Stranger Than Fiction: Being Tales from the Byways of Ghosts and Folk-lore

"Stranger Than Fiction: Being Tales from the Byways of Ghosts and Folk-lore" by Mary L. Lewes is an early 20th-century compilation of supernatural narratives, examining ghost stories and folk traditions with a strong emphasis on the beliefs and lore of Wales. It looks at the cultural meaning of these stories, Lewes weaves together historical records, folk traditions, and individual stories. The work starts off discussing the long-standing human interest in ghosts, demonstrating how these beliefs are woven into diverse cultures. Lewes quotes Omar Khayyam and talks about how skepticism grew regarding ghosts as time went on, comparing and contrasting it with how often people believed in the supernatural in earlier times. Presenting ghostly events through numerous angles, Lewes touches on specific cases that will be further told in later chapters. By combining academic viewpoints with firsthand narrations, Lewes prepares readers for an enthralling investigation of Welsh ghosts and superstitions connecting the past and the present