Will-O'-The-Wisp Yokai

**Will-O'-The-Wisp Yokai** are a variation of the Undead Fairy Yokai who are known to be mischievous spirits of the dead.

## Physical Appearance

The Will-O'-Wisp Yokai are usually small ball-like beings. A small ball of glowing flames that floats around. But when they assume a humanoid form, their skin is very pale and usually have red, orange or blue eyes. Though they can also have green, purple and black eyes. Even in their human form balls of flames accompanies them.

## Description

Will-O'-Wisp Yokai have many names. Mostly from Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Venezuela and Uruguay in folklore. Regionally it is called Boitatá, Baitatá, Batatá, Bitatá, Batatão, Biatatá, M'boiguaçu, Mboitatá and Mbaê-Tata. They are known all over the world with differing names, but surprisingly similar appearance and behavior. These yokai are usually seen floating around really dark areas such as swamps, marshes or a thick fog during the night. They can be either benevolent or malevolent beings but they are mostly neutral. Usually known for their mischievousness. They love to play pranks on unsuspecting Humans who comes to those areas during the night.

## Abilities

Here are the abilities that Will-O'-The-Wisp Yokai can have in their arsenal:

* Confusion Inducement
* Electricity Mimicry
* Fire Mimicry
* Intangibility
* Invisibility
* Light Mimicry
* Spirit Physiology

### Associations

* Fairy Physiology
* Fox-Fire Manipulation
* Jack O'Lantern Physiology
* Lightning Ball Form

## Pop Culture

In folklore, a will-o'-the-wisp, will-o'-wisp or ignis fatuus (Latin for 'giddy flame', plural ignes fatui), is an atmospheric ghost light seen by travelers at night, especially over bogs, swamps or marshes. The phenomenon is known in English folk belief, English folklore and much of European folklore by a variety of names, including jack-o'-lantern, friar's lantern, hinkypunk and hobby lantern and is said to mislead travelers by resembling a flickering lamp or lantern. In literature, will-o'-the-wisp metaphorically refers to a hope or goal that leads one on but is impossible to reach or something one finds sinister and confounding.

Will-o'-the-wisp appears in folk tales and traditional legends of numerous countries and cultures; notable will-o'-the-wisp include St. Louis Light in Saskatchewan, The Spooklight in Southwestern Missouri, Marfa lights of Texas, the Naga fireballs on the Mekong in Thailand, the Paulding Light in Upper Peninsula of Michigan and the Hessdalen light in Norway. While urban legends, folklore and superstition typically attribute will-o'-the-wisps to ghosts, fairies or elemental spirits, modern science explains them as natural phenomena such as bioluminescence or chemiluminescence, caused by the oxidation of phosphine (PH3), diphosphane (P2H4) and methane (CH4) produced by organic decay.

Will-o'-the-wisp has appeared in Brave, Final Fantasy, Charmed, Elder Scrolls, and Legend of Zelda to name a few.

## Variations

### Undead Yokai

Will-O'-Wisps are either mischievous spirits of the dead, or other supernatural beings or spirits such as fairies, attempting to lead travelers astray. They manifest usually as ghostly lights or spherical flames, sometimes with a ghostly form holding or carrying them, or as glowing, vaguely shaped form.

### Spirit Yokai

Will-O'-Wisps, in some stories, are described as being mischievous spirits of the dead. They always attempt travelers to follow them astray from their paths.

## Life in the Hidden World

Will-O'-The-Wisp Yokai has an innate, compass-like sense of direction, easily being able to point out where to go and what direction they are facing. Which is why some pirates would have Will-O'-Wisps as navigators because of their compass senses. Being mischievous spirits, they often like to play pranks of unsuspecting Human travelers who are in the swamps, marshes or during a thick fog. This is by making them follow these yokai. Astray from their current paths and making them bump into danger. Sometimes they would turn into a humanoid appearance and use their charms to lure the travelers into their traps.

## Symbolism

The term "will-o'-the-wisp" comes from "wisp", a bundle of sticks or paper sometimes used as a torch and the name "Will", thus meaning "Will of the torch". The term jack-o'-lantern (Jack of the lantern) originally referred to a will-o'-the-wisp. In the United States, they are often called "spook-lights", "ghost-lights", or "orbs" by folklorists and paranormal enthusiasts.