A phosphorescent light that appears, in the night, over marshy ground, supposed to be occasioned by the decomposition of animal or vegetable substances, or by some inflammable gas; -- popularly called also Will-with-the-wisp, or Will-o'-the-wisp, and Jack-with-a-lantern, or Jack-o'-lantern.
Literally translated to 'foolish fire', the term is given to ghostly luminous phenomenon more commonly known as "will-o'-the-wisp", "corpse candles", etc. These are all reportedly strange, dancing lights, sometime reported to be death omens in some traditions. Occasionally attributed to natural phenomena such as igniting marsh gases or ball lightning.
luminous appearance in marshy places or cemeteries. Science attributes it to gaseous emanations; superstition to spirits. Stainton Moses often claimed to have seen lights in cemeteries or in places where sudden death occurred.
a pale light sometimes seen at night over marshy ground
Meaning ‘foolish fire’, this can be any type of variety of ghost or sprit lights.
Literally means, "foolish fire", ignis fatuus are any of a variety of ghost or spectral lights. According to some folkloric traditions, the lights are souls of the dead; in other legends, they are imp-like spirits.
luminousappearance in marshy places or cemeteries. Science attributes it togaseous emanations; superstition to spirits. Stainton Moses oftenclaimed to have seen lights in cemeteries or in places where suddendeath occurred.
A phosphorescent or spectral light that that is alleged to be an indication of death. This phenomenon is thought to be caused by spontaneous combustion of gases emitted by rotting organic matter.