The Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast went global with five episodes featuring the long-distanced haunting of the Phantom from Pennsylvania, a haunted cemetery and white mist in Wrexham, a witch’s curse, the magic of water, and even a phantom werewolf (yes, a phantom werewolf).
EP57 The Phantom Werewolf
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 wolf packing with its tail between its legs… or did he?
EP56 The Witch’s Curse
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?
EP55 The Phantom from Pennsylvania
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 task for her is he wished to return home once more.
EP54 The Magic of Water
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?
Wash with vampires, fight evil spirits, turn water into wine and protect coffee from witches – it’s all on this fascinating Welsh on the Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast!
EP53 The Haunted Cemetery and the White Mist
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 fact, or paranormal fiction? Join author Mark Rees (Ghosts of Wales) as he goes in search of the secrets on the Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast.
Enjoy these podcasts? Read more about the ghosts and folklore of Wales in The A-Z of Curious Wales!
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.