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Will o' the Wisp is the most popular name of the mysterious lights observed
in Britain and other countries around the world, which in British tradition
were thought to lead travelers from their proper way into dangerous marshes.
The concept exists with some variation throughout Britain with different
names in different regions. These are ghostly lights, which look like small
flames of fire, and are observed at night or twilight over damp areas such
as bogs and marshes. The presence of Will o' the Wisp has given birth to a
number of legends varying throughout different traditions. The development
of physical science, however, has presented several possible explanations
for this natural phenomenon.
I. Terminology
The term Will-o'-the-wisp is derived from the word "wisp"- a bundle of hay
or straw, which can be used as torch, and "Will-o' " - "Will of". The latin
name for Will o' the Wisp is "ignis fatuus", which means "fool's fire". The
term varies throughout different regions in Britain as well as different
countries in Europe. The concept refers to an old folktale, retold in
different versions across England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Newfoundland
and Appalachia. One of its most popular names is "Jack o' Lantern", which
has variations such as "the Hobby Lantern" in Hertfordshire and East
England, "Peg-a- Lantern" in Lancashire and "Hobbedy's Lantern" in
Gloucestershire. One of the popular versions of the legend comes from
Shropshire, where the phenomenon is incorporated in the legend for "Will the
Smith". In more recent periods, the phenomenon is classified by observers as
a ghost, a fairy or an elemental depending on personal perceptions.
I. Will O' The Wisp In Different Traditions
In different traditions Will o' the Wisp carries different meaning to local
people, having either positive, or negative features. Shropshire, a region
in England, , has given birth to one of the most popular tales related to
this natural phenomenon. According to the tale Will was a wicked blacksmith,
who was given the chance to compensate his sins by St. Peter, but still
lived in a sinful way and ended up wandering the Earth. The only item that
he was provided was a burning coal with which to warm himself, which he
misuses by luring travelers into bogs and marshes.
Among European folklores, such as the Slavic and Gaelic cultures, the Will
o' the Wisps are thought to be maleficent spirits of the dead or other super
terrestrial beings. In one Finnish version they are defined as spirits of
stillborn children wandering between Heaven and Hell.
In some northern nations such as the Latvians, Estonians, Finns and Danes
this natural phenomenon had the positive meaning of marking the location of
a treasure, hidden deep in the water, which could be captured only in the
presence of the fire flame. Finns believed that the fire was used by a
mysterious creature to clean the precious metals within the treasure.
An interesting thing is that Will o' the Wisp reached even Asian traditions.
An Asian theologist relates the phenomenon to the "foxfire", which in
Japanese folklore is produced by "kitsune" (fox).
I. Scientific Explanations
Despite all the legends present in different cultures, which surround Will o'
the Wisp, according to scientists it is a natural phenomenon that can be
explained by physical and chemical concepts. One explanation is that glowing
lights are produced by the oxidation of hydrogen phosphide and methane
gases, which are produced by the decay of organic materials. Scientists,
such as Italian chemists Paolo Boschetti and Luigi Garlaschelli, have
created similar lights by adding chemicals to the gases formed by rotting
substances. However, their finding is criticized by claims that reported
cases of the glowing lights behave in a different way than the ones
observed.
A physical explanation is that the lights are caused by bioluminescent
effects such as honey fungus. By definition "bioluminescence is the
production and emission of light by a living organism as the result of a
chemical reaction during which chemical energy is converted to light energy".
Honey fungus is a parasitic fungus that lives on trees and woody shrubs.
This seems to be a plausible explanation for the presence of Will o' the
Wisp, since these fungi are often met in bogs and marshes.
Another explanation includes causes similar to ball lightning. Ball
lightning takes the form of a glowing object having the size of a
basketball. It is associated with thunderstorms, despite lasting longer then
regular lightnings during thunderstorms. The phenomenon of ball lightning is
little understood, as well as the one of Will o' the Wisp, which might be a
reason for it causing the sightings.
A further explanation is one involving light emanating from electric
currents, which occur sometimes in nature. This theory based on the physical
concepts of electricity easily accounts for the seemingly free movements of
Will o' the Wisp and the idea that it is thought move in reaction to nearby
objects or people.
A pseudoscientific theory was created in the last decade by professors Derr
& Persinger, and Paul Devereux. According to this theory lights are created
by tectonic strain. Their claim is that this strain heats rocks, which
produce electricity, which is channeled up through water until it reaches
air and creates the observed lights. According to Paul Devereux other
possible causes could be geographical features of the area, weather
conditions, terrain, water depth etc. These last explanations, however, are
highly disputed and categorized as pseudo scientific.
I. Sources
O'Donoghue, D. J. "Will o' the Wisp - from Hibernian Tales". Walter Scott
Publishing. 23 April 2007. http://irelandsown.net/willothewisps.html/
"The Earth's Anomalous Light forms". 23 April 2007.
http://inamidst.com/lights/
"The Folklore of the British Isles". 23 April 2007.
http://www.mysteriousbritain.co.uk/folklore/will_o_the_wisp.html/
Wikipedia- The Free Encyclopedia. 23 April 2007. Wikimedia Foundation inc.
http://en.wikipedia.org/
"Xavier Onnasis" wrote in message
. 247...
lots of weather action elsewhere in town on this day...but by the
time I got outside to take a peek, this was all that was left
--
XO