The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1881-05-19

One moment seen. then lost TO sight;
The gorgeous clouds at set OF sun,
That crown the day when 1t Is done;
The frosty pictures on the pane,
Tho curling smoke that fioats away;
A snow wreath on winters day
WIN 'e"'''''' 'nr00 sun 0oIs %M. afe Y. r. Triounc.
THE LL.O.THE.WISP.
Among the many sources ofsupersti-
ton in this and other countries, the
phenomenon well-known as the Will-o'-
the-Wisp has from time immemorial
held . prominent place. Indeed, it
would be no easy task to enumerate the
various shapes in which the imagina-
ton has pictured this mysterious ap-
pearance, not to mention the manifold
legends that have clustered round it.
In days gone by, when our credulous
forefathers believed in the Intervention
of fairies in human affairs, the Will-o'-
the-Wisp entered largely into their no.
tions respecting the agency OF these
little beings in their dealings with man
kind; and, as will be seen in the course
OF tho present paper, numerous stories
were often related in which some fairy
disguised as Wll-o' -the-Wisp was the
chief character. 1t is worthy, too, of
note that, although in these enlightened
days every relic of primitive culture is
gradually fading from our gaze, the old
superstitious fancies associated with
this nocturnal visitor still survive with
more or less vigor, retaining that hold
on the vulgar mind which they former
ly possessed. Thus. in remote villages
and secluded country hooks the peas
ant, while not forgetting the traditions
| Ill e., 80
believe with implicit faith in those
quaint and weird fancies which have
invested the Will-o-the-Wisp with such
q peculiar dread. This terror. as we
shall point out. in great measure
originated in the many tales and leg
ends that were in past centuries framed
to explain and account for this decept-
i've phenomenon.
Referring, then, in the first place, to
the various names assigned toit-many
of these are extremely curious, differing
according to the country and locality.
Its most popular appellation, Will-o'-
the-Wisp. was probably derived from
its customary appearance; this wander
ing meteor having been personified
because it looked to the spectators like
q person carrying q lighted straw torch
in his hand. Hence it has been termed
Jack. Gill, Joan, viii or Robin, indif-
ferently, in accordance with the fancy
of the rustic mind; the supposed spirit
of tho lamp being thought to resemble
either male or female apparition.
Hentzner, for instance, in his "Travels
in England" Q598), relates how, re-
turning from Canterbury to Dover,
"there were q great many Jack-a-
lanthorns, SO that we were quite seized
with horror and amazement."
In Worcestershire, the phenomenon
is termed by the several names of
"Hob-and-his-Lantho "Hobany's
Lanthorn" and I" Hoberdy's Lanthorn"
tho word Hob in each case icing the
same name as occurs in connection with
the phrase hobgoblin. Itappears that,
in days gone by, Hob was o frequent
name among common people.
1t is called, by the French and Span
iards inhabiting the coasts of the Med
iterranean, st. Helcne's or St. TeImc's
fires; by the Italians. the tire of St.
known rs the fire of ST. Helen, st. Herm
and st. Clare. Whenever it appeared
rs single fame il was supposed by the
ancieuts TO be Helena, the sister of Cas-
| tor and Pollux, and 10 bring ill luck,
from the calamities which this lady is
known to have caused in the Trojan
war. When it came rs a double flame,
| it was called Castor and Pollux, and ac-
counted good omen. 1t has also been
| described as little blaze of fire, some.
times appearing by night on the tops ol
| soldiers lances, or at sea on masts and
sail-yards, whirling and leaping in the
twinkling of an eye from one place to
another. According to some, it never
| appears but after tempest, and is sup
posed to lead people to suicide by
drowning.
A curious illustration of this phe.
nomenon is recorded in Hakluyt's
Voyages" C59S. iii. 450): 81 do re.
member that in the great and bolster.
Gus storm of this foul weather, in the
night there came upon the top Of oul
mainyard and mainmast O certain little
| light, much like unto the light of lit.
tie candle, which the Spaniards call the
Cuerpo Santo. This light continued
aboard our ship about three hours, fly
ing from mast to mast, and from top to
top; and sometimes it would be in two
or three places at once" This meteor
was by some supposed to be spirit
and by others an exha1ation of moist
vapors, thought to be engendered by
foul and tempestuous weather.
Referring, in the next place. to the
legends associated with the Will o the.
Wisp, we may mention that these. al
though differing in many respects
generally invest this strange mimicry
in nature with the supernatural ele
ment, which is said to be generally ex
ercised for the purpose Of deluding, in
some way or other, the benighted trav.
| a1or InAaoA xya,,lI caa,,, that ~
past centuries, whatever phenomena
were of an apparently Elusive or hos.
tile character. were regarded by primi.
tive science as specially designed tc
work pain or evil, even although, BY
way of treacherous bait, they might
possess the most attractive qualities
Thus, as Mr.. Conway has pointed on,
in his work on '.Demonology and Devi
Lore" because many a pilgrim ''per
ished through confidence in the lake
pictures of the mirage which led tc
carelessness about economizing his Skin
of water, the mirage gained its present
name-Bahr Sheitan, or Devils Wa
rer." Thus, oftentimes, the harmless:
and beautiful phenomena in nature
have been invested with an evil name,
| simply because our ancestors, living in
the childhood of the world, were una,
BILE to comprehend their meaning, and
so, in all the freshness of their creative
fancy, regarded them as demoniaca
agencies to thwart and hinder mans
progress in moral culture. Strange
therefore, as it may seem, we in oul
nineteenth century have in many of the
legends that survive in this and othe1
countries relics of Aryan science, which
although meaningless to the casual OBJ
server, yet embody the teaching o
primitive man.
in this country the Will-o'-the-WisI
has been connected with the fairy race