Tag Archives: Michelle Angelique Duncan

The Boogieman and the Monster Under the Bed

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The Boogieman and the Monster Under the Bed-By Angelique Duncan

The sound in the dark, that scratching at your window, the shadow that moved in your peripheral vision; that feeling of knowing you are being watched while you lie in your bed. You call out asking who is there. There is no answer. Silence. You turn the light on and check once again. Under the bed, in the closet, peer into the corners and under the clothes in the laundry basket, nothing is there. You turn the light off and as soon as you lie back down, you feel it again. He is watching you. He is never seen and his voice is never heard, but you know he is there. He has a name; it is fear. He is the Boogieman.

Some form of Boogieman legend exists in nearly every culture and on every continent. Although his name may be different and his description varied he is intrinsically the same. He is feared. He is known as the Boogieman, boogey, Boogie Monster, Bogyman, Sack man, Booger Man, Boggart, Der Schwarze Mann, Bubak, the Bagman and a host of other names depending on where you are on the globe.

His description changes form region to region. Some believe he is a shape shifter and can take the form of any living thing, particularly animals and creatures. In most mythologies he is identified as male, although in some countries he is a she and takes a female form.

The Boogie Man has been described many different ways. He has been said to be small and hairy with deformed limbs, big red eyes with claws and sharp fang teeth. Others say he is tall, gaunt and abnormally thin. Some say he has hooved feet and devils horns. Others say he wears a dark hat and a cloak or a black hooded robe. Many legends tell of a scarecrow like figure, telling that he has a Jack o Lantern head, or no head at all. Descriptions vary from a lizard like creature to being animal like or even being seen as a demon. In each culture he takes on a different description, each more hideous and scary than the other, always somewhat humanoid yet a monster of some type and most often thought of as a shape shifter.

It is not clear where the Boogieman comes from. Some believe he originates from the warning tales of Goblins in the British Ise and stories of him migrated with the Scottish and Celts to Germany. However, some sort of established Boogieman mythology existed in every culture well before European migrations. Some believe he comes in with fog. Legends are told of a green fog associated with the Boogieman’s appearance. It is thought by many that he lives in shadows and dark dusty musky places. The Boogieman can move through houses unseen, living in basements, attics and cellars or between walls and floorboards. He can maneuver under beds, into closets and under laundry hampers undetected.

He thrives on darkness, only stalking at night and will retreat from light. He watches in the dark and waits until one is alone to terrorize. It has been told that that he will only attack those who are not asleep while other telling’s state that sleep is when he attacks. In most folklore he will only stalk one specific victim at a time and will wait until they are defenseless in bed.

Some believe he is a punisher much like Krampus, the devil like creature who disciplines naughty children during the Christmas season. In many cultures he is used as a threat by parents to children who misbehave. The concern of a visit from the Boogieman is used to curtail every offense from sucking ones thumb, not finishing ones dinner to not going to bed on time. The punishment being that the offending child will be taken away by the Boogieman at night.

Legends abound of the Boogieman hiding in shadows and snatching children and travelers who are out too late after dark. The most common folklore that appears in European, Asian and South American folklore is that he carries them away in a sack to be tortured and eaten. A legend in Czech and Polish regions claims that the Boogieman, under the name Bubak, drives a cart drawn by cats and looks for victims at night, piles them on the cart and takes them away to be skinned and fed to the cats.

Although many stories tell that the Boogieman appears as a consequence of ones actions as a disciplinarian or for being out too late, other myths tell that he picks his victims at random out of a sinister cruelty. That one never knows when or why the Boogieman will take a victim, he just does out of spite.

Theories have been told that the Boogieman is an evil spirit or an undead entity wandering the earth. Other theories say he is a demon unleashed from Hell. Stories exist that the Boogieman was a tortured and abused child who was unwanted and unloved. His parents killed him and he came back from the grave to torture and punish other children as a result. Another legend is that he preys on adults who are bad or abusive to their children as retaliation for his own parents’ misgivings. A modern explanation for the Boogieman is that he is an amalgamation of irrational fear. A trick of the subconscious mind settling at night while dealing with stress or worry that has manifested as a “stalking monster” that will not let one rest. One constant is that the Boogieman is always associated with fright. It is widely held he will take on the shape of his victims’ worst fears. It is rumored he feeds upon terror and needs his victims scared in order to feast.

It is not known if the Boogieman exists. He may be made up by adults to scare little kids into being good. The stories have passed down so many generations and been retold so many times that he has become “real”. Maybe, collectively we keep him alive. He may exist because we allow him to by perpetuating the myth. Given that so many of us at some point in our lives have been afraid of the monster under the bed or felt there was something hiding in the closet; perhaps he is real and is feeding upon our shared consternation.

For good measure, before you go to sleep at night, check under the bed and make sure the closet door is closed. Check under your laundry, keep the bedroom door cracked open and a keep a night-light on. If you hear that scratch at the window, bumping in the night and the shadows begin to move, it is probably your imagination or perhaps it is just your fears…

Sleep tight and don’t let the Boogieman get you.

Illustrations “The Boogieman” and “The Monster From the Closet” Copyright Michelle Angelique Duncan.

Angelique Duncan is proprietor of Twilight Faerie Nostalgic and Capricious Objects. Check out her artist page to find links to her shops and vintage inspired traditional holiday art. Visit again next month for more traditions and folklore.

The Goblins

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The Goblins-By Angelique Duncan

The Goblins

The Goblins are related to the Brownies and Gnomes of the British Isle. Often they are called Knockers, Kobolds, Bogart, Boogey or Boogey Man interchangeably. Goblins come from the ground and live in marshes, under bridges, abandoned farms and mines. They are the mischievous and sinister cousin species to the benevolent Good Folk, however the Goblins never learned or refused, to live in harmony with mankind.

Goblins have been described differently depending on region and era. Usually they are said to be humanlike and small in nature. Some folklore says they are under a foot tall while others state they are the size of a small child. Often in ancient stories they are said to be hairy with long arms and large feet or distorted features. Sometimes they are described to have hoofed feet and horns or pointed ears. Some say they have large round eyes that are red or yellow. In modern illustrations they are depicted as humanoid, hairless with greenish or grey skin and with devil like features.

Once it was popular belief that Goblins inhabited caves and mines. Some stories tell that the Goblins would knock to warn the working miners of cave-ins or poisonous gases. However some folklore suggests the opposite, that the Goblins would cause the mines to cave and that they were actually responsible for creating the poisonous gases to get rid of the humans so they could keep resources for themselves.

Folklore surrounding the Goblins states that they are responsible for abducting travelers on dark roads and for stealing pets and children, especially around Halloween. Some believe that Goblins looking for a new dwelling would follow people and take over their homes.

It is said that one should never invite one into your home or adopt a Goblins company. They are destructive creatures that cause misery and ill fortune. Goblins are the ones who make things go wrong. If you find sand in your bed, milk that sours too soon, knocked over things, pulled up plants from the garden, untied shoes and stained linens regularly in your home; you may have a Goblin.

At night Goblins will torment the people they have attached to by pulling the sheets off the bed and rearranging pillows. They have been reported to pinch or poke people while they are sleeping. Other tactics of the Goblins is to put cold hands on people’s feet, tug on their ears or nose or slap ones face while one sleeps.

Their behavior can escalate beyond acts of inconvenient mischief, to acts of terror. Goblins have been said to steal or endanger livestock and ruin crops. They cause harm to small animals and can make them disappear. Goblins are known as thieves and can bring financial ruin. Once it was believed that when a horse gets skittish and spooked or if a dog growls or barks when nothing seems to be there, the animals are aware that a Goblin is present.

Once a home is invested with a Goblin they can be near impossible to get rid of. Goblins are said to follow a family or individual if they attempt to abandon it, often increasing their acts of ill intent out of anger. Popular deterrents to prevent Goblins from entering the home are to hang a horseshoe over ones door or to keep a bowl of salt next to the door. One must be careful to never allow their shoes to lie upside down, as this invites Goblins to your home. Many folklores state the only way to rid oneself of a Goblin is to either outwit them by extreme trickery or by ultimately killing it. Be very careful when traveling near abandoned buildings, bridges or caves. Pay attention when your dog seems to bark randomly. Goblins may be near.

Angelique Duncan is proprietor of Twilight Faerie Nostalgic and Capricious Objects. Check out her artist page to find links to her shops and vintage inspired traditional holiday art. Visit again next month for more traditions and folklore.

The Brownies

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The Brownies-By Angelique Duncan

With the coming of Spring comes Spring cleaning. If one is fortunate they will have some help with this annual task from a Brownie. The Brownies are a kin to the gnomes and tomte of Scandinavia and often mistaken as such, however they are a different species of mythological creature.

Brownies originate from the British Isles and regions of Scotland. They are small in stature anywhere from a foot to 3 feet tall. Most stories tell of them being male with varied appearances depending on their region and clan of origin. Some tell they are portly with beards, others say they are slim with pointed ears and small facial features. Other reports are that they have unusually round eyes and noses. They are often seen wearing simple brown or earth tone clothing usually well worn and sometimes tattered from years of work. They prefer to wear some sort of hat. Hence, the name “Brownie” comes from their brown attire and appearance.

There are different types of Brownies who have taken on different responsibilities in the world. Some are tasked with protecting lakes and waterfronts and are known as Kelpies or Shellycoats. The name Shellycoat was given for the seashells they wear as armor. Some Brownies, known as the “Brown Men” are protectors of small woodland animals and wild flowers. They are considered wild brownies and have very rarely been seen by man, as they avoid humans at all cost.

Some varieties of Brownies have taken to living in harmony with humans, if they feel that human is worthy of their service. Some will take residence in a barn and help with the chores and labor outdoors of tending to gardens and livestock and take pride in overseeing the crops. They are content to make a bed of hay and live among the barn animals, to keep a watchful eye over them.

Others are more domestic and will take on household tasks indoors. They help with the general cleaning and washing tasks, mending clothes and watching over family pets. The domestic house Brownies prefer to work at night as to not be seen or have interruptions while they work.

Brownies are noble creatures with a strong work ethic. Generally Brownies are good natured and happy in spirit. In some regions they are known as the “Good Folk” for their high moral standards and values. A brownie will only take up residence in a home with a family they feel is high in virtue. Often they will create a special bond with one family member and pay particular attention to assisting and protecting that person. In some homes the bond is with a pet that they have a special relationship with. Sometimes the Brownie will let their existence be known to only one family member or pet of the home, other times the entire house is aware of their presence.

In return for helping in the home Brownies welcome their own designated place by the hearth for them to enjoy snacks and naps by the fire. Often a Brownie will be content with offerings of sweet bread, porridge or thimbles of honey. They have a particular fondness for cream and will remain loyal for years if it is offered on a regular basis. They are content to make a space in a corner or nook of the house. Brownies will live in attics; between floorboards or under stairs until they are certain they are staying and accept a room of their own. Once a Brownie has been with a family for many years and feels they have a permanent home they will accept their own “room” in the house. They will make a space for themselves in a broom closet, pantry or storage room, making a permanent bed and gather knick-knacks and sparkly things for decoration of their space.

Although the Brownies live a life of solitude away from others of their kind, folklores have been told that twice a year the Brownies will gather with their kin, at the Spring Equinox and again after the fall harvest. It is said the Brownies will gather in a wooded place to have meetings and festive social celebrations. Brownies are highly protective of their females. They will bring back their wives and children to their home once they have established it is safe. The household may never be aware of the female Brownie presence.

Brownies expect respect and acknowledgement of their service to a home, but do not want fussy compliments or praise. They seem to operate under a mutual respect relationship. They are finicky about taking gifts and will become highly offended if offered clothing. It is believed that it is a matter of pride for the Brownies, in that the offering of clothing is an insult to their appearance. Another theory is that to offer clothing is to insinuate that the Brownie is now more human than Brownie and an offense to their heritage of simplicity. Some have thought that once the Brownie has new clothes that they leave because they got what they came for, however this seems unlikely given their high moral fortitude.

Brownies do not approve of lying and stealing. They will not tolerate manipulation or acts of deceit. Brownies are highly offended by gossip and most offended by cheating. If they become aware of such acts they often retaliate with acts of mischief and will try to sabotage the act to prevent it. If the family they have taken up with commits these acts and do not head their mischievous warnings the Brownie will leave in disappointment. Brownies have an expectation that humans operate by the Brownie code of ethics and trust. Once breached, it is very difficult if not impossible to gain back a Brownies trust.

Brownies do not trust established churches. A Brownie will discontinue service to a home if the family they live with tries to have them Baptized or attempt to convert them to the church religion of the house. Brownies will not take up residence in overly religious homes. Brownies distrust anyone who does not enjoy drinking the occasional ale, meade or beer, breaking bread with friends and dancing. They feel that those who are overly religious or pious are usually disingenuous in their righteousness and not to be trusted. It is thought that the distain that Brownies have for the church ties back to their heritage and the history of their ancestors and humans who defended them being persecuted and drove underground during the establishment of Christianity in Europe. Most Brownies are said to view organized religion as hypocrisy, as the Brownies believe that strong morals and values are innate to individuals and come from within.

Brownies are known to be fickle and can be offended without one ever knowing what they have done to offend them. Once offended a Brownie will leave without warning, never to return. Stories have been told that once a Brownie has left a home, ruin will come to that home. Misfortunes will afflict the livestock, crops will become diseased, and the house will begin to fall apart. It is said that fixtures and tools within the home begin to break; important documents will go missing, and troubles of debt or of legal nature will bestow the home. Some say it is a hex that is put on the home by the Brownie for the family’s breach of trust. Others say it is the Karma created by whatever ill action the family took that drove out the Brownie. Some seem to believe that the decay of the home occurs because the family no longer has a Brownie to keep order and protection and is a natural result of loosing the Brownies immaculate services and organizational skills.

So this Spring when you start your annual cleaning if you notice that things are bit tidier than you remember and tasks are finished that you thought were undone; it may be the work of a Brownie. Feel honored if you have been chosen. Not everyone has the good fortune of a Brownie in his or her house. Be mindful though; leave out some cream or cakes for as quickly as a Brownie arrives they may leave.

Artwork “The Brownie” appears courtesy of Twilight Faerie

Angelique Duncan is proprietor of Twilight Faerie Nostalgic and Capricious Objects. Check out her artist page to find links to her shops and vintage inspired traditional holiday art. Visit again next month for more traditions and folklore.

The Vampires

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The Vampires-By Angelique Duncan

The Vampires

Many of us know of the Vampires. Cloaked undead revenants that have returned from the dead to suck the blood of their victims and spread misfortune to those they infect. They roam through the night searching for their victims in flight as a Vampire bat shifting into human form to seduce their victim for that bite upon the neck. Swiftly they return to their coffin before daybreaks and the sun rises. Where did they come from? Did or do they exist? Or are they the stuff of imagination and hysteria to explain what was misunderstood and couldn’t be given explanation?

Through out history there have been documented cases of bizarre murders and bloodlettings that have been officially classified as the work of Vampires. Individuals who committed heinous and brutal killings have been either identified in records as, or self proclaimed as Vampires. Up into modern decades, serial killers have mimicked Vampire style murder.

Vampire is a word of Slavic origin. In Turkey the translation is literally witch. Often they are referred to as revenants. Stories of Vampires, under different names, first appeared in Slavic regions in the 11th century and in European history after the 1400’s. The term Vampire began to appear in the English language around the 1700’s. It was used to describe those who it was believed had escaped from the grave after burial. Stories have been recorded and passed down of graves that had been unearthed and the remains moved or in other positions than they were left in that led people to suspect that Vampires would leave their graves by night and return to them by day.

A possible explanation for the unearthed graves of earlier times is that graveyards were not as secure as they are today making it easy for grave robbers to dig up graves to riffle for jewelry and valuables. Some in the scientific and medical community would dig up graves for the opportunity to work with human remains as cutting cadavers was considered a morbid practice and not approved of. A more gruesome explanation for the altered positioning of bodies might have been the result of patients who were buried too soon and had not completely expired at the time of burial. The disturbed coffins were the result of their desperate attempt to release themselves form untimely burial.

Though some believed that the explanation was that the deceased had become a Vampire. Efforts where made to contain the undead from returning by loading rocks upon the gravesite. Another early practice was staking corpses that were believed to be Vampires into their coffins so that they could not leave the grave at night. This may be where the belief that Vampires can only be stopped by a wooden stake through the heart stems from.

The superstitious held that that Vampires would return to the home or family they came from to settle scores or execute revenge on those closest to them. It was further believed that Vampires would retain their sexual appetite, seeking their spouses to continue their relations after death or to infect the spouse to take them with them to the grave. If a member of a household had died from disease and shortly there after other family members had fallen ill, it was believed that the member who died first had returned and infected the home. It thought as well that a household who recently experienced a death suffered from misfortune, it was a curse left by a Vampire. Today many believe that households that suffered mass deaths from a particular disease did not occurred from corpses returning from the grave, but from a lack of sanitation and proper understanding of the containment of infectious disease.

Early descriptions of Vampires were that they were pale, bloated and swollen with sunken eyes. It was thought that they drank the blood of live humans to nourish themselves after death. Those who had been bitten would suffer the same fate, to become a Vampire. These physical descriptions of vampires may have been based on people of earlier decades limited knowledge of decomposition of the body after death.

Corpses would be buried in unsealed wooden boxes and often not as deep or well covered as modern burial practices. As the body decays the stop in blood flow to the capillaries ceases, causing the skin to turn pale. The stop of oxygen flowing through the blood stream causes skin to have a gray or bluish tint. The under the eye cavity begins to sink and become purplish. Decomposition of intestines at a greater rate than the rest of the body causes bloating and in some cases can push blood up the intestines to the mouth. Bodies buried in winter tend to decompose slower and if buried right before a frost of freeze, a body will “preserve” given the appearance that the dead is not decomposing. All these elements would make for the common descriptions of undead, blood feasting revenant. The bloating would be mistaken for being well fed, and the blood seeping from the mouth evidence that the subject had been sucking blood.

Folklore tells that not all Vampires dwelled in graveyards. It was believed that some existed among the living. Those with strange unexplained appearance and behaviors was suspect of being infected as a Vampire. Accounts of people who were accused of Vampirism may have been suffering from medical disorders that were not well understood that fit the descriptions given of Vampires. Possible diseases that could have been mistaken for Vampirism were rabies, severe anemia and Photosensitivity.

Another disease associated with possible Vampirism is anemia, a condition in which the blood lacks iron. Those who suffer from anemia can become pale often with dark circles under the eyes and marbling of the skin. In some severe cases, anemia can cause gastrointestinal bleeding, left untreated can cause one to spit up blood. An early treatment for anemia was the consumption of blood to replace the needed iron.

Photosensitivity is a condition that causes an inability for an individual to go out in sunlight without ones skin blistering or burning. The lack of vitamin D would cause folks affected to be pale lacking pigment. This would add to the belief that a person affected with vampirism could only maneuverer at night.

A commonly held belief was that Vampires were shape shifters who could transform into nocturnal animals, often the animals associated, as Vampires were owls and wolves. It would not be until 1897 that the belief that Vampires shifted into bats would become a part of the folklore. The idea came from Bram Stokers tale of Count Dracula. Although Europe does have a bat population, the iconic blood feasting bats used in Vampire mythologies was not discovered until explorers identified them in Central America. The bats were named after the undead creatures of the night and Stoker evidently felt it would be a good fit for the character of his book. The link between Vampires and Vampire bats has been in place ever since*.

Cultures have had a fascination with the Vampire for centuries. The mythology of Vampires has been driven by ancient folklore, written history, fiction writers and moviemakers, who keep the legends alive. In the modern era Vampirism has become a fashionable fad. Less the gruesome bloated monsters of their origins, Vampires have become romanticized as something attractive and mysterious. The modern Vampire is sleek, debonair and seductive.

The existence of the Vampires has never been proved or disproved. Perhaps they lie waiting in their graves to rise again. Maybe they walk amongst us disguised as everyday people. Who knows if the bat that flies across the midnight sky is just a common bat or a mythological shape-shifting Vampire looking for blood.

* Although vampire bats have been referenced in this entry in association with Vampires please do not fear or discriminate against them. For more information and facts about vampire bats as a species visit BatWorlds to learn more about them. http://www.batworlds.com/vampire-bat/

Artwork “Dissolution” appears courtesy of Chad Savageand may be purchased through his Etsy shop.

Artwork “Emeraude Feels Festive” appears courtesy of Art By Saradaand may be purchased through the HAB catalog.

Angelique Duncan is proprietor of Twilight Faerie Nostalgic and Capricious Objects. Check out her artist page to find links to her shops and vintage inspired traditional holiday art. Visit again next month for more traditions and folklore.

The Full Moon and the Wolves

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Copyright Angelique Duncan


The Full Moon and the Wolves
-By Angelique Duncan

The full moon of January is the Wolf Moon. It was titled by Native Americans who named each moon in the calendar for attributes that occurred in nature during that lunar cycle. While other animals take shelter and hibernate during the harsh cold of January, the wolves remain active, searching for food. It was considered very dangerous to go out during a full Wolf Moon for fear of wolf attacks. The January Wolf Moon was given its namesake for the baying of wolves that could be heard over the silence of Winter.

Wolves in mythology have been seen as leaders of the animal realm. Revered for their intelligence and tremendous hunting skills, relentless loyalty to protect their pack, nurturing instinct to their young and feared for their strength and ferocity in attack. The wolf in Native American, as well as Norse, Germanic and Slavic cultures was seen as a magnificent warrior, either to be respected or to be feared.

Many Native American tribes believed that if one were to wear a wolf pelt in battle they would channel the wolves fighting instinct and technique to be as the wolf. Those who wore animal pelts in battle were known as “Skin Walkers”, guided by their animal spirit.

The concept of “Skin Walkers” that existed in other cultures may be where the legends of the Werewolf beginnings. Although there are many possible origins and mythologies surround the half man half wolf legend. None seem to be confirmed and the history is cloudy. The stories exist in European regions of wolf warriors, half wolf- half man predators, werewolves and changelings, however recorded historical documents prior to the 13th century have either been destroyed, lost or suppressed from the public sphere of history. As Christianity spread across Europe much of what had been believed to have been recorded in Pagan histories was either left out or re-written by the church and became the stuff of myths and rumors.

Some of the earliest recorded wolf legends go back to the Greek mythology of Lycaon, who was changed into a wolf as punishment for eating his child. The Romans had many myths linked to wolves as both nurturing mother spirits and as predators’.

The wolves are a prominent figure in Norse mythology, most originating from the story of Fenrir. Fenrir was one of three sons of Loki. It was feared he would devour the rehlm and was captured. However he continued to grow huge in captivity. As the legend goes, dwarves where commissioned to create a special chain to bind him to a boulder were a sword was placed in Fenrirs jaw to keep him form attacking. From his frothing saliva a river was formed.

Stories of Werewolf like beings appear in legends from Germanic Pagans and Slavic regions as well in Norse mythology. Like the “Skin Walkers” of the Native American tales, stories are told of vicious Wolf Warriors. Men who would wear the skins of wolves and transform into wolf creatures who were animalistic in their fighting, and said to be stronger and resilient to pain. It is written that they were nearly impossible to take down in battle as if immortal.

In Irish folklore stories are passed down of the Laignach Faeland. They were half man half wolf beast who acted as mercenaries for hire. They would fight for a bounty of the flesh of small children and babies. Much fear and destruction was associated with the Laignach Faeland. They were large, fierce warriors who were unrelenting in battle.

Through out the history of Europe during the 14th through 16th centuries reports were made of Werewolf or shape-shifter attacks. The accusations were of wolf creatures that hunted humans. The victims were brutally attacked, often dis-membered, gutted and left for dead. In some instances the blood had been drained from their bodies. No wolf creatures were ever identified or confirmed and the predators never caught in these mysterious deaths.

During the witch trials in France of the 14th to 15th centuries accusations were made of shape shifting witches. Allegations were also made of witches consorting with Werewolves. In Hungary trials were set against Werewolves as late as the 18th century. It was believed that Werewolves, Witches and Vampires were responsible for bazaar deaths of humans and the mass disappearance of livestock.

In many early Werewolf legends it is believed that the wolf shape-shifting and transformation happened most prevalently during the Winter Solstice and during Ostera or Easter during a full moon. Mythologies from France, Italy and Germany stated that one could be metamorphosed into a wolf by sleeping outside in ta full moon on a designated Wednesday or Friday during the Summer months. It was believed that one would transform into a Werewolf by becoming naked and wearing a wolf skin pelt or belt. Some believed drinking rainwater collected in the track of a wolf would bring on Werewolf changes. Legends were spread that drinking water from enchanted steams during a full moon or a beer specially made from enchanted spring water would cause the affliction of wolf transformation. Some stories tell of witch spells that were cast to change the victim.

The commonly accepted way to stop a Werewolf is by use of a silver bullet or silver weapon. This comes from 18th century folklore of Germany and was reinforced by 19th century literature. The notion became popular and has remained part of Werewolf lore. Early beliefs were that scolding an infected victim or running it to the point of exhaustion could stop a Werewolf. Others believed that looking the beast in the eye and repeating their Christian given name three times would exorcise the wolf out of the infected. Some held that the only cure to Werewolf-ism was to fully convert to Christianity.

There are scientific explanations that could explain what may have been confused for shape shifting by an uneducated populace of the earlier centuries. Such conditions would include hypertrichosis, a condition in which one experiences abnormal thick hair growth that covers the body. Some victims of the condition experience adult onset, which would give the illusion that they are changing into an animal from their human form since they did not have the hair growth in childhood. Another misunderstood medical condition was photosensitivity in which one cannot go out into sunlight. A full moon would offer someone suffering from the condition an ability to move at night with out harm and bolster beliefs of nocturnal animal behaviors attributed to humans. Infection with rabies may be another condition that would have been confused with possession by wolf. The symptoms of a bite received from a rabies infected animal could have been confused for transformation by one who did not have an understanding of the disease.

We do not know if Werewolves existed or still do. The evidence is not conclusive or well documented to make the case either way. However the legends and stories do exists and are a part of our modern culture. Wolves are a deep seeded component of the history of such great cultures as the Norse, the Italians as well as France and Germany and an important animal in Native American beliefs.

Be warned, the next Wolf Moon occurs January 5th 2015. If you happen to about outside and you here the distant howl of a wolf take heed. It could be a transformed Werewolf, the ancient cry of a forgotten Wolf Warrior or the ghost of a noble animal Wolf Spirit calling for his pack.

Illustration “Full Wolf Moon” appears courtesy of Michelle Angelique Duncan-Twilight Faerie.

Angelique Duncan is proprietor of Twilight Faerie Nostalgic and Capricious Objects. Check out her artist page to find links to her shops and vintage inspired traditional holiday art. Visit again next month for more traditions and folklore.

The Spirit of the Holiday

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copyright Twilight Faerie


The Spirit of the Holiday
-By Angelique Duncan

As the holidays approach many experience that familiar feeling that is the warming of the heart and optimism for humanity, the desire for peace and goodwill towards others. That feeling is known as the holiday spirit. In Christian ideology it is thought to be the spirit of Christ that one is feeling. Others believe it to be Yuletide Spirit. Perhaps it is just the nostalgia brought on by the sights, sounds and flavors of the season that bring to light memories of simpler, happier times. Some suggest that it is inspiration roused by the hopeful song lyrics and sentiments of the season that makes us softer of heart. Or maybe, what we experience with the holiday spirit is actually the presence of spirits, holiday ghost.

In many cultures the winter holiday season is a time of reflection on the dead. In Finland as well as in some South American countries visiting the cemetery and placing a candle on the graves of the departed on Christmas Eve is an honored activity practiced every year. The Irish practice the tradition of laying a wreath or other decoration on the graves of loved ones in remembrance of their lives and to share the holiday with them. In Macedonia after the holiday feast the table is left un-cleared until the following day so that spirits in the house may have their own holiday feast. In Greece it is believed that the spirits descended from of Pan and Satyrs, and Faeries visit during the 12 days of Christ. Some in Greece say that these spirits are demons up to no good, other believe they are the spirits of the old Gods making their presence known keeping pre Christian beliefs alive despite their antiquity. Many European cultures hold that Christmas elves are actually spirits of the dead visiting the home.

In some Celtic beliefs the window of time between December 22nd ghosts of the departed come to visit and leave after the 26th of December. Another ancient Celtic tradition holds that the faerie spirits come at Winter Solstice to over see the passage of the old Sun to the new Sun and the change of the season. It is thought that the spirits come to help aid humans to be better people and be stronger in their humanity. In the belief it is said that the faerie or nature spirits travel in pairs to a home, one will occupy the hearth and fire and the other the kitchen. The spirits who occupy the hearth are there to bestow a blessing of good fortune and warmth and the spirits in the kitchen are present to bestow blessing on the food for good health and prosperity. They are there to build optimism for the coming seasons of the year.

Some say that nature spirits, faeries or animal spirits come in to the home with a live tree seeking warmth. Other legends say that holiday spirits will slip through cracks in windows or doorways. Sometimes the spirits will announce their visitation with a tap on a window or door and once opened they perceive it as an act of welcome and will come in. Superstition has it that these holiday spirits are attracted to the warmth and glow of fires, candle flames and lights.

Many believe that ghost are spirits of the departed who have unfinished business or something left undone. These spirits refuse to, or have not been allowed, to pass on to the spirit world until they are done with the task. In Christian beliefs they are not allowed into heaven because their souls were not saved or they had sinned on earth and were not deemed worthy of entry.

It is thought that some ghosts are drawn to the comfort and warmth of good people and a happy home during the holidays and will seek such a house to fulfill the memories they longed for in their earthly life. Or they may be a relative visiting to ensure those they left behind are following the right path of character and action in their lives.

There are many legends of ghost who are sent to remind humans to practice charity and goodwill. These spirits are here to seek out those who need to be tested to reinforce their humanity. In the folklore the spirits take on a human form and offer a test to the individual to give them the opportunity to redeem themselves. This notion originates from old Celtic belief that one must turn over a new leaf before the coming of the new Sun of Spring and beginning of the New Year.

In these stories the ghosts appear as a wandering stranger in need of shelter or food. The human is offered the choice to help the stranger with some form of charity. There have been many myths and legends that have appeared with this theme through out the decades and in many cultures. In modern times it may be a person whose car has broken down on the road, or is need of a phone to call home. The spirit could also come in the form of something as simple as a person carrying packages in need of a door held open, or perhaps a Salvation Army bell ringer. One never knows when or what may be the test or “who” may be the ghost.

Some need bigger tests to get them on the right path of humanity. In these cases it is believed that Draugr will appear during the holidays. Like the friendly spirits who check on loved ones and spread good will, Draugr also have unfinished business and a holiday mission.

The Draugr mythology comes from Norse, Icelandic and German folklore in it’s origin, however similar concepts appear in many cultures. They are not ghosts of the dead in spirit form, but a physical zombie like corpse. Not alive but not completely “dead”. They are said to have intelligence but are driven by revenge or malice for unfinished business or entitlement while on alive. They are the result of a life spent of greed, selfishness and mean. Some still walk the earth trying to obtain what ever it was they could not get in life and selfishly refuse to stop questing. While others are not allowed by the Gods (or God) to completely “die” as punishment due to their life spent wasted.

The Draugr who were not allowed to pass on to death, who regret their discrepancies, will seek out those they knew while living to serve a warning of what will happen if one does not live a live of kindness and charity. In Charles Dickens Christmas Carol the ghost of Marley was a Draugr sent to warn Scrooge. The three ghosts who subsequently visited Scrooge were the other kind of aforementioned friendlier holiday spirits. Unlike benevolent spirits who may take an ethereal or human form the Draugr live in a state of decay and become more ugly and vile the longer they are dead just as a corpse decays under ground. They serve as a reminder that the uglier ones spirit, the more heinous ones physical self will become in life and in death.

With the coming of winter and the holiday season, find your holiday spirit. Find your humanity and sense of charity. Hold the door open for someone passing through, donate some clothes or food to a shelter, look into the eyes and give a smile when you pass a stranger. Be that person that you always hoped you could be, that better self who acts in kindness not in greed. Whether the inspiration comes from an old favorite holiday song, a childhood memory held in an ornament or a ghost who came in to sit by the fire and enjoy your decorated tree, find the goodness of your heart and spread the holiday spirit.


Illustration “Christmas Spirits” by Angelique Duncan.

Angelique Duncan is proprietor of Twilight Faerie Nostalgic and Capricious Objects. Check out her artist page to find links to her shops and vintage inspired traditional holiday art. Visit again next month for more traditions and folklore.

Soul Cakes and the Sugar Skulls

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Soul Cakes and the Sugar Skulls
-By Angelique Duncan

October 1st through November 2 marks the holy days once known as Hallowmas. Known as the days when ghost and faeries were most active in our material world. These traveling spirits were hungry. Huge feast were held on the night of Samhain on October 31st to celebrate the bounty of harvest, show gratitude to the spirits and remembrance for the dead who had passed on and the spirits were invited.

In ancient Gaelic tradition of Samhian feast were held to celebrate the finish of the harvest and enjoy the abundance of food before the long days of winter and rationing. Plates of food would be set at the family feasting table for deceased ancestors. Welcoming plates of sweet bread were left at the threshold and near the hearth of the home to invite benevolent spirits in to bless and protect the home before the coming dark season. Cakes would be left as an offering outside the home to appease the mischievous and unwelcomed evil spirits, who it was believed if not satisfied with food and drink would curse the home with misfortune.

Depending on region, tradition and wealth the cakes that were left varied in their recipes. Usually the cakes were made from a simple yeast recipe using spices such as ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon or cloves. They sometimes included fruits and nuts or an icing. The types of sweets offered ranged from small cakes and sweet breads to flat cookies. As the cakes or cookies were baked, mediations were spoken to either welcome the spirits or ward them away depending which offering was being baked.

The practice of going door-to-door “Guising” to collect food for feasting was common. The predecessor to Trick or Treating was born through dressing up in spirit costumes carrying lanterns to trick folks into giving cakes to ward off the “evil spirits knocking on the door”, made leaving cakes and ale out on ones porch more pertinent to avoid destruction of property.

With the rise of Catholicism in Gaelic regions and the spread of Christianity and a push for the Christian calendar, the practice of Samhain feasting in honor for the living and the supernatural was frowned upon. The practice of All Saints Day on November 1st and All Souls Day were introduced. It was now practiced that feasting was no longer to honor the harvest and the spirits who protected it, feasting was to be in honor of the Saints of the church who symbolized the work of the church. The notion to leave offerings to the spirits that could revisit the earth during Samhain was no longer was conducive to Christian thought. It was instead encouraged to leave offerings for salvation. Folks would now go “Souling”, the practice of going door to door to offer prayers or sing hymns in return for what was now known as “Soul Cakes”, cakes baked with prayer to free souls from purgatory.

With the decline of the pre Christian religions the previous mediations were abandoned and the cakes would have a prayer for salvation spoken over them before they were baked. It was believed that the act of eating the cake and saying a prayer would release a soul into heaven and absolve that spirits sins. In more modern practice a cross would be sliced or embossed on the Soul Cakes as a reminder that salvation and protection could only come from the church.
As Europeans expanded Christianity to Mexico and South America the traditions of Hallowmas carried over as well and merged with existing cultural practices celebrating the dead. In Mexico dia de los muertos, the Day of the Dead continues to be a huge cultural celebration that falls on November 1st. The emphasis is on personal connections with the deceased and a celebration of their lives. The practice of feasting and offering sweet breads for the departed are part of annual ritual for Day of the Dead.

Much like the Soul Cakes of Europe, In Mexico and South America pan de muerto literally translated to “Bread of the Dead” is made from anise and citrus and is left out as a welcoming for the departed. The sweet bread loaves are baked with twisted bone patterns, skull shapes or significant totem animals to represent the dead. Well wishes for the departed souls to have safe passage from the grave to the physical realm and prayers are bestowed up the bread as it bakes. The bread is left on a table for the souls to find. It is believed that the spirits will metaphorically eat the essence of the well wishes and prayers “baked” into the bread. The household will leave for public celebration and when the family of the house returns they then eat the bread to share in “breaking bread” with their relatives.

In some regions of South America people will take to the graves of their departed a picnic of the favorite foods and drink of their relative to honor their life and offer nourishment to give them comfort and strength in the afterlife. Families decorate the graves with flowers and confections and have meal with conversation, dancing and remembrance for their lost loved one. The practice also serves as a reminder that death in inevitable and should be embraced rather than feared in hopes that in that the spirit realm will be as happy as the physical one.

Handmade confections of chocolate and sugar skulls are offered to the dead as well as the special baked breads. The name of the deceased is written in icing on the forehead of skull and they are decorated in ornate bright colors to honor them. Sugar skulls are created for the living as a reminder that death will eventually come for them too. Some sugar skulls can be eaten as a treats, however in most traditions they are displayed as a talisman or used in altars to honor life and death. Confections of festive coffins, tombstones and skeletons are distributed as well.

As migrants from Latin America have made their home in the North America they have brought their traditions with them and the modern day the icon of the sugar skull and symbols of Day of the Dead have grown in it’s popularity and meaning becoming part of the repertoire of Halloween decorating and practices. Now many sugar skulls available in the states are mass-produced by machine as a Halloween treat.

Today in the United States Samhain is now celebrated as Halloween. Offerings for the dead, Soul Cakes and pan de muerto once left for spirits; have been replaced by cellophane wrapped candies and marshmallow Rice Krispie treats handed out to live Trick or Treaters. Feasting to celebrate the harvest and remember the dead have shifted from October 31st to the fourth Thursday in November to honor the living family in Thanksgiving. The traditions of honoring and appeasing the dead have all been stripped from our modern Autumn celebrations.

However, that is not to say that perhaps those spirits aren’t still out there wandering during the end of October and into November. Maybe they are. If they are they must be very hungry in that it has been many decades since they have received their ceremonial offerings of food and drink. Maybe this year on the 1st of November, leave a sweet cup cake or slice of bread for a ghost who may be passing by. Or leave an extra plate out at the table when you sit down to your Thanksgiving feast. Who knows, maybe a little ghost will be grateful and thank you on your home in return.

Angelique Duncan is proprietor of Twilight Faerie Nostalgic and Capricious Objects. Check out her artist page to find links to her shops and vintage inspired traditional holiday art. Visit again next month for more traditions and folklore.

Jack o’ Lantern

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Jack o’ Lantern
-By Angelique Duncan

The Jack o’ Lantern, not much is recorded in written history about these magnificent icons of Hallow’s eve. Most of what we know of the Jack o’ Lantern comes from oral tradition that has been passed down from the generations. However one could hardly imagine Halloween with out them. Plump, orange and glowing. Sometimes flickering a menacing grin, others with frightful faces and some more welcoming and sincere. For most folks the start of the Halloween season begins with a trip to the market to find that perfect gourd upon which to carve out the face that will be lit and stand guard on their porch or on their window sill for Halloween night.

It is understood that our modern Jacks find their origins from ancient Ireland. It was common practice to light kindling in a carved thick flesh of a beet or turnip as a lantern that could be carried or hung from a stick with twine. The use of the pumpkin for carving Jack o” Lanterns did not arise until the discovery of their native home, the Americas.

The lore associated with Jack o’ Lanterns is akin to The Will of The Wisps and in some traditions are interchangeable in their name. Legends of glowing mystical or spirit lights hovering in bogs and marshes that attract travelers from their intended paths have been attached to the Jack o Lantern.

There are common legends of the Jack o’ Lantern that are similar in their telling’s with slight variances in the story, but with the same outcome. The story goes that a man named Jack, who had spent a sinister existence, was approached by the devil and informed that it was the end of his life and time for the devil to collect his soul to take back to Hell. In these stories Jack is cunning and finds a way to trick the devil so that he cannot take his soul. Some stories tell that Jack tricks the devil with crosses or by manipulating or bartering with the devil into promising that he won’t take him to Hell. In keeping the devils word, he does not collect Jacks soul, however when Jack eventually dies, he cannot enter Heaven either. Jack’s spirit is doomed to wander the earth with only a lump of coal set in a turnip to light his way and keep him warm.

It is said that when one sees a Will o Wisp, it is Jack’s soul wandering. However, legends pertaining to Will of The Wisp predate the stories of wandering or stingy Jack. In some cultures and regions the wisps were thought to be wandering spirits trapped on earth. Others believe they are nymphs or faeries. Some traditions tell that the candles lit in Jack o” Lanterns are the souls of deceased children brought to life on Halloween night.

Although the stories of Jack trapped in the turnip is a popular and accepted tale and where the namesake of the carved pumpkin may come from, the use of carved faces in vegetables on Halloween goes much further back in antiquity to the pre Christianity and Gaelic practices of Samhain. Some historians site that the story of Stingy Jack and other Jack legends may have been modified when Christianity took hold in Ireland to suit a more Christian theme on explaining carved gourds at Halloween.

It was believed that on the night of Samhain, a veil was lifted that allowed the spirits of the dead to re-enter the mortal realm. Beets and turnips were carved with scary faces to ward off evil spirits and unwanted ghost. The lit vegetables would be set around the exterior of ones house and lit with candles or kindling. In some European regions the predecessor to Trick or Treating was guising, in which people would carry carved lit turnips while wearing sheets to scare folks into believing they were ghost so that they would give them food.

When European immigrants came to North America pumpkins were used in place of beets and turnips. The larger fruit with its fleshy shell made for a better carving surface and hollowed easily to hold a light source. The Samhain practice of setting out carved pumpkins on October 31st became hugely popular in the United States, and has been a mainstay of Halloween ever since.

As October descends and Halloween approaches pumpkins will be carved in all manner of faces and set out on porches as effigy to a fella named Jack, ward off evil spirits, respect for children past and serve as a beacon to welcome Trick or Treaters. When you set out your Jack o’ Lantern on this Halloween night with it’s crooked grin and flickering eyes know that you are carrying on a ancient custom that has survived many a century and that yours will be among thousands of Jack o’ Lanterns lit adding to the magic of Halloween.

Happy Halloween! Keep your Jack o’ Lantern lit in solidarity!

Images “The Great Pumpkin of Sincerity” and “Great Pumpkin & His Cult” Copyright Michelle Angelique Duncan

Angelique Duncan is proprietor of Twilight Faerie Nostalgic and Capricious Objects. Check out her artist page to find links to her shops and vintage inspired traditional holiday art. Visit again next month for more traditions and folklore.

Trick or Treat!

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Trick or Treat!
-By Angelique Duncan

Trick or Treat! The practice of dressing in costumes and going door to door for treats is as old as the holiday of Halloween it’s self. It survives as a traditional custom in modern times from its origins in ancient Gaelic history and the holiday Samhain.

There are varied yet similar thoughts on why trick or treating has been practiced, however despite region and era, there has always been a common thread; costumed people asking for some sort of treat on October 31st.

The ancient Celts believed that on October 31st a veil was lifted at twilight allowing magical forms of beings to re-enter the mortal world for one night. Some believed that this opening was also extended to the spirit world of the dead as well. In the Middle ages it was thought that ghost were allowed to pass from the “otherworld” through openings in sacred grounds that acted as gateways.

Common practice in the 1400’s was to leave plates of sweets and food for faeries and elemental creatures in ones garden or porch. This was done in hopes that passing faerie troupes would take the offerings in exchange for not making mischief or tear up ones crops. This may be the first inclination of sweets used as a bartering tool to avoid tricks.

Spirits who had returned on Halloween night were also left offerings of food. Some documentation from the 15-1600’s suggest that folks would leave food for weary souls as they traveled looking for their loved ones. Samhain was considered New Years and it was customary during this era to hold huge elaborate feast. At these feast plates would be set out and a chair at the table reserved for those who had passed away.

Just as departed loved ones could pass through gateways on Halloween night, it was believed that the wretched could return as well. To pacify these ill intended spirits folks would leave sweets on their porches to appease bad ghost to not haunt them and move on from ones home to the next.

The earliest documentation of Halloween costumes comes from the 1600’s. Men would dress in scary spirit costumes to scare away evil ghost and enchanted creatures. In return for the service of shooing away the bad spirits to make way for the visiting family ghost, people would offer ale and breads to these men. As the practice grew in popularity some would sing or perform for beer and treats. This became known as “guising”. Folks would become opportunistic in the practice and dress as monsters and scary ghost, threatening people’s homes with mischief if treats were not given.

In some regions it was customary for men to go “guising” door to door to farms to gather food donations for Samhain feasts. If the farmer obliged then his home would be bestowed with good fortune through the coming year. If He did not, then he would be met with a curse of misfortune.

With the rise of Christianity the churches advocated the celebration of All Souls Day in lieu of Samhain. All Souls Day falls on November 1, or 2nd depending on region. All Souls Day began as a day set-aside for monks to pray for the souls that were trapped in purgatory. The holiday expanded as a day to pray for all souls of the dead. Folks would go to cemeteries and decorate the graves of their loved ones. Not completely willing to let go of superstitions, the practice of leaving “soul cakes” out for the dead became a common practice. Children would go “Souling” through out village’s carrying candles or lanterns singing and offering prayers for the dead in exchange for soul cakes. It was believed that when a soul cake was eaten after a prayer a damned soul was released from hell.

As immigrants from Scotland and Ireland migrated across Europe and to North America during the 1700-1800’s, the Gaelic Samhain traditions followed. In some regions boys would dress as ghost and demons going house-to-house demanding food and drink otherwise they would wreak destructive havoc and mischievous mayhem. Livestock would be let free from their stockades, crops destroyed and broken windows were common on Halloween night. Although it would be much later in history before the term “Trick or Treat” would be used, the practice of giving treats to ward of “tricksters” was in full swing and in true form of its more modern practice.

The practice of knocking on doors on Halloween night carried on into the 1900’s. Halloween was very popular in the 1920’s as it lent itself for fancy dress up parties and lavish festive feast that were popular during the era. In England and North America the poor would dress in costumes and go into wealthier neighborhoods begging for money and food. Halloween became known as “Beggars’ Night. Soon it became commonplace and children of all ranks would go door to door festively in costumes to receive treats in exchange for not playing pranks. During the mid 1930’s the Term “Trick or Treat” was born and Halloween had become a children’s holiday.

However during the 1940’s with sugar rationing and a generally somber mood created by World War II the festive revelry of costuming and asking for candy became frowned upon and Halloween made a return to Beggars Night. During this conservative era it was believed that Trick or Treating was the practice of poor immigrants and not behavior for dignified, proud American and British children.

After the war ended and the American economy became strong along with upward mobility of immigrants socially, the practice of Halloween parties and Trick or Treating returned in full force. The tradition of knocking on doors in costumes and yelling “TRICK OR TREAT” for candy was the norm. The tricks were not violent and usually took the form of knocking over trash bins, applying dark polish to windows, throwing bath tissue in trees, throwing eggs or other devious deeds of vandalism like smashing pumpkins.

In the late 1980’s efforts were made to take the “trick” out of Trick or Treats. Children older than 12 years of age were discouraged from dressing up and going out on Halloween. Adult chaperons were encouraged and churches and retail establishments would host organized Trick or Treat events. Group Halloween parties for children held indoors in lieu of taking to the streets were commonplace. By the mid 1990’s virtually all the trick was removed from Trick or Treating and Halloween night had become all about the treats. Trick or treating through out neighborhoods made a come back in the early 2,000’s and is holding strong as an annual children’s holiday and night of nostalgia for adults and is widely celebrated in the United States and gaining popularity through out the world.

The acts of wearing costumes demanding treats under threat of tricks still exist as an integral tradition to Halloween. As October 31st approaches remember to leave your porch light on and to have plenty of sweets at the ready. For that knock at the door may be a whimsical child out for Tricks or Treats or it may be a wandering ghost or faerie spirit set free to roam on Halloween night.

Images “Set free on Halloween” and “Trick or Treat” Copyright Michelle Angelique Duncan

Angelique Duncan is proprietor of Twilight Faerie Nostalgic and Capricious Objects. Check out her artist page to find links to her shops and vintage inspired traditional holiday art. Visit again next month for more traditions and folklore.

The Will o The Wisp

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The Will o’ The Wisp
-By Angelique Duncan

Will o’ the wisp quite literally meaning the will of the wisp. A thing that is completely hopeless yet perused despite the difficulty and even impossibility of ever finding or catching it. Wisp being a torch made from burning straw.

On nearly every continent a phenomenon exists that has never completely been explained: glowing lights that appear and hover over the ground. Most commonly they have been sighted in marshy places such as swamps, ponds and rivers although there are some regions where they have been seen in the thick of forest, in prairies and desert mountain ranges. Sometimes they are seen in cemeteries. Usually no bigger than a fist, although there have been reports of small lights the size of candle flames and others the size of a melon. The colors vary as well. Typically they are described as white with bluish or greenish tint, although yellows, oranges, violet and red lights have been seen. Despite the variations in the lights that have been described there are two universal consistencies to the phenomenon. First, these lights cannot be captured and when observed they seem to interact with the viewer by following or “leading them”. The second is that they are not completely explained by science.

Early theories explaining the lights are that they are formed from methane gas escaping from the earth and spontaneously combusting as it is released. A more sophisticated theory is that the lights form from a combination of phosphine, diphosphane and methane produced from decomposed organic matter and create phosphoric acid when in contact with water vapor and ignite by photons released when in contact with oxygen. These theories could account for glowing spheres seen in marshes and swampy areas.

Other theories are that the lights are an electrical phenomenon of random ball lightening formed from naturally occurring electricity in the air. One belief is that as fault lines move piezoelectric materials such as arsenic or quartz are heated and escape through water vapor causing an electrical reaction, a possible explanation for the lights seen over desserts and prairies if those elements are present.

The lights have been attributed to being the result of bioluminescence in which luciferin is released and reacts with oxygen to emit a greenish or bluish light. Bioluminescence occurs in fireflies and glowworms and a handful of other creatures and insects. Some fungus and algae’s produce this glowing affect attributing the occurrence of glowing spheres to spores being released in clusters causing the glow affect.

Perhaps to a certain degree one could say that any one of these scientific theories would be a sound explanation for the sightings of hovering glowing orbs over landscapes. Except that in some regions and continents where the will o’ wisp have been seen the aforementioned conditions aren’t present to create them. Another inconsistency is that the descriptions of the lights that have been reported are not exclusively consistent with the light effect that would be produced by the environments and reactions stated by the theories. Witnesses have claimed to see light emitting orbs that are bright enough to illuminate their surroundings and others claim to see faint translucent flickers with their light contained.

Other explanations exist explaining the will o’ the wisp. Their reason for being may be found in folklore and legend. It is widely believed across European counties that the wisps are faeries or magical elemental beings. Depending on the region the mysterious lights are interpreted through folklore as mischievous faeries that use their “fairy fire” to trick travelers into following them, only to leave them stranded in a bog or marsh far from the path the traveler was on. It is said the lights resemble torches or lanterns from a distance causing a lost traveler to be drawn to them in hopes of finding their direction back to their village. One of the most widely held beliefs is that they are faeries who either are mischievously attempting to trick travelers into following them, either to lead them to the faerie realm or merely to guide them from their path and cause confusion.

Others say the lights are not faeries, but wicked goblins of the Pooka or Puca variety whose intent is malicious and wish to kidnap or cause harm to humans by tricking a wandering traveler into following them to swampy places from where the person is never seen or heard from again.

Different versions of this mythology exist in Mexico, South America and Asia. The stories are nearly identical to the European tales yet the explanation as to what the lights actually are differs. In Mexico and South America, the lights are associated as witches casting spells, luring humans to follow them for sinister intent involving witchcraft.

In Asia the lights are believed to be the wandering spirits of the dead. Ghosts who have not passed into heaven, destined to stay on earth. The deviation of the story, being that the lights will appear over open waters to lead fishermen astray from shore. Some believing them to be the ghosts of dead fishermen or people who have drowned and whom wish to bring more souls underwater to live with them.

These stories of “ghost lights” corresponds with Norse and Scandinavian mythologies that the wisp are believed to be guardians of ancient graves, protecting them from desecration by leading people away from the burial spot. In many cultures spheres have been sighted in graveyards and cemeteries.
Some say they are the spirits of the dead looking for companionship by leading souls to their graves where the lights trick them into the misfortune of staying. A similar folklore states that the lights are a warning of a pending death and that a funeral will be held soon. Some traditions tell that the lights will appear close to buried treasure and if one is brave enough to follow the light and survive they will be rewarded with the riches. No one to date has returned from following the floating lights bearing treasure.

In Europe another common theory is that the floating lights are the souls of unbaptized children forced to stay on earth until they receive baptism. The legend goes that a man of faith came across three unbaptized travelers who asked to be baptized and when the man went to baptize them the souls of all the un-saved children of the earth appeared with hopes to pass into heaven. The man spent the entire night baptizing souls until the sun rose. Those who he did not baptize that night are said to be the lights of unbaptized children who wander the earth.
A variation to the myth is that the lights are the souls of scoundrels not allowed into heaven and rejected by hell. Many cultures associate the will of the wisp with the origins of Jack o’ lanterns, that the lights are souls who are trapped in a cold dark hell on earth and have been given only a lump of coal to light their way and keep warm.

Not all mythologies surrounding the wisps are foreboding. Some stories tell that the lights are benevolent in nature. Pixie lights are pixies who live in the deep of woods who if treated kindly and with respect will help lead a lost traveler who has gone astray back to the path home. Hence the meaning the will of the wisp in that only the barrier of the wisp torch will decide one’s fate.

Sightings of explained lights that hover over water and land have been documented through out history and sightings continue to modern day. As to what or who they are there is no solid single explanation. Perhaps they are the elegant result of chemicals and electrical phenomenon. Maybe they are something ancient and enchanting. There isn’t a definitive answer, thus the will o’ the wisp remains a mystery, and that in and of itself is something magical.

Image “Will Of the Wisp” Copyright Michelle Angelique Duncan

Angelique Duncan is proprietor of Twilight Faerie Nostalgic and Capricious Objects. Check out her artist page to find links to her shops and vintage inspired traditional holiday art. Visit again next month for more traditions and folklore.