Ghosts and Legends of Caerphilly Castle

The following blog comes at the request of one of my readers, who kindly asked me to write about the ghostly Green Lady of Caerphilly Castle. I was unfamiliar with this spooky tale, so I was forced to visit my dusty library and burn the midnight oil, sifting through venerable old tomes of lore. Imagine my delight when I discovered an entire cast of supernatural terrors that call the old castle home.

Caerphilly is a town in South Wales, situated at the southern end of the Rhymney Valley. Its magnificent castle was originally built in the thirteenth century by the powerful Marcher lord Gilbert de Clare as a base from which he could strengthen his control over Glamorgan. It is a place that has witnessed considerable conflict between the de Clare family and the local Welsh rulers. With such a long and violent history, it was surely destined to become the domain of phantoms.

According to legend, Gilbert de Clare married a beautiful French princess named Alice of Angoulême, who came to live at the castle. One day, a handsome Welsh lord called Gruffudd the Fair, Prince of Brithdir, visited Caerphilly. Alice and Gruffudd fell hopelessly in love and became secret lovers.

They might have succeeded in keeping their trysts hidden, but Gruffudd foolishly confessed his love for the lady to a local monk. This duplicitous holy man immediately ran to Gilbert de Clare and revealed everything.

An enraged Gilbert sent the princess back to France before capturing and executing Prince Gruffudd, hanging him from a tree. The vengeful lord then took great pleasure in sending a message to his wife informing her of her lover’s fate. Legend says that, upon receiving the letter, the poor woman dropped dead from shock.

Now, on starry evenings and overcast days, her shade is said to walk the castle ramparts, attired in a beautiful green gown. The colour of her dress is believed to represent her husband’s jealousy.

The Green Lady is not the only spectre said to walk the walls of Caerphilly. People have reported seeing ghostly soldiers standing silently upon the battlements before vanishing in front of startled witnesses. These apparitions are often associated with Caerphilly’s violent medieval past.

A terrifying red figure has also reportedly been seen stalking through the castle ruins. Little is known about this sinister phantom; however, some speculate that it might be the spectre of Gilbert de Clare, whose red hair earned him the name of the “Red Earl”.

There are also reports of a mysterious perfume detected within one of the castle’s towers. Visitors and those working at the castle have reportedly noticed this strange fragrance, the source of which can never be established. It is often accompanied by a sensation of uneasiness and a sudden chill.

There is one more truly horrifying being said to lurk close to the castle. The marshes near Caerphilly were once believed to be home to a dreadful entity known as the Gwrach y Rhibyn.

According to a tradition recorded by Welsh folklorist Marie Trevelyan, the creature would rise from the marshy waters during rainy weather. She was a terrifying sight, with water streaming from her bat-like wings, long black hair and talon-like fingers. She would wring her hands and utter dreadful moans and prolonged wails before flying towards the castle and disappearing within its walls.

The Gwrach y Rhibyn is found throughout Welsh folklore and is commonly regarded as an omen of approaching death. She is, therefore, most certainly one supernatural being you would not wish to go hunting for.

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog, my good friend. If you enjoy these tales of folklore, I would urge you to consider picking up copies of The Wendlelow Mysteries, a trilogy of folk-horror novels told through interconnected short stories and guaranteed to give you a shudder during the coming dark months. The books are available from Amazon, and links can be found in the shop section of this website.

Until next week.

Stay Spooky

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Sources

Wikipedia

Marie Trevelyan, Folk-lore and Folk-stories of Wales (London: Elliot Stock, 1909)

www.spookywales.com/caerphilly-haunted-places