Ghosts and Folklore of Wales with Mark Rees
True Crime & Paranormal
About
Ghosts and Folklore of Wales with Mark ReesEnter the weird and wonderful world of haunted Wales in this monthly podcast, where ghost stories, Gothic tales, myths, and ancient lore come to life with writer and historian Mark Rees (Ghosts of Wales, Paranormal Wales) – “arguably Wales’ leading authority on the curious and paranormal aspects of the country’s history.”From “most haunted” castles and fairy-filled forests to pesky poltergeists, eerie apparitions, corpse candles, and customs like the Sin Eater, each episode offers a spine-tingling (and tongue-in-cheek) exploration of Wales’ dark and mysterious past. You’ll meet real-life ghost hunters, stumble into ancient Druid rituals, and encounter mythical creatures like the Ceffyl Dŵr and Gwyllgi lurking in the mist.This is not your typical spooky podcast. With a Gothic flair and a wicked sense of humour, it’s part supernatural storytelling, part folklore deep dive, and part history lesson – all steeped in the rich mythology of Wales.
Episodes
- Welsh Giantesses and Warrior Women: The Queen of the Lakes & Other Legends (Ghosts and Folklore of Wales with Mark Rees EP166)
Who was the mysterious Queen of the Lakes said to rule the waters of north Wales? How did one Pembrokeshire woman armed with only a pitchfork help defeat French invaders? And did Welsh folklore really tell of women strong enough to wrestle…
- Spirits That Move Churches: Welsh Legends of Vanishing Buildings (Ghosts and Folklore of Wales with Mark Rees EP165)
Who - or what - was moving the stones in the dead of night? What were those uncanny voices? Why would a church be built in one place… only to appear somewhere else the next morning? And why do so many Welsh villages share the same unsettli…
- Ghosts of Monmouthshire: The Faceless Lady, Phantom Coaches & Tree Spirits (Ghosts and Folklore of Wales with Mark Rees EP164)
Who is the faceless figure drifting silently along the banks of the River Wye? What happens if you anger the spirits said to live within an ancient Welsh oak tree? And what crashes through the night on a long-lost road… even after the road…
- Back After a Break: New Ghosts, New Books & New Series – Paranormal Unpacked! (A Quick Update from Mark Rees) 👻
GHOSTS AND FOLKLORE IS BACK - BIGGER AND BETTER THAN EVER! 👻 *** PLEASE NOTE: The video version of this episode is available on YouTube only, despite what I said - you can watch it here: https://youtu.be/DRvNwVVFSyw - sorry! *** I’ve been…
- Christmas Ghosts: Haunted Dinefwr & Llandeilo – Welsh Ghost Stories for the Darkest Nights (Ghosts and Folklore of Wales with Mark Rees EP163)
Which Christmas decoration began life as a witch-repelling charm? What haunted Welsh mansion has glowing fog drifting through its corridors even in summer? And who is the mysterious Boy in Blue said to appear in an unnerving old painting?…
- Christmas Folklore: The Mari Lwyd – How to Make a Welsh Ghost-Horse (Ghosts and Folklore of Wales with Mark Rees EP162)
How do you build a Mari Lwyd? Where do you find a horse skull? How heavy is it really – and how on earth do you dance with one? This Christmas, we go behind the folklore of Wales’s most iconic winter visitor – the Mari Lwyd – to uncover th…
- Halloween at a Haunted Welsh Castle: The Curse of Pennard Castle (Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast with Mark Rees EP161)
What happens when you spend Halloween night in one of Wales’s eeriest ruins? Who – or what – haunts the sand-blown walls of Pennard Castle? And could the terrifying Gwrach y Rhibyn still be keeping watch? It’s Halloween Eve, and Mark Rees…
- Halloween Folklore: Ghostly Games & Welsh Spirits on Nos Calan Gaeaf (Ghosts & Folklore of Wales podcast with Mark Rees EP160)
🎃👻 What dangerous games did people play on the night when the veil between worlds was at its thinnest? Who walked the dark lanes of Wales on Nos Calan Gaeaf long before modern Halloween lights flickered? In this special Halloween episode…
- Halloween Ghost Rider: Haunted History, Murder Road & Jack-o'-Lanterns (Ghosts & Folklore of Wales podcast with Mark Rees EP159)
Who is the mysterious Ghost Rider haunting a lonely Welsh road plagued by Halloween Jack-o'-Lanterns? What dark link ties this spectral horseman to an old murder, a flickering light in the darkness, and the Devil himself? On this episode,…
- When Death Knocks: Haunted Farmhouse, Uncanny Warnings & Spirit Sounds from America (Ghosts & Folklore of Wales podcast with Mark Rees EP158)
What if death could knock on your door — quite literally — before claiming a life? Would you answer? Would you believe it? And what strange thread connects these events in Wales to a death in America? In this eerie real-life account from 1…
- King Arthur’s Stone: Wales’s Most Haunted Tomb? Paranormal Knights and Midnight Rituals (Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast with Mark Rees EP157)
Why do people report ghostly knights, phantom horses and spectral visions during the full moon in this Welsh beauty spot? What ancient force still lingers atop Cefn Bryn? On this episode, Mark journeys to the windswept heights of Gower dur…
- Secrets of Craig-y-Nos Castle: Wales’ Most Haunted Gothic Mansion? (Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast with Mark Rees EP156)
Why has Craig-y-Nos Castle drawn ghost hunters, psychics and TV crews for decades? What secrets still linger in its shadowy halls? Find out in the 5th anniversary episode of Ghosts and Folklore of Wales. This month, Mark returns to one of…
- Ghosts, Goblins & Graveyard Dogs: A Paranormal Lucky Dip (Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast with Mark Rees EP155)
What kind of spectral creature leaps onto a corpse, rides in the hearse, and disappears into the mourners at the graveside? In this folkloric lucky dip of ghostly odds and ends, Mark Rees unearths the eerie tales too strange, too short, or…
- They Came at Midnight: The Uncanny Changeling Mystery (Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast with Mark Rees EP154)
Who knocks at midnight—and what do they want? Are these visitors of the night bringing gifts or a curse? When a knock came at midnight, the family inside had no idea the supernatural visitors weren’t just visiting—they were hunting. A seem…
- The Headless Warrior Princess Haunting Kidwelly Castle (Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast with Mark Rees EP153)
What lurks in the shadows of one of Wales’ most striking castles? What happens when a medieval battlefield becomes a haunted ruin? And can a headless ghost really ask for help? In this spine-chilling episode, we uncover the eerie legends o…
- Ghost Dogs: Haunting Encounters with Phantom Hounds (Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast with Mark Rees EP152)
What would you do if you came face to face with a ghostly hound? Would you reach out to pet it, or run the other way? And what if that spectral dog wasn’t just a harmless apparition, but a chilling omen of death? In this episode, we explor…
- Fairy Gold: Secrets, Curses and the Price of Magical Riches (Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast with Mark Rees EP151)
What would you do if you stumbled upon a stash of gold in the forest, knowing it might vanish with just one word? Could it be the legendary fairy gold of folklore, a treasure bound by secrecy and mischief? In this episode, we dive into enc…
- Wales' Eerie Christmas Death Omen: The Ghostly Tolling of the Tolaeth (Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast with Mark Rees EP150)
The Ghosts and Folklore Podcast is celebrating a monumental milestone – Episode 150 – with a festive, eerie twist. For this special Christmas edition, host Mark Rees blends the magic of the holiday season with haunting tales and mysterious…
- Wales’ Most Terrifying Death Omen: The Haunting Cry of the Cyhyraeth (Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast with Mark Rees EP149)
Have you ever heard a chilling, disembodied moan carried on the wind, growing louder and softer like waves crashing on the shore? What if that sound wasn’t just the wind but a sinister harbinger of death? This episode, Mark delves into the…
- Halloween Hauntings: Mysteries of Margam Castle (Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast with Mark Rees EP148)
This Halloween, are you ready to uncover the chilling secrets of Margam Castle? Who - or what - haunts this iconic Welsh landmark? Could it be the ghostly monks seen gliding through the night, the playful spirits of Victorian children, or…
- The Poltergeist Diaries: Stone-Throwing Spirit Unleashed (Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast with Mark Rees EP147)
What happens when a quiet life in rural Wales is shattered by an unseen force? In this spine-chilling episode, join Mark Rees as he delves into the haunting tale of a poltergeist that escalated from harmless mischief to terrifying violence…
- The Haunting of Craflwyn: A Gothic Nightmare in North Wales (Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast with Mark Rees EP146)
Could this be one of Wales' most terrifying hauntings? How did a dream home turn into a living nightmare? Why did its residents retreat to the kitchen, and who—or what—joined them there? Join Mark Rees as he delves into the spine-tingling…
- Demon House of Gower: Secrets of Swansea's "Village of the Dead" (Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast with Mark Rees EP145)
What dark secrets lie in this picturesque corner of Wales? Why was it once known as the 'village of the dead'? And what horrifying events drove a family to the brink of despair in the mid-seventeenth century? Journey to the breath-taking G…
- Macabre Mysteries of Swansea Castle: Shadow People & Unexplained Deaths (Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast with Mark Rees EP144)
What connects Gothic ghost stories, Dylan Thomas, Frankenstein, Swansea Castle, and shadow people that don't rest easy? Swansea Castle is a site brimming with contradictions and untold stories. Is it haunted or unhaunted? Easy or challengi…
- The Doomed Spirit of Matilda of the Night: Eternal Torment and Haunted Legends (Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast with Mark Rees EP143)
The tragic story of Mallt-y-Nos (Matilda of the Night), the female spirit cursed to hunt and ride for eternity. What drove this Norman lady to such a fate? How did her passion for the hunt lead to everlasting torment? Discover the dark wis…
- Paranormal Protection: Supernatural Safeguards Against Spirits and Fairies (Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast with Mark Rees EP142)
Join your host, Mark Rees, as he uncovers age-old secrets designed to protect against the otherworldly forces that lurk in the shadows. Don't let the spirits catch you unawares—listen now! Explore three traditional methods of warding off s…
- Supernatural Corpse Birds: Winged Harbingers of Death in Welsh Folklore (Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast with Mark Rees EP141)
Delve into the eerie world of corpse birds, winged entities said to foretell impending death. Are these sightings mere coincidences or something more sinister? Uncover the chilling tales behind these supernatural avian visitors as we explo…
- Murder Most Foul in Haunted Houses: Eerie Encounters in Gothic Mansions (Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast with Mark Rees EP140)
Ghostly encounters that defy explanation are reported at two haunted houses. Are you brave enough to explore these mysterious cases where the line between the living and the dead blurs, and every shadow holds a secret? In our first story,…
- When Evil Spirits Attack: Demonic Hellfire Strikes a Welsh Mansion (Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast with Mark Rees EP139)
Mischievous spectral beings wreak havoc in a Welsh mansion that promises thrills and chills at every turn. Fact with folklore intertwine in this mysterious tale that blurs the lines between reality and the paranormal. Was it truly the work…
- The Uncanny Were-Dog and Other Canine Terrors: Paranormal Pooches of the Wild Hunt (Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast with Mark Rees EP138)
Spectral hounds roam the land at night. Some possess the bodies of half-humans, with eyes like moons and mouths that emit smoke. What do these unearthly creatures signify? And why do they haunt the valleys and mountains of Wales? In our ex…
- The Ghost of a Grave and Other Death Omens: Supernatural Secrets of Life After Death (Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast with Mark Rees EP137)
Step into the realm of the uncanny and delve into the mysterious world of death omens and supernatural secrets. From the infamous corpse candles to chilling premonitions, uncover the spine-tingling tales that have haunted communities for g…
- The Dark Art of the Exorcist: Banish Spirits, Goblins & Fairies with Exorcism (Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast with Mark Rees EP136)
Unravel the mysterious realm of exorcism, a practice as old as time itself, employed to banish ghouls, ghosts, and goblins from our world. Is there a safeguard against the forces of darkness? Could your daily piety be the key to repelling…
- Terror of the Mundane Ghosts: Are Ordinary Spirits the Most Frightening? (Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast with Mark Rees EP135)
Can the most terrifying paranormal activity also be the most boring? Are dull ghosts really the scariest of all? In this chilling episode, Mark Rees unravels a paranormal theory that turns the mundane into the terrifying. What if the most…
- Hounds of the Underworld: Dare You Join the Wild Hunt? (Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast with Mark Rees EP134)
Picture this: snarling spectral dogs traversing the air in hot pursuit of their prey. Their haunting howls are harbingers of death, and their appearance cannot be easily defined, ranging from small white creatures with rose-coloured ears t…
- Christmas Special: The Other Mari Lwyd – Wales' Uncanny Yuletide Visitor (Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast with Mark Rees EP133)
Dive into the Christmas revelry with singing and dancing, but beware: there's a darker side to these Victorian traditions involving a frightening hag and a horse-skulled Christmas visitor. Uncover strange tales of festive celebrations, the…
- A Quick Update from Mark Rees: Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast
Christmas Gremlins have struck the Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast HQ. Sadly, there is no new episode this week due to some potentially paranormal technical difficulties. Instead, here's a quick update from Mark Rees (Ghosts of Wales)…
- Pete the Polt: Inside One of the Biggest Poltergeist Cases Ever (Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast with Mark Rees EP132)
A haunting described as "one of the biggest poltergeist cases ever" saw a Welsh business plagued by paranormal activity. The chilling case of Peter the Poltergeist/ Pete the Polt is one of the most significant poltergeist cases documented.…
- Curse of the Vampire Bed: Is Dracula Lurking Under the Duvet? (Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast with Mark Rees EP131)
Can an "uncanny piece of furniture" really suck your blood like Dracula? Is this vampire bed possessed by Nosferatu? When a young family in seventeenth-century Cardiff acquire a heavy four-posted bedstead at a bankruptcy sale, little could…
- Halloween Ghost Hunt: Paranormal Investigation at a "Most Haunted" Swansea Pub (Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast with Mark Rees EP130)
Dare you join Mark Rees and a team of paranormal investigators for an "as-live" spine-tingling ghost hunt in Wales? Nos Calan Gaeaf - as Halloween is known in the Welsh language - is the perfect time of year for ghost stories and, of cours…
- Halloween Folklore Special: Haunted History, Welsh Traditions & Uncanny Jack-o’-Lanterns (Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast with Mark Rees EP129)
Halloween folklore of Wales and the world: explore the haunted history of Nos Calan Gaeaf with Mark Rees and a special guest on this eerie seasonal special. Nos Calan Gaeaf, as Halloween is known in the Welsh language, has long been a time…
- Deadly Death Omens: The Mystery of Welsh Corpse Candles (Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast with Mark Rees EP128)
Journey into the haunted heart of Welsh folklore, exploring eerie accounts of encounters with mysterious apparitions known as corpse candles (canwyll corff). In the 19th and early 20th centuries, innocent individuals walking through the We…
- Corpse Candle Chronicles: Secrets of the Ghostly Harbingers of Death (Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast with Mark Rees EP127)
Corpse candles were once a common sight in Wales. What's truly spine-tingling is that sometimes these lights were carried by ghostly figures, believed to be the very souls soon to depart. This episode delves into historical cases of indivi…
- Sunken Cities of the Damned: Lake Monsters, Dragons & Dark Folklore (Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast with Mark Rees EP126)
Were witches, devils and fairies responsible for destroying cities? And what about the lake monsters and dragons lurking in the depths? Events that some people might describe as an act of god have been blamed on all manner of supernatural…
- Sensing Spirits: Musical Ghosts and Haunted Places That Tingle the Senses (Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast with Mark Rees EP125)
Can you see, hear, smell and feel a ghost? Can you trust your senses in a haunted location? The waft of lavender might suggests a Victorian woman’s perfume; a fleeting white shape might suggest the death shroud of a tormented soul; and the…
- Strange Secrets of the Supernatural Soil: Witchcraft, Death Omens & Funeral Portents (Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast with Mark Rees EP124)
There's witchcraft in the earth, death omens in the dirt, and all manner of gothic graveyard traditions associated with the soil beneath out feet. Can these strange superstitions and unusual traditions bring good luck, bad luck, and a whol…
- The Noisy Ghost: Baffling Poltergeist Activity in a Welsh Beauty Spot (Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast with Mark Rees EP123)
Sceptics and believers are divided when a "violent" entity targets an unassuming home and and transforms it into a haunted mansion. Can you solve the mystery of the Pembrokeshire poltergeist? Explore the lore with Mark Rees (Ghosts of Wale…
- Ghosts, Ghosts, Ghosts: The “Most Haunted” Fence & Deadly Death Omens (Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast with Mark Rees EP122)
A trio of "real life" ghost stories including a young lover who pays a heavy price for sneaking out late at night, an extremely deadly death omen, and a series of haunted mansions in a Welsh town. Three eerie tales from Carmarthenshire tha…
- Devil in Disguise: An Evil Spirit vs. The Local Exorcist in a Welsh Church (Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast with Mark Rees EP121)
How can you tell if there's an evil spirit in your church? And if the demons attack, who can repel them? On this episode we investigate the ways in which Satan can deceive even the most faithful of churchgoers, and take a closer look at on…
- Crazy Lore of the Fairy Folk: Welsh Fairies, Vampires & Demons You Need to Defend Against (Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast with Mark Rees EP120)
Folklore so absurd it can't possibly be true... can it? On this episode we investigate the ways in which the fairy folk can be stopped from committing such crimes as kidnapping children with all manner of ingenious - and bizarre - supersti…
- The Deadly Ghost Train: Haunted Locomotives & Real-Life Death Omens (Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast with Mark Rees EP119)
All aboard the phantom funeral train for a ride you'll never forget... if you survive! In this episode we explore eerie first-hand accounts of death omens that predict bad news for the good folk of Wales. There's phantom trains, phantom fu…