Beware the Pixie Fires of the Will O' Wisps



A will o' wisp is an ghostly light often seen by lost and weary travellers in the dead hours of night whom they lure astray, most commonly spotted near bogs, swamps and marshes. They form a big part of English and European folklore and are also known as Jack o'lanterns, Elf fire, Hinky Punk and Fox Fire. 

In Wales will o's wisps are called Ellylldan which means fire fairy. There is a tale of Iolo the bard who followed an ellylldan from the Welsh mountains to a boggy valley where it led him on a wild chase.

Will o wisps were commonly seen around the fenland swamps of East Anglia before they were drained at the beginning of the twentieth century. It was advised that one could escape from a will o wisp by lying face down until they went away.

In Devon and Cornwall will o wisps are more commonly known as Pixie light and upon the wild moors where travellers can be "pixie-led" by strange lights which entice travellers away from the safe routes and into the dangerous bogs.

Will o wisps appear to be ubiquitous, strange ghostly lights make an appearance in folklore worldwide stretching as far as Asia where they are known as Aleya, a marsh ghost light. They are also prominent in the Americas. In Mexico they are called Brujas and are believed to be witches who have the power to transform themselves into these eldritch lights.

In Finnish mythology there are called the Aarnivalkea and mark the places where fairy gold is said to be buried. This is also believed in Irish mythology.

There are also tales of  will o wisps appearing at sea.




About the Author

S.J.Budd is a writer of all things weird and creepy. Previously her tales have been featured on Deandman's Tome,  Sanitarium Magazine, Dark Gothic Resurrected, Liquid Imagination, Aphotic Realm, Aurora Wolf, Aphelion, Blood Moon Rising Magazine, The Wild Hunt, Danse Macabre, Shadows at the Door, Inner Sins, Bewildering Stories, Siren's Call and many more.
She lives at www.sjbudd.co.uk  and  @sjbuddj 
Spells and Persuasions, her debut collection of short stories of horror and dark fantasy is available now in paperback and kindle from Amazon

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