EP19 The Jack-O'-Lantern of Wales: A Halloween special exploring the most horrible history of a "dreaded ghost" which haunted the dark Welsh forests on Nos Calan Gaeaf

The Welsh jack-o’-lantern is far more terrifying than some carved
pumpkin. 


While the image of a grinning orange vegetable might be a
modern-day staple of Halloween, in Wales it was traditionally
carved from a swede and was known as Jack y Lantern.


This "dreaded ghost" was thought to be a diabolical form of
corpse candle that would lure lonely travellers away to a fate
worse than death in the dark forests at night, and it could even
be working in conjunction with the hobgoblins, fairies, or even
the Devil himself.


In this eerie episode of the Ghosts & Folklore of Wales
podcast, MARK REES (author of Ghosts of Wales/ Paranormal Wales
etc.) recalls a long-lost real-life encounter from the archives
in which a "respectable" man encounters a Jack y Lantern one dark
lonely night.


In this case he lives to tell the tale, but then he returns to
that haunted spot a second time to confirm that his eyes were not
deceiving him, and that's when things get even spookier...
Halloween in Wales

October is the Halloween takeover month on the Ghosts &
Folklore of Wales podcast, and this is the second of five
stand-alone specials.


For a full list of episodes check out the Halloween Specials
podcast page.
Nos Calan Gaeaf

In Celtic times, each day began at sunset. October 31 - Nos Calan
Gaeaf in Welsh, the night before Calan Gaeaf - marked the
beginning of winter, and while it was a time for celebration, it
was also a time of great apprehension.


For more about Nos Calan Gaeaf, be sure to listen to the Ghosts
& Folklore podcast all through October and check out The A-Z
of Curious Wales.