The Corpse Candle - British Goblins CT021

The Corpse Candle - British Goblins CT021

Author: Gary & Ruth Colcombe October 18, 2017 Duration: 24:47

The Corpse Candle

British Goblins: Welsh Folk Lore, Fairy Mythology, Legends and Traditions (1881)

Book 2 Chapter 9

by

Wirt Sikes

Corpse Candles are ghostly candle lights that allow us to see through the veil, or seen as an omen of forthcoming doom. How the candle lights are not tricked and how they can be seen coming from the mouth of a corpse. Sikes tells us the story of Morris Griffith and the 'Light before the Burying' as well as how Corpse Candle lights can be seen on the surface of water and streams. He finishes off by discussing the origins of the phantoms of the spirit world which ends the last chapter of Book 2 of British Goblins.

  • The Corpse Candle 0:55
  • Its Peculiarities 2:12
  • The Woman of Caerau 4:05
  • Grasping a Corpse Candle 6:26
  • The Crwys Candle 7:24
  • Lights issuing from the Mouth 8:39
  • Jesting with the Canwyll Corph 9:48
  • The Candle at Pontfaen 12:18
  • The Three Candles at Golden Grove 15:21
  • Origin of Death-Portents in Wales 16:02
  • Degree of Belief prevalent at the Present Day 17:28
  • Origin of Spirits in General 19:34
  • The Supernatural 19:56
  • The Question of a Future Life 21:30

 

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.


Caerau
Crwys Candle
Canwyll Corph
Pontfaen
Aneurin
Llandovery
Cymry
Flambeau
Lledrith
Cardiff
Marquis of Bute
John Richards
'O wi! O Dduw!'
Jenny fach, Hach
Thomas Mathews
Liber Landavenis
St. Samson
St. Bubricius
William John
Lanboydi
Carmarthenshire
Morris Griffith
Pembrokeshire
Tre-Davydd
Llanferch-Llawddog
Mr. Higgon
Joshua Coslet
Heol Bwlch y Gwynt (Windgap Lane)
Llandilo Fawr parish
Prophet Jones
Golden Grove
Earl of Cawdor
St. David
King Arthur
Pelagian
Gwrach y Rhibyn
Cyhyraeth
Cambridgeshire
Evansville, Indiana
Feast
Tolaeth
Disraeli
Lothair
Plato
Aristotle

 

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.


Imagine a shelf of old, beautifully bound volumes filled with tales of ancient heroes, elusive fairy folk, and age-old wisdom from the misty hills and shores of Celtic lands. Celtic Tomes is an invitation to open those books with Gary and Ruth Colcombe, who serve as your guides through this rich literary landscape. Each episode is a curated reading from classic texts, bringing to life the myths, legends, and folklore of Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and beyond. This isn't just a recitation; it's a shared experience for anyone who has ever admired those collections in a shop or library but found the time to delve into them elusive. You'll hear the stories of the Celts themselves, the deep lore of the Otherworld, and accounts of magical encounters that have shaped cultural imagination for centuries. Tuning into this podcast feels like joining a conversation in a cozy study, where the weight of history meets the warmth of storytelling. Whether your interest lies in bardic poetry, ancient battles, or the mysterious customs surrounding fairy forts, Gary and Ruth provide a direct, engaging pathway into these narratives. They handle the reading so you can simply listen and be transported, making the vast world of Celtic literature accessible and vividly alive one episode at a time.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 59

Celtic Tomes
Podcast Episodes
Wedding Customs - British Goblins CT027 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:25
Wedding Customs British Goblins: Welsh Folk Lore, Fairy Mythology, Legends and Traditions (1881) Book 3 Chapter 6 by Wirt Sikes Ancient Wedding Customs of the Welsh, including the custom of bidding for wedding gifts and…
Courtship and Marriage - British Goblins CT026 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 18:42
Courtship and Marriage British Goblins: Welsh Folk Lore, Fairy Mythology, Legends and Traditions (1881) Book 3 Chapter 5 by Wirt Sikes Welsh customs of courtship and marriage. Sikes tells us about the Welsh Goddess of Lo…
Welsh Christmas - British Goblins CT025 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:20
Welsh Christmas British Goblins: Welsh Folk Lore, Fairy Mythology, Legends and Traditions (1881) Book 3 Chapter 4 by Wirt Sikes All about bell-ringing competitions between villages at Christmas time, the 'Pipes of the Wa…
Midsummer Eve - British Goblins CT024 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 18:59
Midsummer Eve to Hallowe'en British Goblins: Welsh Folk Lore, Fairy Mythology, Legends and Traditions (1881) Book 3 Chapter 3 by Wirt Sikes All about Midsummer Eve and the Beltane Fires that precede it leading up to Hall…
Sundry Lenten Customs - British Goblins CT023 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 21:57
Sundry Lenten Customs British Goblins: Welsh Folk Lore, Fairy Mythology, Legends and Traditions (1881) Book 3 Chapter 2 by Wirt Sikes All about traditions and customs occurring around Lent in old Wales. Sikes tells us al…
Quaint Old Customs - British Goblins CT022 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:54
Quaint Old Customs British Goblins: Welsh Folk Lore, Fairy Mythology, Legends and Traditions (1881) Book 3 Chapter 1 by Wirt Sikes Quaint Old Customs tells us to rise early on New Year's morning to bring good luck, the M…
Tolaeth Death Sounds - British Goblins CT020 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:40
Tolaeth Death Sounds British Goblins: Welsh Folk Lore, Fairy Mythology, Legends and Traditions (1881) Book 2 Chapter 8 by Wirt Sikes The Tolaeth Death Sounds includes the strange sounds that foretell death, the story of…
Welsh Death Omens - British Goblins CT019 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:26
Welsh Death Omens British Goblins: Welsh Folk Lore, Fairy Mythology, Legends and Traditions (1881) Book 2 Chapter 7 by Wirt Sikes Welsh Death Omens includes the Welsh Banshee or Gwrach y Rhibyn, crying spirits, the groan…
Medieval Devil in Wales - British Goblins CT018 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 21:59
The Medieval Devil in Wales British Goblins: Welsh Folk Lore, Fairy Mythology, Legends and Traditions (1881) Book 2 Chapter 6 by Wirt Sikes The Medieval Devil in his customary form in Wales. How Sion Cent tricked the Dev…
Familiar Spirits - British Goblins CT017 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:14
Familiar Spirits British Goblins: Welsh Folk Lore, Fairy Mythology, Legends and Traditions (1881) Book 2 Chapter 5 by Wirt Sikes Familiar Spirits are known to often throw stones, especially when at Preachers trying to ex…