What do you know of the Will-O’-the-Wisps? – IOTW Report

What do you know of the Will-O’-the-Wisps?

Friday, 9 February 2018, 1:00 MJA Uncategorized 18

Ancient Origins: Will-o’-the-Wisps, also called “ignis fatuus,” Latin for “foolish fire”, are enchanting balls of greenish-blue floating lights observed over swamps and marshes at night. At a distance, they look identical to flickering lanterns. All over the world, since ancient times, people have struggled to rationalize with the origins of these mystery lights; thus, legends and myths appear in almost every ancient culture surrounding Will-o’-the-Wisps.

They make appearances in historical literature such as Shakespeare’s 16th century play King Henry IV, the 17th century Paradise Lost by John Milton, and in the 19th century in Bram Stoker’s Dracula, in which they were an omen to the impending horrors of Dracula’s castle. They also appear in today’s pop-culture in The Neverending Story, Lord of the Rings, and in Harry Potter. However, to understand the place of Will-o’-the-Wisps in mythology and to establish what they actually are, we must travel far back into time – but we will begin with the first written record of the phenomena.

Will-O’-the-Wisps / Jack-O’-Lantern

Will-o’-the-wisps appear in Europe’s written record around the 13th century and tell us that ancient Celtic cultures in Britain and Ireland gave them dozens of names, most famously: “Joan the Wad,” “Jack-o’-Lantern,” “Peg-a’-Lantern,” and “Jenny with the Lantern.” For the most part, Will-o’-the-Wisps were believed to spirits/souls in ‘limbo’ unable to enter either heaven or hell. Hanging around treacherous swamps, marshes, and cemeteries, these enchanting lights lured travelers off their paths and were also seen as omens of death. When they were seen in cemeteries it was held that the only way to clear a wisp was to throw a handful of dirt from “its” graveyard.  read more

18 Comments on What do you know of the Will-O’-the-Wisps?

  10. I’m pretty sure that Will-o-the-Wisp was a character introduced in Marvel’s Cloak and Dagger series (a DareDevil spinoff) that also appeared in the Amazing Spiderman in the 70’s and 80’s. Other than that, I got nothing.

  12. BUTTHEADICUS. Damn you again, I went to Summerville light many times.Took many girls out there. Couldn’t find the place now if I had to. You sure we don’t know each other.

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