Over in the wild west of the region can be found nestled among the hills many interesting and isolated villages harbouring strange remnants of forgotten lore, writes ghost hunter Richard Holland. At Llangernyw, for example, the little medieval church had a reputation for being haunted by a weird, death-dealing spirit!
The origins of this legend may have something to do with its location. The church itself is centuries old, but the site it stands on was sacred thousands of years before it was built. The churchyard at Llangernyw, midway between Abergele and Llanrwst, has the honour of containing within it the oldest living thing in Wales - a mighty yew tree, which botanists believe to be more than 3,000 years old. This means it was planted sometime in the prehistoric Bronze Age. What makes this particularly interesting is that elsewhere in the churchyard are two standing stones, which would have been raised up by pagans at about the same time.
These stones have primitive Christian crosses etched on them, made sometime in the Dark Ages. Between these Christianised pagan stones and the yew tree stands the medieval church. Clearly, Llangernyw is a very ancient and sacred place.
This then may be what attracted the presence of the mysterious "Angelystor". Angelystor - the Recording Angel - manifested itself in the church every Hallowe'en. Here, at dead of night, it would intone in a deep and solemn voice the names of all those in the parish who were to die in the following year.
One fateful Hallowe-en night, after a few too many pints, the village tailor, a know-all named Shôn ap Robert, laughingly derided the existence of the Recording Angel. Spurred on by his drinking pals, he barged out into the night and made his wobbly way to the church, to prove Angelystor a myth.
But when he arrived at the door he heard to his horror a deep voice booming from within. It was reciting names. And the first name he heard was - "Shôn ap Robert"!
"Hold, hold!" he cried. "I am not ready yet!" But, ready or not, he found his grave in Llangernyw churchyard that coming year.
Reference: Welsh Folklore, Rev Elias Owen, 1896
your comments
Simon from Cardiff
Occam's Razor suggests we should make as few assumtions as possible when it comes to this story. With this in mind, I'd suggest it's more likely to be a hoax than not. I'd also add that this kind of thing doesn't fit within the biblical tradition too - it merely feeds the human instinct to frame a 'happening' within the limits of our understanding.
Mon May 11 08:43:15 2009
Jennifer Smedley, Merseyside
Martin Gillard it would seem to me that you are the one with a very closed mind! I say this because you point blank assert (en quote) "There are no ghosts" Erm, with all due respect Sir... ...How do YOU know?! Are you privy to some information that we lesser mortals do not have?
Mon Feb 9 10:28:22 2009
Martin Gillard, Bagillt
Derren Brown is a good example of how people can be led to believe whatever we want them to. Social programming is a fact of life though we don't realise it's being done to us. Take the attitudes towards smoking for example. Whether we like it or not, we believe what we want to. We see something spooky, it must be a ghost. I have experienced things myself that cannot be explained away any other way. And yet, thinking it through logically, it simply cannot be true. It can't. There are no ghosts. And no, I am not the one with a closed mind, you who are absolutely determined to believe in something you have no evidence or credibility for, that seems to me to be quite a closed mind!
Thu Nov 27 12:26:06 2008
Mahmood Agha, London
Without symbols there will be no religion. Ghosts, angels etc. were symbolically used in every religion to make people understsnd the difference between good and bad.
Tue Jul 29 10:03:38 2008
Rhiannon, Wrexham
Ask yourself these questions: 1. How many people have claimed to see ghosts? 2. Can they all have vivid imaginations? 3. Is it possible they are all liars? Answers: 1. Millions. 2. Unlikely. 3. No. Then reason with yourselves in the context of, "if just one of the millions is telling the truth then there must be something or, not all these people are liars or seeing things". Then repeat the question to yourself, are there such things as ghosts?
Fri Jun 27 11:55:40 2008
Simon Tarlot
Tom Slemen covered this story and unearthed others connected to "Angelystor" - Angel of Death, in one of his Haunted Liverpool books; it is a chilling read.
Mon May 19 09:18:56 2008
Kenny Jones, Chester
Jeanne from Baltimore I have to agree with you. The angel of death is no other than old Beezulbub himself getting victims to join his ranks. The date 31st October should be a great indicator. Very shortly I will be visiting the church at Llangernyw and will pay my respects to Shon ap Roberts' grave and will report back to you all very soon.
Mon Mar 17 10:08:31 2008
Tom Green, Kent
I believe that we should keep an open mind about all things that we do not understand. Although I have personally never experienced any supernatural incident, two of my aunts have and they were both intelligent, truthful and God fearing people who were not prone to any auto suggestion and were genuine in their accounts of their experiences.
Thu Dec 27 08:14:56 2007
Danial Walker
This universe consists of 3 things, 90% angels, 9% jinn (spirits or ghosts, whatever you wanna call it, both good and bad) and 1% human, and there return is to 1, and it will come, because it is written.
Thu Aug 23 15:33:32 2007
Jeanne from Baltimore, Maryland
It's no joke when God calls you home. In my opinion this 'Angel of Death' is not God's 'Angel of Death'. I believe it is a dark/evil entity trying to capture more souls.
Wed Aug 22 11:51:58 2007
Sandie Cunningham, Lancs
My own beliefs on 'why'. I believe all living things have a SOUL - a form of energy - which originated from one source -God (Jehovah, Allah, Great Spirit, etc). And that Earth is just one of many schools in the universe, to which souls return repeatedly to learn lessons in order to evolve spiritually and become enlightened. At the end of each life we consult with ‘Masters’ and ‘The Akashic Records’ to experience all the love, hate, misery and suffering that our actions (intentions) have caused other souls during that life. This can either be Heaven or Hell depending on how we've lived. We assess what lessons have been learned and what lessons still need to be learned. We then choose:- when to return to a new life, our next parents, our sex, physical make-up, environment etc. which we hope will enable us to learn those lessons. Birth ( or conception?) provides a portal for the soul to re-enter a physical body. We may need to have something wrong with us physically or mentally in order to learn an important lesson but we will always have some special talent. In choosing our parents we may also help them learn lessons – miscarriages, abortions, child deaths, birth defects, etc.- all have profound effects on parents, - often making them more loving and caring. Souls travel in soul groups, reuniting in different relationships during various lifetimes, recognising each other as Soul Mates. At birth — everything is forgotten. Some souls learn their lessons quickly (hence 'The good die young' - or we refer to them as 'Old Souls') Others never learn and go on making the same mistakes each new life and so have to keep returning. The ultimate lesson is to learn to love all living things (Souls) unconditionally
Fri Apr 27 14:24:14 2007
Richard, Hope
I think you are wrong, ghosts are real. I've spoken to many people who have been 'spooked' by ghosts. My great great French grandfather was in the war as a doctor and was haunted by the spirits that hadn't lived through the day. Be more open minded you non believers!
Thu Jan 25 11:25:40 2007
Martin Gillard
Just a thought... If we are surrounded by so many spirits of the departed. What will happen to them when this earth finally is destroyed? Will they float endlessly through space? Not a prospect I look forward to. No wait, they are only here waiting to "cross over" aren't they? So we are back to a belief in heaven or hell despite all teaching regarding these doesn't actually allow for the existence of ghosts. Myths and Legends such as this are important in that they shaped the behaviour of our ancestors and as such, influence who we are and how we think today. But please, something isn't true just because you want it to be.
Mon Oct 23 10:00:14 2006
Jennifer Smedley, Merseysid
I have to laugh at people who assert "There is no such thing as ghosts". It's got to be simply because they are scared of the unknown and it's the easiest thing to convince themselves of when they are alone in the dead of night listening to the howling wind and a creaking house! I keep an open mind and agree with Daniel from Denbighshire who says we don't know anything - we don't! None of us know anything for certain - religions, ghosts etc - we have our beliefs, but at the end of the day that is all they are. We are mere tiny human beings in a universe much bigger than we are who know nothing for certain about our existence. Makes life more fascinating really! I also wonder if we were meant to know for certain we would, you know? I have had strange experiences myself but I keep an open yet fascinated mind because, as Socrates so aptly put it - the wisest one is the one who realises he knows absolutely nothing!
Fri Oct 6 11:16:25 2006
Shadow,darkness from the great unknown
...All is the darkness in peoples mind, heed not a fairy tale, but a real life story of souls and swords are told...and remember death is a virtue of only the mind ready to be forgotten as the stories of mysterious disappearences, heed not a fairytale, but life and death itself......become ready for life, death, or another year of waiting......
Fri Aug 11 07:58:04 2006
Daniel J from Denbighshire
I don't think people should be so opinionated, and come out with things like "there is no such thing as ghosts" or "God is this" or "God did that". In reality, it is a matter of opinion, but people tend to offer their opinion as fact, when they don't really know. This lead to millions of people thinking that the world was flat and in certain parts of America, I imagine they still do!
Fri Mar 10 21:46:35 2006
paul from bromborough
i find the story of angelystor a lil scary but i would be prepared to check it out anyone wanna come?
Tue Jan 10 00:03:44 2006
austin from florida, US
i remember the halloween of '82 i was at this church waiting, just waiting to hear this so called recording angel. i heard something (im not sure what) that was naming names. about a minute and a half into the names i was quite aquiver at the sound of my name. i took al the right precautions to stay safe that year and here i am today, 24 years later. its positively with out a doubt a hoax. sorry
Fri Jan 6 17:00:00 2006
Deb from Rhyl
I know there is a great holy spirit around us, it doesn't matter how you choose or not choose to worship it. I also know that each one of us has a piece of that spirit inside us and when we die it leaves the body. Now Jasmine,if you decide to protect yourself and be closed to spirits you will not see them. If how ever your mind is open and you are sensitive to them you will see them. I choose to protect myself because I'm a scaredy cat it doesn't mean strange things dont happen around me though.
Thu Dec 22 09:48:55 2005
Angie, Rhos
Oh dear, have you ever seen the hole in the ozone layer? Do you know anyone who has? I doubt it but we all know it exists. There are many things Jasmine and co. which I personally have never seen. The dodo, for example has never been seen by any living person. How do we know it ever existed? Because of eye witness reports. I find it very unlikely that history would have such a wealth of reports over the years from so many different sources, dating back to times when the various cultures and religions had no communication with each other without there being some element of fact. You cannot choose to disbelieve some things on the basis that they are not in your personal experience unless you choose to disbelieve all things that you only have second hand knowledge of.
Wed Dec 7 23:11:56 2005
kenny jones from chester
Belive it or not these ghosts that people see where once living beings like you and me.remember we are only on this earth a short time so maybe, when the angel of death tells us our time is up we can then join the ranks of these long dead people and say to them sorry for not beliveing in you when i was alive.
Sun Aug 14 09:21:15 2005
Emily from Lincolnshire
Let each other have their own opinions and dont judge them for it!
Fri Apr 1 13:44:42 2005
Ulfrekr from US
Rayvnne, you can't ask for negative proof of something. You can't prove that you don't have a tiny pink unicorn sitting on your left shoulder at all times, but even so, it would be silly to assume there is one there. If you assert the existence of something, the burden of proof is on you, not on the people who question your assertion.
Mon Mar 7 15:12:23 2005
Rayvnne Esme Lorelei, Skelmersdale
I hardly do this sort of thing but Jasmine, whoever you are, show some respect to the spirits. You can't just say they're imaginary without any proof. I may be relatively young but I belive in spirits, ghosts, presences, angels whatever you want to call them and NO-ONE says they're imaginary around me in work because they know if they don't have proof there is NO point trying. There's plenty of proof they exist! Is there any proof they don't exist? I DON'T THINK SO!
Sun Jan 2 19:05:12 2005
James McGill from Northern Ireland
The spirit is very strange indeed. I would very much like to visit it sometime.
Wed Dec 15 12:21:21 2004
Jasmine, Steve
I think all these ghosts and stuff are sooo fake. I am a Muslim and all my friends are as well and none off them have seen ghosts before or believe in them because they know that if you're scared of imaginary stuff then you must be an idiot. So pluck up the courage and don't be scared all these people that say they've seen a ghost.
Sun Nov 21 01:00:50 2004
W, Lancashire
I shall make a special journey to the place in question and have a chat with this so called 'Angel of Death?' Oooooo the great big bully.
Sat Nov 20 01:50:14 2004
Emma Jones, Llandudno
It is probably a practical joke because there is no such thing as ghosts and if there was it would only name the victims that were going to pass on soon.
Tue Apr 27 10:21:50 2004
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