Fairy-haunted mines, a spectral nun and a macabre magician: July on the Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast

Ghosts and Folklore of Wales with Mark Rees podcast

With the summer sun shining, in July the Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast took a look at the creatures which lurk in the shadows – the fairy-haunted mines, the spectral nun, a macabre magician and even a disembodied hand, much like Thing from The Addams Family.

EP61 The Fairy-Haunted Mines

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 the colliers to treasure buried deep in the caves.

From friendly to deadly, were these creatures mere superstitions, or is there more to these tale of haunted mines?

EP60 The Disembodied Hand at the Haunted Mansion

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?

EP59 The Spectral Nun and the Skeleton in the Wall

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 wall? And how does Saint Nicholas – jolly Saint Nick – fit in with it all?

EP58 The Mystery of the Macabre Magician

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.

Enjoy these podcasts? Read more about the ghosts and folklore of Wales in The A-Z of Curious Wales!

Ghosts of Wales by Mark Rees, host of the Ghosts of Wales podcast

The A-Z of curious Wales by Mark Rees – as well as Mark’s other weird and wonderful books – is available now from all good bookshops, and online from the books page.

Published in 2019 by The History Press, here’s the blurb:

Wales’ history is packed with peculiar customs and curious characters. Here you will discover alien landscapes, ancient druids and a Victorian ghost hunter.

Find out why revellers would carry a decorated horse’s skull on a pole door to door at Christmastime, how an eccentric inventor hoped to defeat Hitler with his futuristic ray gun, and why a cursed wall is protected by a global corporation for fear it might destroy a town.

From the folklore surrounding the red dragon on the flag, to the evolution of the song ‘Sosban Fach’, this compendium of weird and wonderful facts will surprise and delight even the most knowledgeable resident or visitor.

Click here to order The A-Z of Curious Wales by Mark Rees