The mythical ghostly horse-figure, Mari Lwyd, will return to Aberystwyth next Friday to celebrate Yr Hen Galan - of the Old New Year.

The Mari Lwyd custom in Wales dates back to the early 1800s and sees a hooded, real-life horse skull paraded through town, accompanied by singers.

Traditionally, Mari and her attendants would call door to door asking for entry through the medium of song.

It is said that taking part in the procession will bring good luck for the year ahead.

The parade in Aberystwyth this year will take place on Friday, 16 January, starting near the Bandstand on the Promenade at 6.30pm.

Band Twmpath Aberystwyth will provide accompanying music for the musical battles between Mari and the people of the town.

The parade will then head to Bank Vault at 7pm, the Ship and Castle at 7.45pm before ending up at Yr Hen Llew Du at 8.30pm.

Money raised from the event will go towards the Ceredigion Bay Marine Wildlife Centre.

The mare called Mari or 'Grey Mary' comes from an obscure Welsh folklore tradition involving the use of a horse's skull, with historians not being able to place exactly where the strange celebration first stemmed from.

This doesn't stop celebrators however, and at Aberystwyth Bandstand and Dinas Mawddwy the horse skull paraded eight feet in the air along streets requesting entry to various establishments with lewd and rude rhymes known as 'pwnco'.

She is an otherworldly vision - a horse's skull with bauble eyes and ribbons, draped in a sheet and carried above a person on a pole, animating the jaw.

But with her spectre-like looks and tradition of terrorising neighbours with songs and antics in exchange for being let in, her scary likeness can often be spotted as early as Halloween.