Will o' the Wisp

For those of you who don't know what a Will o' the Wisp is, let me enlighten you;

A Will o' the Wisp is a malevolent sprite or gnome who carries a wisp (torch), or lantern of light. Often seen at night or in the fog in bogs, moors, swamps or marshes it is said to lure the unwary traveler away from the safety of the path with its light, sometimes to their doom. On occasion it has been known to lead those who have lost their way home, if it has been spoken kindly to and offered generous payment.

Here's a story taken from "The Faerie Book."- A man, traveling home late in the evening, told of seeing a bright light moving before him. Looking closer he saw that the light was a lantern held by a "dusky little figure," which he followed for several miles. To his shock, he found himself standing on the edge of a great chasm with a roaring torrent of water rushing below him. At that moment the lantern carrier leapt across the fissure, raised the light over his head and let out a malicious laugh, after which it blew out the light, leaving the man far from home, standing in pitch darkness at the edge of a precipice.

So, the danger, of course, is in believing that "light," like the candle in the window, means safety. Stories like this one prove otherwise. Light can be used to ensnare, to harm, to corrupt. There's even a passage in the Christian's bible where Jesus warns of those being led astray by Satan who transforms himself into an "angel of light." The moth flies to the flame and zzzzt...!

#fableslorelegends