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The Dark History of Beer; or, How a Welsh witch invented mead: Ghosts and Folklore of Wales with Mark Rees podcast EP15
Join me for a journey in search of the Welsh enchantress who brewed beer in her cauldron, the Gothic folklore surrounding alcohol at funerals, and other macabre traditions from “weird” Wales Welcome to the 15th episode of my “curious” Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast – the “dark history of beer”! It’s all about alcohol and folklore, and I really feel like I’ve captured some of the energy and spontaneity from my Ghosts of Wales – Live! events on this episode of the podcast. As I’m sure regular listeners have noticed, I don’t script my episodes (ha, I think that’s obvious!), but I usually have a rough roadmap in my…
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The Realm of Faerie: The secret origin of the fairy folk of Wales: Ghosts and Folklore of Wales with Mark Rees podcast EP14
The world is full of magical tales about fairies, but have you ever wondered where they come from? Welcome to the 14th episode of my “curious” Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast, which is dedicated to the realm of faerie! Following a rather grim and gritty episode last time out, I decided to lighten the mood with the most mood-lightening subject I could think of… fairies. Yes, this episode is dedicated to the fair folk, with Wirt Sikes – the pioneering Victorian writer who travelled from America to Wales and recorded countless accounts of their mischievous exploits – serving as our guide. Sikes has long been one of my folkloric…
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The art of storytelling with Owen Staton: Ghosts and Folklore of Wales with Mark Rees podcast EP11
Storytellers have that magical ability to whisk us away to distant times and places, and that’s exactly what special guest Owen Staton does in this episode of the GHOSTS & FOLKLORE podcast. The 11th episode of the Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast featuring storyteller Owen Staton is live…. NOW! In my first attempt at recording a live interview I caught up with my good friend Owen Staton, a Welsh storyteller and a familiar face at many of my “Ghosts of Wales – Live!” events. Despite all of my technical worries I think it worked out pretty well, and while a few little gremlins did rear their ugly heads, I…
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Fairy dogs, dog folklore and the origin of the Welsh Corgi: Ghosts and Folklore of Wales with Mark Rees podcast EP09
Legend tells us that fairies used to ride fairy dogs (the Welsh corgi) into battle. Find out more on the Ghosts & Folklore of Wales podcast!
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The Ghost of Dylan Thomas, and his many haunts in Wales and the world: Ghosts and Folklore of Wales with Mark Rees podcast EP08
Does the ghost of Dylan Thomas continue to visit his old haunts? Has his spirit gone gently in that good night, or does it rage, rage against the dying of the light? The eighth episode of the Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast is live, NOW and it’s dedicated to Dylan Thomas. In what is the most ambitious episode to date, I go in search of the truth behind the many claims that the great Welsh poet Dylan Thomas continues to visit his old haunts. Some of these sightings are outlandish, some are more down to earth, but they all make fascinating ghost stories. There are ghostly heads in hotels,…
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The Dog of Darkness; or, Gwyllgi, the Welsh Hound of Hell: Ghosts and Folklore of Wales with Mark Rees podcast EP07
Have you heard about the “dog of darkness” which stalks the haunted lanes at night? The seventh episode of the Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast is live NOW, and it’s all about the gwyllgi! In this episode we go in search of a dreaded creature which patrols the haunted lanes of Wales at night, a terrifying beast with glowing red eyes and putrid breath, none other than the “hound of hell” itself, the gwyllgi. What is the gwyllgi? This four-legged fiend has patrolled the Welsh roads for centuries, and bears many similarities with other paranormal creatures seen across Britain and Ireland. For this is no mere fantastical animal from…
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The Legend of Gelert, the Heroic Hound of Beddgelert: Ghosts and Folklore of Wales with Mark Rees podcast EP05
Is there any truth to Wales’ most famous folk tale? Did a dog named Gelert really fight with a gigantic wolf for the life of the Prince of Wales’ son and heir? The fifth episode of the Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast is live NOW, and it’s dedicated to the legend of Gelert, the faithful hound of Beddgelert! In this episode, the spotlight is switched from ghosts to folk tales, and not just any old folk tale but arguably the most famous Welsh folk tale of all – that of Gelert, the heroic hound who paid the ultimate price for being man’s best friend. It’s a tragic tale which…
