How to Make a Mari Lwyd: Welsh Christmas Folklore Comes to Life
It’s Christmastime, and all you really want is to know… how to make a Mari Lwyd!
The Mari Lwyd is one of Wales’s most unique winter traditions — a ghostly, skeletal horse who appears around Christmas and New Year, knocking at doors, singing, rhyming, and demanding entry. But while the legend is well known, a question many people ask is: how do you actually make a Mari Lwyd?
In this episode of the Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast, Mark Rees is joined by Ronnie Kerswell-O’Hara from the National Trust at Dinefwr, Llandeilo — a maker, performer, and expert on the tradition — to uncover the real practicalities behind building and performing with a Mari Lwyd today.
Whether you’re a folklore enthusiast, a crafter, or simply curious about Welsh Christmas traditions, this guide and podcast episode will take you behind the scenes.
What Is the Mari Lwyd? A Quick Introduction
The Mari Lwyd (assumed to translate as the “Grey Mare”) is a centuries-old part of Welsh Christmas folklore. Traditionally, groups would carry a horse’s skull draped in cloth from house to house, engaging in improvised rhyming battles called pwnco. If the Mari won, the household had to let her in.
Most articles focus on the mythology, symbolism and mystery, but far fewer answer a very modern questions:
Where do you get a horse skull? How heavy is it? And how do you REALLY make a Mari Lwyd?
This episode tackles the tradition from within — from the perspective of people who actually make and use Mari Lwyds today.
Listen now!
If you want the full story — including Ronnie’s behind-the-scenes secrets, crafting advice, performance tips, and the hidden challenges of controlling a horse skull — listen to the episode here:
Christmas Folklore: The Mari Lwyd – How to Make a Welsh Ghost-Horse
(Ghosts and Folklore of Wales with Mark Rees EP162)
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Discover more Welsh Ghosts and Folklore
Fascinated by haunted legends and spine-tingling tales from Wales?
Explore Mark Rees’ collection of books, including:
- Paranormal Swansea and Gower — featuring Pennard Castle!
- Paranormal Wales — chilling true ghost stories
- Ghosts of Wales — Victorian accounts unearthed for a modern audience
Available now from all good bookshops and online retailers.
Say hello!
Have you made your own Mari Lwyd? Got a question? Get in touch with Mark Rees through email or social media!
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