Book Review: “Wales of the Unexpected”
Wales of the Unexpected
Richard Holland
If you are in any way interested in the folklore and ghost stories of Wales, this book is worth picking up. It’s not overly long, and it’s a really nice size, perfect to clutch in your hand as you snuggle up to a fireplace in the cold dark nights of winter.
Some elements of this folklore will be familiar, similarities cropping up in urban legends and folklore from around the world. Much of what Holland collects here he’s picked up from sources in the 1800s, and, as well as the tales of ghosts and death omens and other presences, it also offers an insight to life in 19th Century Wales.
Some of the stories, too, are aided by Holland’s own experiences, or by later sightings, recorded in newspapers. The information is taken from a newspaper column Holland wrote, and thanks to people reading and reporting their own stories, there’s a nice ‘Reader’s Stories’ section at the back.
The spirits in Wales of the Unexpected cover a wide range of types, and Holland also covers sightings of other kinds, a few unique to this part of the world, others, again, having echoes in cultures everywhere. It leans towards a ‘darker’ side of folklore, and many will recognise the ghost stories and tales of faeries (Tylwyth Teg), as well as the Mari Lwyd, but outside of these are spooky animal spirits, appearances of the devil, and strange phenomena that moves a whole household. It’s packed full, and worthy of a space on any folklorist’s shelf.
Review by Elle Turpitt
Twitter & Instagram: @elleturpitt
I purchased this book.