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With over 100 entries focussed on individual stories or figures, the work seeks to introduce historical figures and legendary characters that remain relatively unknown outside of Wales. Meet the famous Dr Joseph Harries of Cwrt-y-Cadno as he conjures his spirits; or run from the yellow-faced Y Hen Gwrach who dwells in the bogland before she blows disease into your face. Listen to the legend of the Llandonna witches and their landing on Anglesey, and walk the bridge where the devil was outsmarted by a cunning magician.

The post Of Doves and Ravens: The Witches and Wisefolk of Wales and the Borders appeared first on The History Press.

This book takes a deep dive through these archive records and brings to the surface a number of accusations of witchcraft in the county which have gone undiscussed for many years. The authors examine the cases in their historical context but also draw modern comparisons in an effort to explain what might have actually been happening to the people involved. Most importantly, they provide a new voice to those whom the historical record has forever silenced.

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In these detailed retellings of folk tales aimed at adults, discover stories of abandoned men, fools who meet a sticky end, a person still waiting for death, and more. Some in these stories live happily ever after, but not all, as that’s just not real life.

Tom Phillips retells and expands some of the favourite folk tales he has discovered and told over his many years as a storyteller, making them more gritty and real by giving them room to breathe.

The post Unhappily Ever After appeared first on The History Press.

Do you know the legends of the giants who ruled England before the first human kings? What about the demon dog Black Shuck who terrorised sixteenthth-century Norfolk? Or the many times the Devil has tried to get his way before being outwitted by everyday people?

The post The Three Ravens Folk Tales appeared first on The History Press.

The post Halloween Folklore and Ghost Stories appeared first on The History Press.

In this exquisitely illustrated compendium, Channel Island Monsters weaves a web of deliciously dark stories from centuries of fables and their fragments. The werewolves, mermaids, changelings and dragons may seem familiar, but there are also monsters which are strange and unique to the Channel Islands. La Vioge, La Cocangne, Lé Bélengi and L’Êmânue are ancient creatures waiting to be rediscovered, with their eyes still shining and their claws still sharp.

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The fields of folklore have never been more popular – a recent resurgence of interest in traditional beliefs and customs, coupled with morbid curiosities in folk horror, historic witchcraft cases and our superstitious past, have led to an intersection of ideas that is driving people to seek out more information.

Tracey Norman (author of the acclaimed play WITCH) and Mark Norman (creator of The Folklore Podcast) lead you on an exploration of those more salubrious facets of our past, highlighting those aspects of our cultural beliefs and social history that are less ‘wicker basket’ and more ‘Wicker Man’.

The post Dark Folklore appeared first on The History Press.

In mythology, lost lands are coral castles beneath the sea, ancient forests where spirits live, and mountain swamps where trolls lurk. Strip away the mythology, and they become valleys and villages flooded to provide drinking water to neighbouring kingdoms, campsites where travellers are told they can’t travel, and reservations where the rights of first nations people are ignored.

The folk tales in this book tell of these lost lands and hidden people, remembered through migrations, dreams and memories.

The post Boggarts, Trolls and Tylwyth Teg appeared first on The History Press.

‘Samhain was the entry point into winter, a time of hardship, cold and hunger … It was also a time of introspection, of communing with the dead and the otherworld – themes that have somehow survived, albeit distorted, into the modern era.’

The modern celebration of Halloween is derived from the ancient festival of the dead known in Ireland as Samhain. It is from Ireland that we have inherited most of our Halloween traditions, mainly through the diaspora. Delving into the ancient past, this book uncovers the history of this festival in Britain, Ireland and Brittany, including the forgotten goddess Tlachtga and the sacred temple of the Druids in Co. Meath, where the first Halloween fires were lit.

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