Ghosts and Folklore of Wales with Mark Rees

Explore three creepy "real-life" accounts of restless spirits who seemingly can’t rest in peace until their hidden treasure has been discovered. There are countless tales of people being asked – or scared, rather – into helping unwanted visitors find their treasure so they can rest in peace and, in return, the living can return to living in peace as well. Some are these tales sound like folk tales...

What happens when a fairy turns nasty? It becomes something of a poltergeist! On this episode of the Ghosts and Folklore podcast, explore the dual nature of the Bwbach, the Welsh hobgoblin with ghost-like powers which, on the one hand, was a nice, helpful, happy household fairy but, on the other, could quickly transform into a terrifying phantom. So terrifying, in fact, that it could scare people...

Does the ghost of a lady in white really haunt one of Wales's "most haunted" castles? When darkness falls on Oystermouth Castle, one of Swansea’s more mysterious inhabitants emerges from the shadows to peer out over the village of Mumbles. And, if you believe the tales, she can even be summoned in a similar way to saying Candyman or Beetlejuice more times that it is safe to do so. But who is this...

When corpse candles and deathlike fingers materialise during a séance in Swansea, is it the work of spirits of the dead, or is something else going on? In this real-life account of a 19th century séance, a group of friends visit a spirit medium for what they believe will be a little light entertainment. But the paranormal activity spirals out of control, and soon they find themselves trapped in a...

Did an old folk tale of a wicked witch and an evil giant really lead to the discovery of coal in the Welsh valleys? In this traditional story, a shadow is cast over a once-happy fairy-filled valley when a giant arrives to eat all of the small inhabitants. Their only chance of survival is to kill their unwelcome visitor, but that just poses an even bigger problem - how do you dispose of the rotting...

When people stopped believing in fairies, how could they explain the paranormal activity that continued? In the early 20th century, belief in the existence of fairies in Wales has almost died out. But the belief in ghosts and spirits had not, and that that belief in death omens in particular, such as the corpse candles and phantom funerals, remained ‘rather popular, even among educated people’. Bu...

Can poltergeist activity really destroy a building, or is it just local lore? When objects started moving of their own accord on a Welsh farm, it was assumed an evil spirit was at work. But following a botched exorcism there was no stopping its destruction, which including first destroying the contents of a building, followed by the building itself. Could this all have been the work of a single po...

Dare you swim in the spirit-filled waterways of Wales? They might look calm and serene from land, but the rivers of Wales are steeped in accounts of strange creatures and trapped souls. There's the apparition of a wailing woman seen up and down the River Severn, the Taff whirlpool which is said to be the work of a giant serpent, and the unusual case of an image of the Virgin Mary being put on tria...

What do you do when the ghosts of policemen start patrolling the streets? That was the problem facing a Welsh town in the Swinging Sixties when late at night the local bobbies were seemingly back on the beat from beyond the grave. What was happening in Neath that fateful night? Find out more on this "real life" ghost story... Join author Mark Rees ( Ghosts of Wales ) as, following a series of stra...

What supernatural creatures were scaring the miners of Wales deep underground? For centuries, those working hard in the dark have reported strange sights and sounds lurking in the mines. From the deadly stare of the basilisk to evil spirits and fire demons, this was not a place for the faint of heart. And yet the coblynau - the mine fairies of Wales - were said to be helpful souls who could lead t...

Why is a disembodied hand haunting a secluded mansion on the wind-swept coast of Wales? Staff working at the house have long reported seeing the severed hand in one of the bedrooms, as well as other spirits besides, but what does it all mean - and does it have anything to do with the smugglers caves nearby? Join author Mark Rees ( Ghosts of Wales ) for a paranormal investigation as he goes in sear...

Multiple reports of paranormal activity in a Welsh parish lead to the residents calling in the ghost hunters and exorcists. From a spectral nun to an oyster-eating monk, the activity - including bangs in the dead of night and a ghost circling the bed - continue to mount, and lead to some "gruesome" and "macabre" discoveries. But what does it all have to do with the skeletons discovered in a nearby...

Can you really solve a mystery by digging up skulls in a graveyard? That seemed to be the case when notorious Welsh wizard Robin Ddu (Black Robin) was hired to solve a riddle using his psychic powers. But appearances and reputations can be deceiving, and not all is as it seems with this master of witchcraft.  To find out all the secrets, join author Mark Rees ( Ghosts of Wales ) as he goes in sear...

Do werewolves really roam the wilds of Wales? That certainly seemed to be the case for one Oxford professor who encountered a strange creature while on a fishing trip in the Welsh mountains. Far from an idyllic holiday, it soon began to resemble a horror film when a dog-like creature with hellish red eyes laid siege to the cottage one night. The professor, however, did discovered a way to send the...

Can a witch really curse somebody who refuses to assist them? That certainly seems to be the case in this old Welsh folk tale in which Bethan Jones - the accused witch - is blamed with striking down a woman. But is it really evil witchcraft, or is it all in the victim's mind? And if it a real curse, how can it be broken? Join author Mark Rees ( Ghosts of Wales ) who goes in search of clues on the...

Can a ghost really carry a person across the world in the blink of an eye? That seemed to be the case in Wales in the 18th century when a man was seemingly whisked away across the Atlantic from his home in Ystradgynlais to a secret location in the USA. In this "real life" ghost story, the American apparition - a "well-dressed" woman from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - tasked him with completing a ta...

Water has many uses in Welsh folklore, from repelling evil to bringing good luck. Some of these traditions are practical, such as not spilling this most valuable of commodities, while others are more gothic in nature, and concern vampires, spirits, and witches. Do any of these old customs still work today? Join author Mark Rees ( Ghosts of Wales ) as he goes in search of the watery secrets on the...

If there's something strange in the graveyard, who ya gonna call? In the Victorian age, two tales of paranormal activity in the grounds of churches spooked the locals in the north of Wales. In Wrexham cemetery, the police paid a visit to try and solve the mystery of floating flaming heads. Just outside the town, there was an eerie white mist spooking the unsuspected. But are these tales paranormal...

Does elf fire - so-called fairy lights - really lure weary travellers to their doom at night? For centuries, strange glowing lights have been reported in the wilds of Wales and around the world. Sharing similarities with fellow elf-like creatures, from the English Will-o’-wisp to the Breton sprite, they are blamed for leading people off the beaten track and into dangerous marshy lands where they m...

Is there really a haunted artefact in London's British Museum? And what connection does it have with an ancient Welsh burial site? The so-called "Golden Ghost" has been sighted in Mold, Flintshire for centuries. But where did it come from, and what does it want? Believed to be a soldier wearing golden armour, some say it haunts the area after road-building works disturbed its remains. Others say i...

Warning: don't disturb the fairy folk as they party by night! The fairy folk of Wales (y tylwyth teg) don't take kindly to being interrupted by nosy humans. In these cautionary tales, find out exactly how they react when curious people get a little too close to their merrymaking for comfort. Join author Mark Rees ( Ghosts of Wales ) as he celebrates 50 episodes of the Ghosts and Folklore of Wales...

Can church bells really protect your soul from evil spirits, fairies, trolls, plague, and the Devil himself? Bells have long been a familiar sight and sound at funerals. From the passing bell at the head of the procession to the church bells reverberating throughout the graveyard, we've come to expect their incessant ringing on such sombre occasions. But far from just being a means of breaking the...

Not all strange glowing balls are corpse candles or death omens - some are the wandering souls of those with scores to settle. Can a soul really leave the body to complete a task, and then return to the body afterwards when finished? In these four eerie accounts from Wales and the border with England, strange lights are said to enter homes, attract the attention of ghostly characters, and even fig...

Warning: don't mess with fairy women, and don't mess with fairy cows! In this cautionary Welsh folk tale, a greedy farmer finds out the hard way that you shouldn't look a gift horse - or, in this case, a gift cow - in the mouth. When the dark waters of Llyn Barfog provide him with a cash cow he can't believe his luck. But when madness takes over, and darkness descends...  To discover all the secre...

Why does the apparition of a woman return to haunt a love-sick traveller? In this "real-life" ghost story from 18th century Wales, a man's ill-fated visit to his sweetheart' ends with a "terrifying" encounter with the so-called Hanged Lady. But this was not an isolated incident - why did she return again and again to haunt him? And how can he end his ordeal? One person who attempted to solve the r...