Cult Accessories CT054
Celtic Tomes
This chapter covers Temples, Altars, Images, Symbols, and the Cult of Weapons of the Ancient Celts.
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Festivals CT053
Celtic Tomes
The Celtic year was not at first regulated by the solstices and equinoxes, but by some method connected with agriculture or with the seasons.
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Tabu CT052
Celtic Tomes
The Irish geis, pl. geasa, which may be rendered by Tabu, had two senses. It meant something which must not be done for fear of disastrous consequences, and also an obligation to do something commanded by another.
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Sacrifice and Prayer CT051
Celtic Tomes
The Celts offered human victims on the principle of a life for a life, or to propitiate the gods, or in order to divine the future from the entrails of the victim. We shall examine the Celtic custom of human sacrifice from these points of view first.
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Cosmogony CT050
Celtic Tomes
The Celts may have possessed the Heaven and Earth myth, but all trace of it has perished. There are, however, remnants of myths showing how the sky is supported by trees, a mountain, or by pillars.
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Animal Worship CT049
Celtic Tomes
Animal worship pure and simple had declined among the Celts of historic times, and animals were now regarded mainly as symbols or attributes of divinities.
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Tree and Plant Worship CT048
Celtic Tomes
The Celts had their own cult of trees, but they adopted local cults. This chapter also details how the Celts made their sacred places in dark groves, the trees being hung with offerings or with the heads of victims.
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River and Well Worship CT047
Celtic Tomes
Among the Celts the testimony of contemporary witnesses, inscriptions, votive offerings, and survivals, shows the importance of the cult of waters and of water divinities. This chapter also details the many fairies and folklore creatures associated with water.
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Primitive Nature Worship CT046
Celtic Tomes
McCulloch talks about animism, where everything was a person and the greater objects of nature were worshiped for themselves alone.
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The Cult of the Dead CT045
Celtic Tomes
The custom of burying grave-goods with the dead and other grave customs is the subject of this chapter. McCulloch also talks about the role of fairies and the festival of Samhain.
info_outlineGrotesque Ghosts
British Goblins: Welsh Folk Lore, Fairy Mythology, Legends and Traditions (1881)
Book 2 Chapter 4
by
Wirt Sikes
We hear about the grotesque ghosts of Welsh folklore, the story of the minister and the phantom horseman, Anne Jenkins and the giant ghost with the long black tongue. Sikes also tells us about dark or black men in the Mabinogion, spinning or whirling ghosts as well as those that play tricks on people. He leaves us with the story of the Tridoll Valley ghost and its many antics with stones, pilchards and the maid's bed-clothes!
Running Order:
- Grotesque Ghosts 0:53
- The Phantom Horseman 1:44
- Gigantic Spirits 6:08
- The Black Ghost of Ffynon yr Yspryd 8:11
- Black Men in the Mabinogion 9:54
- Whirling Ghosts 11:42
- Antic Spirits 13:31
- The Tridoll Valley Ghost 16:10
- Resemblance to Modern Spiritualistic Performances 23:17
- Household Fairies 25:45
Names Used in this Section
All proper names, and words in Welsh or other languages, are recorded here in the show-notes and we've done our best to get the pronunciations right for you.
Rev. John Jones, Holywell, Flintshire
Heinrich Zschokke
Bala, Merionethshire
Machynlleth, Montgomeryshire
Llanuwchllyn
Edward Frank
Thomas Miles Harry, Aberystruth
Abergavenny
Thomas Lewis, of Llan-haran, Glamorganshire
Anne
Herbert Jenkins, Trefethin
Rhiw-newith
Ffynon yr Yspryd
Mabinogion
Peredur
Carn
Sindbad the Sailor
Cynan
Polyphemus
Odysseus
Prophet Jones
Lewis Thomas
Bedwellty
John Jenkins, Abertillery
Jeremiah James
Abertillery Household
Thomas Andrew
Llanhiddel
Llanllechid, Carnarvonshire
Bangor
Edward Roberts, Llangunllo, Radnorshire
Knighton
William Thomas
The Tridoll Valley Ghost
Williams Evans
Rev. R. Tibbet
Montgomeryshire
Cawnen
Allen
Akron, Ohio
Michael Metzler
Mrs. Knoss
Rochester
Bwbach
Hoibgoblin
Nis
Brownie
Kobolds
Kobold Hinselmann
Grimm
Feldman
Woo, 'Che-wan-luk'
British Goblins can be found on Archive.org
You can find out more about Wirt Sikes on Wikipedia.
Try the Celtic Myth Podshow for the Tales and Stories of the Ancient Celts at http://celticmythpodshow.com or on Apple Podcasts.
Our theme music is "Gander at the Pratie Hole" by Sláinte. You can find their music on the Free Music Archive.