Welsh Folk Tales

Gone Medieval

History Hit

History

4.6 • 2.2K Ratings

🗓️ 25 March 2025

⏱️ 62 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Dr. Eleanor Janega welcomes Russ Williams, author of 'Where the Folk? A Welsh Folklore Road Trip', to delve into the rich tapestry of Welsh folklore. From the medieval legends of King Arthur to mysterious saints, ghostly castles and even a killer ape, they explore why Wales is a hotbed for folklore. Russ discusses the unique oral storytelling tradition in Wales, its intriguing tales of heroes, monsters, and supernatural beings and how these stories reflect cultural and historical realities.

Hear more Gone Medieval:

Welsh Ghost Stories: https://open.spotify.com/episode/372E5Cie6GFr1Nv7CC6IOg?si=RCN2S9y7TUaetkCv_u-E7w

Supernatural Medieval Ireland: https://open.spotify.com/episode/05WoMMJK9VMM7LiKp3QQ0w?si=uGFFlTqfRt23CcdwTLVKeA

Gone Medieval is presented by Dr. Eleanor Janega. It was edited by Amy Haddow. The producer is Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

All music used is courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.

Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcast.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hello, I'm Matt Lewis.
0:02.6	And I'm Dr. Eleanor Yonaga.
0:04.2	And we're just popping up here to tell you some insider info.
0:08.0	If you would like to listen to Gone Medieval ad-free and get early access and bonus episodes,
0:13.3	sign up to History Hit.
0:14.5	With the History Hit subscription, you can also watch hundreds of hours of original documentaries.
0:20.6	Such as my new series on everyone's favorite
0:22.8	conquerors, the Normans, or my recent exploration of the castles that made Britain. There's a new
0:29.9	release to enjoy every week. Sign up now by visiting historyhit.com forward slash subscribe, or find a link in the show notes for this episode.
0:45.0	Hello, I'm Dr. Eleanorianica and welcome to Gone Medieval from History Hit, the podcast that delves into the
0:55.2	greatest millennium in human history. We uncover the greatest mysteries, the gobsmacking
1:01.8	details, and the latest groundbreaking research from the Vikings to the Normans, from kings to
1:07.9	popes, to the Crusades. We delve into the rebellions, plots, and murders that tell us who we really were.
1:17.3	And how we got here.
1:38.3	Okay. When we think about medieval folklore, Wales is one of those places that looms large. This is probably unsurprising, given that in some versions of the stories, King Arthur hails from Wales,
1:45.4	and those stories ended up spreading to the continent, giving the country something of a reputation
1:49.9	as a fantastic land. But it's not just Arthur and his men that call Wales home. The country
1:56.8	positively bristles with tales of saints, ghosts, monsters, even pirates.
2:02.6	And we still know where to track down the places where all these stories, theoretically, played out.
2:09.6	To help us travel through this folkloric landscape, I'm joined by Russ Williams, the author of Where the Folk,
2:15.6	a Welsh Fol road trip.
2:18.7	To learn more about these stories and consider why Wales is such a hotbed for all things folklore.
	...

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