Folkore of Wales: The Skeleton Tree, Derwen Ceubren yr Ellyll
Derwen Ceubren yr Ellyll, which means “The Hollow Oak, Haunt of Demons” or “The Blasted Oak of Spirits” was a real tree. Its story is dark and terrifying.
Author: Remy Dean
Remy Dean is an artist and author of a dozen published books and scores of features in national newspapers and magazines. His epic series, This, That, and The Other, are fantasy adventures inspired by local folklore and fairy tales, written with his daughter, Zel, as creative consultant. Previous works of fiction include Scraps, a punk-noir novel, Final Bough, a tale of the supernatural, and The Race Glass, a short story collection. He also writes regularly about art and film for several online journals.
Remy was born in Newport, Gwent, 1965, and now lives with his wife, daughter, and dog in Snowdonia. For more information, go to Remy’s own weblog: www.remydean.blogspot.co.uk, or for regular updates, follow Remy Dean on Twitter: @DeanAuthor.
Off the Grid: The Epic Tale of The Dun Cow, or… How Now Brown Cow?
There was once a bright-white cow which travelled round the world, giving milk enough for all comers. Whoever drank of her milk immediately became wise.
Ferrous Friend or Foe? How Iron Became the Enemy of Fairy Folk
Iron bands around coffin of a witch were believed to prevent them from escaping their tombs. Yet iron has also been the saviour of many church bell ringers.
Folk-Ore: The Magical Power of Blacksmiths and Their Enduring Stories
The folklore of iron and smithing has been common since prehistory, and one of the oldest folktales tells of a blacksmith forging a deal with the devil.
Black Arts and Talismans: Huw Llwyd, the Real Welsh Wizard
Huw Llwyd, the Welsh wizard, has been immortalised in the folklore and fairy tales of Wales, his fantastic exploits told and re-told down the ages.