Will-o’-the-wisp / ignis fatuus / Jack-o’-lantern / Friar’s Lantern / Hinkypunk / Hobby Lantern / Irrbloss / Aarnivalkea

The Will-o’-the-wisp, also known by various names such as ignis fatuus, Jack-o’-lantern, Friar’s Lantern, Hinkypunk, Hobby Lantern, Irrbloss (Swedish), and Aarnivalkea (Finnish), is a folkloric phenomenon observed in many cultures around the world. This mysterious light appears at night, often over marshes, swamps, or other secluded areas, and is said to lead travelers astray. The Will-o’-the-wisp has long been associated with ghostly or supernatural origins and is often interpreted as a trickster spirit or malevolent force.

Characteristics of the Will-o’-the-wisp

1. Appearance:
   • The Will-o’-the-wisp is typically described as a faint, flickering light that resembles a lantern or torch, often blue, yellow, or white in color. It moves erratically, floating through the air at a distance from those who try to approach it.
   • In many legends, the light seems to recede or move away as someone attempts to follow it, leading people into dangerous or treacherous areas like bogs, marshes, or deep forests.
2. Supernatural Explanations:
   • The Will-o’-the-wisp is often attributed to spirits, fairies, or ghosts that either play tricks on travelers or guide them toward danger. In many stories, the light is said to lead people away from safe paths and into peril, causing them to become lost or trapped in the wilderness.
   • In some folklore, these lights are thought to be lost souls or spirits of the dead who are cursed to wander the earth, unable to find rest. They are sometimes seen as guides to the afterlife, either helping or misleading those who encounter them.
3. Scientific Explanations:
   • While the phenomenon has been widely regarded as supernatural, scientists have proposed natural explanations, particularly involving phosphorescence or bioluminescence. One common theory is that the light results from the combustion of gases such as methane and phosphine produced by decomposing organic matter in marshy areas. These gases can ignite spontaneously when they come into contact with oxygen in the atmosphere, creating a flickering light.

Folklore and Legends

1. Will-o’-the-wisp in English Folklore:
   • In English folklore, the Will-o’-the-wisp is often associated with a mischievous spirit, typically called Will, who carries a lantern to lure travelers off the safe path and into danger. One version of the legend tells of a blacksmith named Will who was so wicked that he was denied entry to both Heaven and Hell. As a result, he was cursed to wander the earth with only a burning coal from Hell to light his way, becoming the Will-o’-the-wisp.
   • Another common name, Jack-o’-lantern, has a similar origin and is connected to the Halloween tradition of carving pumpkins with faces. This story is often linked to the legend of Stingy Jack, a trickster who deceived the Devil and was condemned to roam the world with a lantern, using a piece of burning coal placed inside a carved-out turnip.
2. Ignis Fatuus:
   • The Latin term ignis fatuus, meaning “foolish fire,” is commonly used to describe the Will-o’-the-wisp phenomenon. This term emphasizes the deceptive nature of the light, which appears enticing or harmless but ultimately leads people astray.
3. Hinkypunk (England and Scotland):
   • In parts of England and Scotland, the Hinkypunk is another name for the Will-o’-the-wisp. It is often described as a one-legged creature that hops around with a lantern, misleading travelers into treacherous places, such as swamps or quicksand. Hinkypunks are generally portrayed as malevolent, delighting in causing confusion and leading people to their doom.
4. Friar’s Lantern:
   • Another term for the Will-o’-the-wisp is Friar’s Lantern, a reference to a flickering light that travelers might encounter in the wilderness. The “Friar” aspect of the name reflects the deceptive nature of the light, suggesting a false religious or spiritual guide.
5. Irrbloss (Swedish) and Aarnivalkea (Finnish):
   • In Swedish folklore, the Irrbloss is similar to the Will-o’-the-wisp and is believed to be fairy fire or spirit lights that lead travelers astray. These lights are said to flicker and dance in the distance, leading those who follow them into danger.
   • The Aarnivalkea in Finnish folklore refers to magical fire or treasure fire seen over hidden riches. It is said that only those with pure hearts or special knowledge can find the treasure, while others are led astray by the light.
6. Hobby Lantern (English):
   • The Hobby Lantern is another regional name for the Will-o’-the-wisp, particularly in the West Country of England. It has similar connotations of a deceptive or misleading light that leads travelers away from safety and into perilous areas like marshes or bogs.

Symbolism and Interpretation

1. Symbol of Deception:
   • The Will-o’-the-wisp is widely regarded as a symbol of deception and illusion, often leading people toward danger despite appearing innocent or even helpful. The creature or force behind the light delights in trickery, using the promise of guidance to lead people astray.
   • In some cultures, the Will-o’-the-wisp is seen as a metaphor for false hope or unreachable goals—a flickering light in the distance that seems attainable but recedes whenever it is approached. This idea is often connected to the notion of chasing something that is ultimately unattainable.
2. Warning Against Hubris:
   • The Will-o’-the-wisp is also a warning to travelers and adventurers not to stray too far from the beaten path or to trust seemingly easy solutions. It represents the dangers of overconfidence, curiosity, or greed, which can lead one into treacherous situations.
3. Death and the Afterlife:
   • In some folklore, the Will-o’-the-wisp is associated with the souls of the dead, particularly those who have been denied peace or redemption. These lights may be seen as ghosts or spirits attempting to lead the living astray or guiding them toward the afterlife.
   • In other traditions, it represents the idea of a soul in limbo, cursed to wander the earth and mislead others, much like Stingy Jack from the Jack-o’-lantern legend.

Will-o’-the-wisp in Popular Culture

The Will-o’-the-wisp has permeated popular culture, appearing in literature, folklore-inspired films, and video games. It is often portrayed as a supernatural phenomenon with either a mischievous or malevolent nature:

• “Brave” (2012): In the Disney/Pixar film, the Will-o’-the-wisp is a mysterious light that leads the protagonist, Merida, toward a mystical adventure, but its intentions are ambiguous.
• Video games: Games like “The Witcher” and “The Elder Scrolls” have incorporated Will-o’-the-wisp-like creatures that deceive or attack players, emphasizing their ghostly and dangerous attributes.
• Fantasy literature: Many fantasy novels reference Will-o’-the-wisps as ghostly lights that lure characters into magical or perilous situations.

Conclusion

The Will-o’-the-wisp is a captivating figure in European and global folklore, embodying the allure of mystery, the trickery of false guidance, and the danger of stepping off the path into the unknown. Whether viewed as a natural phenomenon, a symbol of deception, or a mischievous spirit, the Will-o’-the-wisp continues to fascinate and inspire, reminding people of the thin boundary between the seen and unseen, the known and unknown.

Description

A will-o’-wisp is a ghostly light seen by travelers at night floating above land or water. They are usually seen over swamps [1].

It has a lot of names due to the spread and longevity of the myth over Europe. The name will-o’-wisp or will-o’-the-wisp comes from the word wisp meaning “a bundle of sticks or paper sometimes used as a torch” and the name “Will”, thus meaning “Will of the torch” [2-4].

The name Jack-o’-lantern originally referred to a will-o’-wisp and there are many other names. In the United States, they are often referred to as spook lights, ghost lights, and orbs [5]. 

The will-o’-wisp is said to mislead travelers who believe they are lanterns and is metaphorically the hope that leads one but is impossible to reach [6].

Will-o’-wisp in Folklore around the World

The will-o’-wisp exists in a large amount of folklore. In European folklore, they are often like many other mythological beings believed to be the spirits of the dead, fairies, or other supernatural beings that lead travelers to their demise. In some tales, they are the spirits of unbaptized or stillborn children who are flickering between heaven and hell. 

Sweden had a similar belief saying that they are the spirits of unbaptized children who try to lead travelers to the water in hope of being baptized [7].

There are also many stories where will-o’-wisps mark the location of buried treasure. In many of these cases you could only dig up the treasure when the wisp was there and in some, you may need the hand of a dead man to uncover the treasure. The Aarnivalkea in Finnish myth is a version of this myth believing it to be an eternal flame marking the spot of hidden fairy treasure. This treasure is also believed to be protected by a mystical glamour preventing travelers from stumbling upon the treasure by chance. The only way to see through this glamour is to find a seed from a flowering fern (which in reality doesn’t exist) which would lead you to the treasure. This seed would also provide you with the same glamour making you invisible.

Similar Folklore

There are many very similar creatures or spirits around the world related to the will-o’-wisp. There are even other similar spirits in Europe. In Welsh folklore, it is said to be a fairy fire which is held in the hand of a pùca or pwca which is a small mischievous goblin-like creature. This is also very similar to the Scandinavian lyktgubbe which is a small elf-like creature floating around with a lantern.

The Aleya is an almost identical creature which is a strange light spirit which floats around over marshes in Bangladesh and West Bengal. These would confuse fishermen making them lose their bearings and fall in [8,9].

The Chir batti meaning “ghost-light” also spelled chhir batti or cheer batti is a strange dancing light found in the marshy wetlands and adjoining desert of the marshy salt flats in India near the Indo-Pakistani border [10].

In Japanese folklore, there is the Hitodama meaning “Human Soul” and many similar which are described as balls of flame or light. They are often associated with graveyards, kitsune, or other yōkai [11,12].

The Min Min lights in the Australian outback are also equivalent. These are found even in aboriginal myths pre-dating western settlements [13,14].

The children of the Native American Nalusa Falaya have also been compared to the will-o’-wisps [15].

Sources:

[1]: Trevelyan, Marie (1909). Folk-Lore and Folk-Stories of Wales. London. p. 178. ISBN9780854099382. Retrieved September 18, 2010.

[2]: Wagner, Stephen. “Spooklights: Where to Find Them”. About.com. Archived from the original on 2007-10-22. Retrieved 2007-12-08.

[3]: Floyd, Randall (1997). “Historical Mysteries: Ghostly lights as common as dew in Dixie”. The Augusta Chronicle. Retrieved December 8, 2007.

[4]: “Ghost Lights and Orbs”. Moonslipper.com. Archived from the original on March 11, 2007. Retrieved November 18, 2011.

[5]: Harper, Douglas. “Jack-o’-lantern (n.)”. Online Etymology Dictionary. Archived from the original on 2017-10-19. Retrieved 9 May 2013

[6]: “Will-o’-the-wisp”. The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language. Houghton Mifflin. 2007.

[7]: The Element Encyclopedia of Vampires (Theresa Cheung), HarperCollins

[8]: Pandey, Ambarish (April 7, 2009). “Bengali Ghosts”. Pakistan Times. Archived from the original on October 25, 2011. Retrieved November 18, 2011.

[9]: “Blog post by the author Saundra Mitchel of the novel “Shadowed Summer” at Books Obsession”. Booksobsession.blogspot.com. October 9, 2009. Retrieved November 18, 2011.

[10]: D V Maheshwari (August 28, 2007). “Ghost lights that dance on Banni grasslands when it’s very dark”. The Indian Express. Archived from the original on January 14, 2009.

[11]: Lombardi, Linda. “Kitsune: The Fantastic Japanese Fox”. tofugu.com

[12]: Mizuki, Shigeru. “Graphic World of Japanese Phantoms”. 講談社, 1985. ISBN978-4-06-202381-8 (4-06-202381-4).

[13]: Pettigrew, John D. (March 2003). “The Min Min light and the Fata Morgana. An optical account of a mysterious Australian phenomenon” (PDF). Clin Exp Optom. 86 (2): 109–20. doi:10.1111/j.1444-0938.2003.tb03069.x. PMID12643807.

[14]: Kozicka, M.G. “The Mystery of the Min Min Light”. Bolton Imprint, Cairns 1994

[15]: Ajk’in. “What do you know about nalusa falaya?” scriptmyth, scriptmyth.tumblr, (2018-08-04), https://scriptmyth.tumblr.com/post/176629514492/what-do-you-know-about-nalusa-falaya. (2022-11-03).