Will-o’-the-Wisps

Will-o’-the-wisps, also known as ignis fatuus (“foolish fire”), are ghostly lights seen at night over marshes and wetlands. They appear to move, luring followers into dangerous terrain. Every culture has legends about them.

The Names

Jack-o’-lantern in England. Fuegos fatuos in Spain. Irrlichter in Germany. Hitodama in Japan. Min Min lights in Australia. The phenomenon appears in every culture, under different names.

The Appearance

Witnesses describe floating balls of light, usually pale blue or green, that hover over marshy ground. They seem to recede when approached, leading unwary travelers deeper into dangerous terrain.

The Explanation

Science attributes will-o’-the-wisps to the combustion of marsh gases, particularly phosphine and methane from decaying organic matter. This doesn’t explain their apparent intelligent behavior.

The Folklore

In folklore, the lights are ghosts of the dead, fairies, or demons. They deliberately mislead travelers. To follow them is to court death by drowning or getting lost in wild places.

Assessment

Will-o’-the-wisps may have natural explanations, but their behavior suggests purpose. Whether intelligent spirits or chemical phenomena, they have led humans astray for millennia.