Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast with Mark Rees

The Mari Lwyd/ Christmas on the Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast with Mark Rees

What is the Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast?

To being at the beginning…

Join Mark Rees (author of Ghosts of Wales, Paranormal Wales) for a spine-chilling journey through the weird and wonderful world of Welsh paranormal history on the Ghosts & Folklore of Wales podcast.

Launched as something to do during the first lockdown in early 2020, this podcast has become the longest-running series of its kind, gaining thousands of dedicated listeners around the world.

Each episode uncovers the rich history of Welsh ghost stories, folklore, myths, and legends – all while keeping things spooky, even with some questionable catchphrases and *ahem* memorable sound effects!

Mark is renowned for his work on the paranormal and supernatural, having published numerous books and countless articles on Wales’ ghostly past. Every episode offers unique insight and expert research into the unexplained mysteries of Wales, from real-life hauntings to fantastical legends, not to mention Halloween special and festive visits from the Mari Lwyd.

Until next time… nos da!

Mark Rees raven - tiny

Support the Ghosts and Folklore of Wales with Mark Rees podcast by buying a coffee.

Buy Mark Rees a coffee and support the podcast

The Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast is free to everyone – just as it should be!

However, each episode takes a lot of blood, sweat and tears (not to mention cold hard cash) to write, record, host and distribute.

If you’d like to show your appreciation and support Mark’s work, you can buy him a coffee here:

https://ko-fi.com/markrees


Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast with Mark Rees - the end of a long writing session about Welsh ghosts and folklore!

How to listen and subscribe to the Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast

You can listen using the player on this page, or you can tune in and subscribe on your favourite player by following the links below:

Spotify

Apple Podcasts/ iTunes

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Do you want Mark Rees to appear on your podcast?

If you’re interested in having Mark Rees as a guest on your podcast, please check his availability by getting in touch via our contact page.


We want your feedback!

This podcast is a continuous work in progress, and we would love to know what you want more of.

Our goal is to strike a balance between episodes focused on ghost stories and those dedicated to folklore (hence the title!), along with the occasional myth, legend, and fairy tale.

We want to know: is there a particular topic you’re curious about or want Mark to cover?

If you have a suggestion for a haunting topic, or if you’d like to share a comment or observation, please don’t hesitate to get in touch!


Halloween on the Ghosts & Folklore of Wales with Mark Rees podcast - the History of Halloween / Nos Calan Gaeaf

Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast episode list:

Here’s a complete list of every episode recorded, from early 2020 to the current day:

October 2024

EP147 The Poltergeist Diaries: A Stone-Throwing Spirit Unleashed | Paranormal Wales

September 2024

• EP146 The Mysterious Haunting of Craflwyn: When a dream home becomes a Gothic nightmare | Paranormal Wales

August 2024

• EP145 Demon House of Gower: Dark secrets of the “Village of the Dead” | Paranormal Swansea and Gower

July 2024

• EP144 Macabre Mysteries of Swansea Castle: Unexplained Death and Shadow People | Paranormal Swansea and Gower

June 2024

• EP14 The Eternal Torment of Mallt-y-Nos (Matilda of the Night)

May 2024

• EP142 Paranormal Protection: How to repel spirits and fairies with supernatural safeguards

April 2024

• EP141 Supernatural Corpse Birds: Winged Harbingers of Death

March 2024

• EP140 Eerie Encounters in Haunted Houses: Paranormal activity in Gothic mansions

• EP139 When Evil Spirits Attack: Demonic hellfire strikes a Welsh mansion

February 2024

• EP138 The Uncanny Were-Dog and Other Canine Terrors

• EP137 The Ghost of a Grave and Other Death Omens: Supernatural secrets of life after death?

• EP136 The Dark Art of the Exorcist: Banish Spirits, Goblins and Fairies with Exorcism

January 2024

• EP135 Terror of the Mundane Ghosts: Are “dull” spirits the scariest of all?

• EP134 Hounds of the Underworld: Dare you join the Wild Hunt? | Ride with the Cŵn Annwn, spectral hounds of the otherworld of Welsh myth

December 2023

• EP133 Christmas Special: The OTHER Mari Lwyd – Singing, dancing, drinking, and a visit from a strange horse-skulled visitor!

• A Quick Update from Mark Rees: Christmas Gremlins strike!

November 2023

• EP132 Pete the Polt: ‘One of the Biggest Poltergeist Cases Ever’

• EP131 Curse of the Vampire Bed: Is Dracula under the duvet? The “uncanny piece of furniture” that haunted Paranormal Cardiff

October 2023

• EP130 Halloween Ghost Hunt: Paranormal investigation from a “most haunted” Welsh pub | Uncanny sounds & unexpected chills in Swansea

• EP129 EP129 Halloween Folklore Special: Most haunted history and Spooky Welsh traditions with Chris Carra

September 2023

• EP128 Deadly Death Omens Unveiled: Eerie real-life accounts of creeping Welsh corpse candles

• EP127 Corpse Candle Chronicles: Secrets of the Ghostly Harbingers of Death

August 2023

• EP126 Sunken Cities of the Damned: Lake monsters and dragons lurk in the watery depths (that were possibly created by witches, fairies and devils!)

• EP125 Sensing Spirits; or, Musical Ghosts and Paranormal Presences: Uncanny apparitions tingle the senses in these ’most haunted’ places

• EP124 Strange Secrets of the Supernatural Soil: Witchcraft in the earth, death omens in the dirt and paranormal portents at funerals

July 2023

• EP123 The Unexplained Mystery of the Noisy Ghost: When a poltergeist strikes a Welsh beauty spot locals are baffled by the paranormal activity

• EP122 Ghosts, Ghosts, Ghosts: Three real-life uncanny ghost stories including a ”most haunted” fence(!) and dark adventures with an extra-deadly death omen

June 2023

• EP121 Devil in Disguise; or, the Domain of Demons: An evil spirit battles the local exorcist in a lonely Welsh church

• EP120 Crazy Lore of the Fairy Folk: Folklore so bizarre it could actually be true? How to defend yourself from the Welsh fairies, vampires and demons

May 2023

• EP119 The Deadly Ghost Train & Other Death Omens: Dare you ride the haunted locomotive? Eerie real-life accounts of paranormal prophesies

• EP118 EP118 Haunted Mansions; or, A Ghost Tour through the Garden: A quartet of uncanny adventures in Carmarthenshire’s “most haunted” district

April 2023

• EP117 May Day Magic and Madness: Weird and wonderful Beltane customs to celebrate the arrival of summer

• EP116 Sacred Fire of Beltane: Strange superstitions and magical rites of the ancient Druids of Britain

March 2023

• EP115 Welcome to Haunted Wrexham

• EP114 Crimes of the Changelings: Baby-stealing fairies swap children with their uncanny offspring. Can witchcraft and magic stop them?

• EP113 Funeral Phantoms and Paranormal Portents: Death omens come in many guises, from eerie dark spirits to uncanny psychic visions

February 2023

• EP112 Strange Skies and Shooting Stars: Weird Welsh lore of the cosmos – rainbows, meteors, comets and more

EP111 Ghosts of Gwent: Haunted houses, castles, trees and wells in the Welsh county – from Newport to Newcastle!

January 2023

EP110 Frightful Female Fairies of the Fog: The Gwyllion are weird and uncanny fairy apparitions that haunt the Welsh mountains at night

EP109 Paranormal Mysteries of the Haunted Houses: Three ”real life” Welsh hauntings to baffle the most experienced of ghostbusters

December 2022

EP108 Christmas special with Chris Carra

EP107 Welsh Ghost Stories for Christmas: Is it Santa or a spirit? There’s poltergeist activity and uncanny footsteps in paranormal Cardiff

November 2022

EP106 Dark Folklore of Death Omens: Phantom Funerals – The Welsh “toili”, an uncanny paranormal procession that proceed a burial

EP105 Paranormal Power of the Sun and Moon: Explore the lore with: death omens, Welsh dragons, witchcraft, druids and more!

October 2022

EP104 Wales’ ”Most Haunted” Pub?: A Halloween investigation into paranormal activity at the Prince of Wales, Kenfig

EP103 A Halloween Haunting; or, Whisked Away by a Hideous Apparition: Paranormal activity in the Welsh valleys on Nos Calan Gaeaf

September 2022

EP102 The Edwardian Ghostbusters; or, How to Get Rid of Spirits, Goblins & Devils: Old-school paranormal investigation tips for Halloween hauntings

EP101 Animals from Hell: The Devil takes many forms, including demonic pets! Could your cat, dog, or horse be more than they appear?

EP100 Uncanny Ghost on the Golden Coast: A strange spirit terrorises a Welsh village in this real-life haunting. Who is the Swansea spook?

August 2022

EP99 The Witch in the Moon: Cosmic adventures in the night sky as good and evil fight in the heavens

EP98 Spirits of the Séance: Real-life spooky adventures at Victorian séances in which psychic mediums are possessed by phantoms from the past

July 2022

EP97 Apparitions of the Devil: The ’Evil One’ takes many forms, and sometimes paranormal activity is more demonic than a regular haunting

EP96 Ghosts in the Water: Tormented spirits, water-ogres, guardian dragons, giant serpents & fairy folk lurk in the haunted Welsh waters

June 2022

EP95 The Baby-stealing Ghost and Other Mysteries; or, Warnings to the Curious in these accounts of paranormal activity

EP94 Summer Solstice Folklore; or, A Midsummer Nightmare: Ancient Druids, strange apparitions and Wicker Man-like rituals on Canol Haf

May 2022

EP93 The Decapitating Ghost; or, Off With Her Head: A spirit threatens to cut off heads in this real-life Victorian tale of paranormal activity

EP92 Curse of the Corpse Dogs; or, the Ghost-hunting Hounds: Supernatural dogs, paranormal pooches, diabolical hell hounds and death omens

April 2022

EP91 Terror on the Ghost Ship: When paranormal activity breaks out on a haunted navy vessel the crew must quickly become ghostbusters

EP90 Supernatural Secrets of the Water: Paranormal activity, sacred fish, magical monsters and love divination in the uncanny Welsh wells

March 2022

EP89 The Exorcist vs the Shape-shifting Demon: A poltergeist-like evil spirit terrorises a Welsh town in this ”true” Victorian ghost story

EP88 The Changelings; or, the Baby-stealing Fairies: Devious fairy folk swap their uncanny offspring for mortal children

February 2022

EP87 Tormented Souls of the Dearly Departed: Spirits return to comfort and terrify their nearest and dearest

EP86 Crimes of the Cat Witches: A “Welsh wizard” turns detective to seek out magical murderers

EP85 The Haunted Castle and the Hanged Man: A Gothic ruin in Carmarthen becomes home to a supernatural visitor

January 2022

EP84 The Wives of Hell: The Gwragedd Annwn are ferocious fighting female fairies that haunt lonely Welsh lakes like mermaids

EP83 The Ghost of a Death Omen: A harbinger of death takes a man on a strange journey at the witching hour in this “real-life” ghost story

December 2021

EP82 The Endless Christmas Party: Curious festive customs in Victorian Wales with music, carols, drunken debauchery and the Mari Lwyd

EP81 Ghost Stories for Christmas: Festive spirits haunt the wilds of Wales in these real-life tales of paranormal activity on Christmas Eve

EP80 The Mysteries of the Mari Lwyd: The Welsh ”Christmas Horse” goes from folk favourite to folk horror in Victorian Wales

EP79 Spirits of the Living: Apparitions of people still alive have long been sighted, but why?

November 2021

EP78 The Well of Evil: Witchcraft, tormented spirits, and creepy horror-film like wraiths lurk in the ”most haunted” lore-filled Welsh wells

EP77 The Magic Circle and the Spirit from Hell: A Reverend is accused of summoning demons in the Welsh forest

EP76 Wales‘ ”Most Haunted” National Trust Property: A ghost tour at Newton House, Dinefwr (part 2 of 2)

EP75 The Haunting of Newton House: Paranormal activity at Dinefwr, the National Trust‘s ”most haunted” Welsh property (part 1 of 2)

October 2021

EP74 Halloween Ghost Hunt: A ”live” paranormal investigation at Swansea’s 1940s Museum

EP73 Halloween Horrors: A headless white lady (Y Ladi Wen) and a monstrous black pig (Hwch Ddu Gwta) emerge on Nos Calan Gaeaf!

EP72 Haunted Halloween Lakes: Spectral women, evil spirits and a deadly lake monster lurk at watery Welsh beauty spots on Nos Calan Gaeaf

EP71 The First Welsh Jack-o‘-Lantern: A Halloween special exploring the origin of ”Jack y Lantern”

September 2021

EP70 Trapped Spirits & Hidden Treasure: A trio of ”real-life” ghost stories in which restless souls haunt the living in some of Wales‘s ”most haunted” houses

EP69 The Poltergeist Fairies; or, the Welsh Hobgoblin: Naughty but nice, the Bwbach is a household fairy (tylwyth teg) that causes paranormal mayhem

EP68 The White Lady of Oystermouth Castle: Does the ghost of white lady really haunt one of Wales’ “most haunted” castles?

EP67 A Victorian Séance: There‘s table tipping, corpse candles, and deathlike fingers during a visit to a spirit medium in Swansea

EP66 The Giant‘s Body: When a fairy-eating giant and wicked witch invade a happy Welsh valley, it quickly become a valley of horror in this traditional folk tale

August 2021

EP65 Restless Spirits and the Fair Folk: When paranormal activity destroys a Welsh home, is it the work of a poltergeist, a curse, or just local lore?

EP64 The Evil Spirit Strikes Back: When paranormal activity destroys a Welsh home, is it the work of a poltergeist, a curse, or just local lore?

EP63 Haunted Rivers: Wailing spirits, monstrous serpents, bottomless pits and the devil in disguise – explore the strange legends of the Welsh waterways

EP62 The Ghost Police: When the police are causing the paranormal activity, who ya gonna call? Sadly, the Ghostbusters were unavailable in the Swinging Sixties!

July 2021

EP61 The Haunted Mines: Go deep underground in search of the coblynau (the mine fairies of Wales) and other weird and wonderful creatures, including fire demons and a basilisk – not just for Harry Potter!

EP60 The Disembodied Hand at the Haunted Mansion: A ghostly hand – a bit like Thing from The Addams Family! – has long haunted a Welsh home. But what does it have to do with smuggling?

EP59 The Spectral Nun and the Skeleton in the Wall: Why are religious ghosts haunting a Welsh parish? Let’s go on a paranormal investigation!

EP58 The Mystery of the Macabre Magician: When an infamous Welsh wizard is hired to solve a crime things get a little bit gothic

June 2021

EP57 The Phantom Werewolf: A “real-life” horror story in which a strange wolf-like creature with hellish eyes terrorises holidaymakers in the Welsh mountains

EP56 The Witch’s Curse: A dark and tragic folk tale in which a Welsh woman is struck down by witchcraft – or is it all in her mind?

EP55 The Phantom from Pennsylvania: Why does the spirit of a well-dressed woman from Philadelphia haunt a man in the Swansea Valley?

EP54 The Magic of Water: Wash with vampires, fight evil spirits, turn water into wine and even protect your coffee from witches

EP53 The Haunted Cemetery and the White Mist: Paranormal activity is reported in Victorian Wrexham – but is it really supernatural?

May 2021

EP52 Beware the Fairy Lights!: Discover the secrets of the Ellylldan, the dangerous Welsh elf-fire which haunt the forests much like Will-o’-wisp

EP51 The Golden Ghost: When an ancient burial site is disturbed, eerie secrets are revealed. Let’s go ghost hunting in search of a centuries-old spirit…

EP50 Party with the Fairy Folk: Warning – the fairies of Wales (y tylwyth teg) have been known to prank those who disturb their revelries!

EP49 For Whom the Bell Tolls: How an eerie old Gothic funeral tradition can keep away evil spirits, the plague, trolls, fairies, and the Devil himself

April 2021

EP48 Soul Lights, Astral Bodies and Strange Omens: Can the soul really leave the body and return at will? And is there a link between this travelling lights and the dreaded corpse candle?

EP47 The Welsh Elf Ladies and the Stray Fairy Cow: Magical farm animals emerge from a dark and ominous lake in this cautionary folk tale

EP46 Ghost of the Hanged Lady: The tragic tale of a spirit with a message for a heart-broken traveller. It’s time to go on a paranormal investigation…

EP45 Folklore of the Sea: Spooky spirit candles, soul-stealing Devils, clairvoyant cats and Davy Jones’ Locker – explore the weird and wonderful Welsh coast on the Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast

EP44 A Cardiff Ghost Story; or, The Haunted Mansion: A lady in grey is one of the many paranormal guests haunting a Victorian house. Let’s go ghost hunting on the Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast!

March 2021

EP43 Nasty Little Elves: The secret origin of the ellyllon, Wales’ mischievous fairy folk, and a folk tale from Cardiff. These are not your Lord of the Rings elves!

EP42 The Ghost Ship Mystery: Invisible boats dock at the harbour, while phantom funerals are seen in the graveyard at night. What does it all mean?

EP41 Devil Goats: A cautionary folk horror fairy tale, in which a Welsh farmer finds out the hard way not to mess with a goat

EP40 The Haunted Highway: A phantom coach and ice-cold apparitions have been haunting a lonely Welsh road for centuries

February 2021

EP39 The Magic Power of Leeks: Fight evil spirits with Wales’ national vegetable and explore the darker side of St David’s Day history and traditions

EP38 Vampires of the Valley and Other Strange Creatures: Witches, dog demons, the Devil and a real-life “Dracula” are lurking in the shadows

EP37 Pesky Poltergeists in Wild Wales: Evil spirits from the “invisible world” attack unsuspecting victims in Wales’ oldest “real-life” ghost stories

EP36 Ghosts, Devils and Death Omens; or, A Wild Night by the Romantic Lakes: A haunting (and unromantic!) real-life ghost story for Valentine’s Day

January 2021

EP35 The Dark Fairy Tale of Rhys and Llewellyn: Have you heard fairy music playing in the woods at night? What would happen if you followed it?

EP34 Witchcraft by the Sea; or, A Tragic Prophesy: An eerie “real life” ghost story of death omens, clairvoyance, and a witch’s dire prophesy

EP33 St Dwynwen, the Welsh patron saint of lovers: The dark history of Wales’ patron saint of lovers and Ynys Llanddwyn, her “Island of Love”

EP32 The Murdered Knight: A chilling real-life “Ghosts of Wales” tale in which the spectre of a slain warrior returns to a secluded Welsh farm house

December 2020 Christmas Specials

EP31 New Year’s Eve and Day Folklore of Wales: From the Mari Lwyd to Calennig, it’s out with the old and in with the new

EP30 Curious Christmas Folklore of Wales: Christmas Eve and Christmas Day traditions and customs, from Plygain services to Sion Corn

EP29 The Magical Christmas Tree… and a few ghosts!: The curious tale of a tree that burst into life in a west Wales garden every Christmas Eve

EP28 A Ghost Story for Christmas Eve; or, Festive Spirits at the Inn: A real-life tale of paranormal activity at a Welsh town’s “most haunted” pub

EP27 The Mari Lwyd, the Welsh Christmas “Ghost Horse”: The secret history and folklore of the “bone horse” of Wales

November 2020

EP26 Ghost Hunting in Wales’ “Most Haunted” Places: Paranormal investigators Cymru Paranormal join Mark on the show

EP25 The Secret Islands of the Faeries: How the fairies of Wales are connected to King Arthur, and why they are called y Tylwyth Teg

EP24 The Cursed Room at Wales’ National Stadium: How a jinx caused rugby and football teams to lose games at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium

EP23 Guy Fawkes Night: The folklore, traditions, history and ghosts of Bonfire Night, and how Noson Guto Ffowc was celebrated in Wales

Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast with Mark Rees

October 2020 Halloween Specials

EP22 Halloween Special – Ghosts of Wales Live!: Ghost hunting in Wales’ “most haunted” places at the Paranormal Wales book launch

EP21 Spooky Halloween Folklore and Traditions of Wales: How to celebrate Nos Calan Gaeaf, the Welsh Halloween

EP20 Halloween in Wales: The secret history and strange traditions of Nos Calan Gaeaf, the Welsh All Hallows’ Eve

EP19 The Jack-O’-Lantern of Wales: A Halloween special exploring the “dreaded ghost” which haunted the dark Welsh forests on Nos Calan Gaeaf

EP18 The History of Halloween: From ancient Celtic festival to American holiday and the origin of the Welsh Nos Calan Gaeaf

September 2020

EP17 The Devil’s Bridge: The famous folk tale of how a wise old Welsh woman beat Satan at his own game

EP16 The Ghost Train from the Future: The real-life story of a paranormal locomotive which terrified a Welsh farmer

EP15: The Dark History of Beer: How a Welsh witch invented mead and the Gothic folklore surrounding drinking at funerals

EP14: The Realm of Faerie: The secret origin of the fairy folk of Wales, and old Welsh beliefs in fairies and folklore

August 2020

EP13: The Wraith of a Murderer Stalks Abroad: A real-life ghost story from Victorian Swansea in which a murderer – it is claimed – returns to haunt his former neighbours

EP12: The Phantom Carriage and other real-life ghost stories from Wales: A special bonus episode for Haunted Happening featuring three short ghost stories from the archives

EP11: The art of storytelling with Owen Staton; or, the eerie Welsh folk tale of Rhys and Meinir and other ghost stories from Mr Owen Staton

EP10: I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Haunted Wales!; or, Creepy Welsh Castles: Gwrych Castle: TV show “I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!” will be filmed in a haunted Welsh castle in 2020. But what ghosts can they expect to find lurking inside?

EP09: Fairy dogs, dog folklore and the origin of the Welsh Corgi: Did you know that fairies used to ride corgis into battle, and that the name corgi is derived from Welsh folklore?

EP08: The Ghosts of Dylan Thomas: Did the Welsh poet go gently into that good night, or does he rage, rage, against the dying of the light?

EP07: The Dog of Darkness; or, Gwyllgi, the Welsh Hound of Hell: The “hound of hell” which has haunted Welsh roads and lanes of centuries

July 2020

EP06: The Real-life Ghost-hunting Scooby-Doo Dog and the paranormal hoaxers: The dastardly villains who impersonated ghosts in the Victorian era, and the clever people – and pets – who busted them

EP05: The Legend of Gelert, the Heroic Hound of Beddgelert: Did a dog named Gelert really fight with a gigantic wolf for the life of the prince’s son and heir?

EP04: The Women in White haunting either side of the Severn Bridge: Ghosts that swear at people and dress up in the clothing of the clergy

June 2020

EP03: A Ghost to Rival Hamlet’s Father; or, how a spook helped the police discover a buried skull in Swansea

EP02: The Curse of the Swansea Devil; or, how a satanic work of art burnt down a church

EP01: The Two-Headed Phantom of Wales; or, the grisly tale of the ghost with an extra head