, the Mari will bring you good luck for the next 12 months... Explore the festive lore with Mark Rees ( Ghosts of Wales ) o...

Is it Santa Claus or an evil spirit disturbing a family home at the witching hour on Christmas Eve? Christmas is the best time of year for ghost stories, and it's even better when those ghost stories are real. In this selection of real-life accounts from Cardiff, pesky poltergeist and a lady in white haunt the streets of the capital, but unlike the spectres in the works of Charles Dickens and MR J...

To see a death omen is never a good sign. But to see a phantom funeral? That was extra terrifying. With the possible exception of the Corpse Candle, the most prominent death portent in Wales is the “Toili” or spirit funeral; a kind of shadowy funeral which foretold the real one. Explore the dark folklore with Mark Rees ( Ghosts of Wales ) on the Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast ... if you dare...

The sun and the moon have long been associated with good and bad luck, but what is their supernatural power? In this episode, the folklore of the skies is examined with tales of ancient druids, terrible death omens, Welsh dragons, and traditions that may have connections with modern-day Christmas and Easter. Join Mark Rees ( Ghosts of Wales ) for a folkloric investigation in search of the folklore...

In the 1980s, an idyllic pub was named the "most haunted" pub in Wales, and possibly the world. But what was happening at this serene beauty spot? Strange sounds were captured, audible phenomena that experts debated but could not explain, and some believed it might be an early example of the so-called "Stone Tape" theory in action. Whatever it was, the media attention died down, but the activity d...

A mischievous spirit terrorises a Welsh valleys' "most haunted" cottage on Nos Calan Gaeaf. It was just before Halloween in 1893 that this fantastical tale emerged from the Rhondda Valleys. A group of locals were being spooked by "hideous apparitions" and one woman claimed that she was – quite literally – swept off her feet. There were no Ghostbusters to save the day, but the brave men and women f...

Paranormal investigation tips from Edwardian ghost hunters . Ghostbusters in Edwardian times - long before the invention of proton packs - needed some crafty tricks to rid themselves of pesky poltergeists. In this guide "How to Get Rid of Ghosts, Spirits, Goblins, and Devils, etc." their secrets are rediscovered to aid modern-day ghost hunters ahead of any Halloween hauntings. Join Mark Rees ( Gho...

In many of the Welsh Ghost Stories, the spirit or ghost was supposed to have been none other than the evil one himself... The Devil takes on many forms, but could he really disguise himself as a pet? In these accounts Satan, or another demon from hell, appears to mere mortals as cats, dogs, horses and more. Join Mark Rees ( Ghosts of Wales ) for an adventure in search of the demonic animals on the...

A strange white apparition is terrifying a Welsh village. Can the local ghostbusters solve the mystery? On the golden sands of Caswell Bay a ghostly visitant is sending shivers up the spine of young and old alike after the shades of night have fallen. A group of Mumbles ghost hunters set out to put an end to the haunting of this Swansea spook, and what they find surprises all of them. Join Mark Re...

The ancient druids, so folklore tells us, believed the goddess Ceridwen was personified in the moon, and fought a never-ending battle with a Satan-like force for evil with great black wings that inhabited the sun. In fact, the night sky in full of connections to great figures from Welsh mythology, from the tales of the Mabinogion to the legends of King Arthur, with each celestial body mysteriously...

Talking to the dead doesn't always go to plan, and sometimes spirits from the past can shock us in unexpected ways. In Victorian Britain, psychic mediums were plying their trade up and down the country, and in these first-hand accounts from Cardiff and beyond we get to relive the spooky action through the words of those who were there. If you're brave enough to take a seat at the séance table, joi...

When the Devil walks the earth, he often does so in disguise. The 'Evil One' appears takes many forms, but possibly the most diabolical is when he appears as one of us - as human. But whatever forms Satan takes, in Welsh folklore at least, there is usually a wise old woman or crafty farmer to test their wits against his. Explore the Devilish lore in these centuries-spanning tales with author Mark...

Why are the lost souls of sinful spirits trapped in the wild waters of Wales? And ghosts aren't the only things lurking in the wells and streams - there's water-ogres, guardian dragons, giant serpents, the mischievous fairy folk, and even a tenuous link with Tolkien and Bilbo Baggins. Explore the watery lore of these curious tales with author Mark Rees ( Ghosts of Wales ) as he investigates the we...