will o' the wisp
Sign in to savethumb|upright=1.35|The Will o' the Wisp and the Snake by Hermann Hendrich (1854–1931)
AI overview
A will o' the wisp is a ghostly light sometimes seen hovering over marshy or swampy ground, historically explained by various natural phenomena like decomposing gases or reflections. The phenomenon has captured people's imagination for centuries, inspiring folklore, artwork, and literature as a mysterious and often dangerous apparition.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Article
24 sectionsContents
- Nomenclature
- Etymology
- Synonyms
- Folklore
- Americas
- Asia
- Europe
- Britain
- Ireland
- Oceania
- Scientific explanations
- Historical explanations
- 20th century
- Literature and popular culture
- Global terms
- Americas
- Asia
- Europe
- Oceania
- See also
- Explanatory notes
- References
- Bibliography
- External links
thumb|upright=1.35|The Will o' the Wisp and the Snake by Hermann Hendrich (1854–1931)
In folklore, a '''will-o'-the-wisp, or will-o'-wisp (, "foolish flame"), is an atmospheric ghost light seen by travellers at night, especially over bogs, swamps or marshes.