Ghosts and Folklore of Wales with Mark Rees

Ghosts and Folklore of Wales with Mark Rees

Ghosts and Folklore of Wales with Mark Rees podcast: Ghost stories, lore, myths and legends from haunted Wales. Join author and journalist Mark Rees (Ghosts of Wales, Paranormal Wales, The A-Z of Curious Wales etc) - ”arguably Wales’ leading authority on the curious and paranormal aspects of the country’s history” - for a fascinating journey through the weird and wonderful history of Cymru and the world. From ’most haunted’ Welsh castles to fairy-filled forests, each episode explores at a different spine-chilling topic including: pesky poltergeists and uncanny apparitions; seasonal traditions from the Mari Lwyd to Halloween (Nos Calan Gaeaf); real-life ghostbusters and paranormal investigators who hunt in the dark; Gothic funeral and wedding customs such as the macabre Sin Eater and eerie corpse candles; supernatural animals who tour the streets, from the dreaded Gwyllgi to the mystical Ceffyl Dŵr; ancient tales of the Mabinogi/ Mabinogion and King Arthur; and the magic of witches, wizards and the ancient Druids that continue to cast a spell over the land today.

Episodes

December 7, 2023 4 mins
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/ Nadolig llawen!

 

ORDER PARANORMAL...

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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.

What sets this case apart is its inv...

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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 - could their bedroom be haunted by...

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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 that has never featured on a recorde...

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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 Health), they aim to investigate th...

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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 that lead to bone-chilling revelations...

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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 prayed for corpse candles to demonstrate...

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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!

 

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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 Mark Rees (Ghosts of Wales) on the G...

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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!

 

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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 can treat Mark to a coffee here: Mark...

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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.

Explore the lore with Mark Rees (Ghosts...

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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 of Wales) on the Ghosts and Folklore ...

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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 Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast......

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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... if you dare!

 

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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 podcast... if you dare!

 

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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 those more resembling something fro...

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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 lore with Mark Rees (Ghosts of Wale...

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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 COFFEE:

If you'd like to support the GH...

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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 of Wales podcast... if you dare!

 

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