EP117 May Day Magic & Madness: Weird & wonderful Beltane customs celebrate the arrival of summer in uncanny folk horror-like ways. Explore the lore on the Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast

Ghosts and Folklore of Wales with Mark Rees

Summer and winter do battle in some weird and wonderful folk horror-like traditions to celebrate the coming of brighter days.

In Welsh folklore, the May Day celebrations emerge from the great fire festivals of the ancient druids in which the king and queen of May are crowned. All manner of rites are performed for a bountiful harvest and fertility in the natural world, ranging from the magical to those more resembling something from the Wicker Man and Midsommar.

We also discover a Welsh tradition involving a horse's head that isn't the Mari Lwyd - in fact, it's a bit more Godfather...

Explore the lore with Mark Rees (Ghosts of Wales) on the Ghosts and Folklore of Wales podcast... if you dare!

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What is the Ghosts and Folklore of Wales with Mark Rees podcast?

The "Ghosts and Folklore of Wales" podcast explores Welsh ghosts and ghost stories, lore, myths and legends.

Launched by author and journalist Mark Rees in early 2020, this weird and wonderful podcast takes a fascinating look at the country's countless curious subjects by combining decades of research and insights from many books and articles with long-lost tales from dusty old tomes.

Ranging from "real life" encounters with the uncanny to fantastical adventures from the Mabinogion, new episodes are uploaded every other (Folklore) Thursday and feature everything from pesky poltergeists to fire-breathing dragons and the odd wicked, and not-so-wicked, witch.

Along with the regular stories you can also expect the odd special guest, an occasional "live" ghost hunt, and all sorts of crazy ideas. Seasonal specials include the dark folklore and Gothic Halloween (Nos Calan Gaeaf) traditions of old, to everyone's favourite skulled-skulled Christmas visitor, the Mari Lwyd herself.

Dare you explore haunted Wales? From the sublime mountains and cascading waterfalls to the bustling cities and a remote farm, think of it as opening the Welsh The X-Files... and some tenuous Ghostbusters links!

Be sure to subscribe so you never miss a spooky episode, and for more details and to get in touch with Mark Rees, please visit:

• Mark Rees homepage
• Mark Rees on social media
• Books by Mark Rees
• Ghosts of Wales podcast

It's spooky time!