Where the Folk - by Russ Williams (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

A road trip through Wales and its rich history of folklore.

Russ Williams was raised on Welsh stories, like the one about a mountain that would send you mad or turn you into a gifted poet if you camped out on it, or the one about the lost civilization drowned by the sea, and the one about the bottomless lake leading down to the Welsh Otherworld. Stories of witches and giants and heroic kings, dragons and mad doctors, ghostly women, giant beaver monsters, vampire furniture, and pirate-fighting monks.

As entertaining as it is informative, Where the Folk follows Russ Williams as he travels in Griff, his creaky red Fiesta, in search of places associated with Wales's legends, folklore, and urban myths. In this joyful travelogue, not only does Russ recount some of Wales's most interesting stories, but he also explores the origins behind the myths, talking to experts and storytellers to find out how and why they might have come about, and what they tell us about Wales past and present.

Review Quotes

"In this jaunty, lighthearted travelogue, [Russ Williams] spans the Celtic principality, talking to locals and gathering scraps of tales.

An oral quality permeates the narrative. Although prepared with an eye for the page, the ear cocks sharply. For Williams emphasizes how the lore of Wales keeps getting transmitted by word of mouth. He encounters stories of banshees, old hags, witches and sullen spirits of various titles or pathological reputations. In brief chapters, resembling inevitably their brisk births as internet posts, Williams records his encounters with those who may be in the know."-- "Spectrum Culture"

"A thoroughly entertaining romp through Welsh places and stories. Russ Williams is a gifted storyteller with a real knack for bringing places and old legends to life."--Claire Fayers, children's writer and author of Welsh Giants, Ghost and Goblins

"Russ Williams's nationwide search for some of Wales's most enduring folkloric landmarks propels the reader on a colourful whirlwind tour through millennia of weird history and culture. From heartbroken saints and tree-bound skeletons to ghostly apes and the mischievous Mari Lwyd, here you'll find a treasure trove of Welsh myth and legend waiting to be cracked open."

--Delyth Badder, folklorist and author of The Folklore of Wales: Ghosts

"Russ's stories are told in the context of the Welsh people who hear them for the first time and say 'wtf'? If anyone has ever asked 'Is that story true?' just read Russ's book. It won't answer the question because it's the wrong question, but you'll understand why you asked it in the first place.A delicious blend of academia and anarchy, Russ retells Welsh folk tales in our time through the life and humour of a 21st-century Caernarfon boy."
--Peter Stevenson, storyteller and author of Illustrated Welsh Folk Tales for Young and Old

"'Where the Folk' reveals how stories might have evolved and the pitfalls of over-analysis. They are stories after all, kept alive for new audiences with constant refreshing.

It is this continuous endeavour I find touching. From Victorian-era entrepreneurs eager to entice tourists, the Welsh Language Board teaming up with Tesco to promote Santes Dwynwen, Pat and Ellie working hard to maintain the custom of the Mari Lwyd (despite the weight of the skull), or a host of creative primary school teachers, Russ Williams reveals a rich storytelling tradition in which 'Where the Folk' absolutely merits its place."-- "Nation.Cymru"

About the Author

Russ Williams grew up in Caernarfon in North Wales and now lives in Cardiff. He runs two blogs, Brawd Autistico, which documents his life with an autistic brother, and Where the Folk, about Welsh folklore and urban myths.