A mysterious phenomenon can be observed at night in the swamps - glowing lights. Since ancient times, they have instilled fear and horror in people. It was believed that wandering lights lured lost people into a swamp bog where they died. Seeing a luminous ball or fire in the form of a candle flame has always been considered a bad omen. Different peoples of the world have an ambiguous attitude to this natural phenomenon. Most consider the mysterious appearance of the glow to be a bad sign, others claim that the lights help people in difficult situations.
Mysterious lights
These lights are most often called the “dead man’s candle” because they look like balls or candle flame. In most cases, they are aggressive towards people, and according to popular beliefs they always bring bad news. The superstitious fear in a person is also caused by the fact that you can often see pale wandering lights over fresh graves. Scientists explain this by the fact that as a result of the decomposition of corpses, phosphorus penetrates into the air, causing a glow, but no one can tell how true this is.
There have been cases when a wandering fire attracted people behind them, leading them into a swamp bog. There are other descriptions that state that the lights chased people for a long time, then disappeared without a trace.
Some peoples, including the Russian, have legends that say that flickering lights indicate a treasure buried nearby, but whoever finds it will incur many troubles and misfortunes. It was believed that treasures were guarded by an unclean spirit.
Description
Most often, lights are found in swampy areas. Sometimes the glow can be in the singular, in other cases, people see a lot of flashing objects. What are wandering lights? The description of this amazing phenomenon is given in numerous myths and tales of various peoples of the world. But in our time there are eyewitnesses who saw them with their own eyes.
The inexplicable nature of the appearance of luminous lights inspired fear in people. Superstitious horror is also caused by the fact that they most often appear in swamps and cemeteries. Less often they can be seen in an open field. They look like a ball or flame of a candle.
Wandering, or as they are also called swamp, demonic lights - a rare natural phenomenon that appears in different parts of the world. They are located at arm's length and light up in different places, which gives the impression of moving. Color can be different: blue, greenish, yellow. In rare cases, they have the appearance of an open flame. But there is no smoke from them.
How are the lights formed. Versions
If in ancient times people could not explain the origin of this amazing phenomenon, and invested mythical meaning in it, then modern science gives several explanations of how wandering lights are formed. The versions are interesting, but not fully explored, therefore conflicting.
Most scientists explain this phenomenon by the fact that organic remains, sinking to the bottom of the swamp or falling into the ground, decompose. Without air access, phosphorous carbon, which appears as a result of decay, accumulates and rises, where it ignites and forms a glow.
The second version is bioluminescence, which allows some living organisms to glow. It can be some types of bacteria, fish, fireflies, as well as plants and mushrooms. But these scientific arguments do not explain the movement of the luminous lights. Eyewitnesses show that they move in front or pursue eyewitnesses sometimes several kilometers.
Slavic mythology
In the epic of many nations, wandering lights are described, Slavic mythology is no exception. It was believed that these were the souls of the drowned, killed, damned people, sorcerers who did not find peace and soar above their graves or places of death. They can be seen after August 24th.
In the eastern regions of Russia and Ukraine, there are beliefs according to which lights on swamps, forests and coastal barrows are lit by mermaids, children who have died unbaptized in order to lure travelers and throw them out of there into water abysses or to lead a person astray.
In the Czech Republic and Slovakia, lights are called fornicators, which are water and swamp spirits. They appear in the form of wandering lights. It is believed that these are the souls of the drowned people who were taken by the Water Guard to guard the lake, swamp or pond.
In Poland, the mysterious fires are called merniks. These are the souls of surveyors who dishonestly measured the earth during life. They are evil, and a meeting with them does not bode well.
Mythology of Great Britain
In Great Britain, wandering lights generated the most legends and legends. The mythology of each region of the country contains legends and beliefs about its special character. Here they are mostly represented by the harbingers of death. It was considered a bad omen to see such a light near the house, which means that he came for the soul of those who live in it.
According to an old legend, St. David, who is considered the patron saint of Wales, promised that each resident will be warned about his end and will be able to prepare for the last journey. This will make a wandering fire. In addition, he will be shown the burial place, and the road along which the funeral procession will pass.
Mysterious lights
In Shropshire, there is a legend about bringing a blacksmith Will holding a wandering fire in his hand. He committed many sins and could not go to Paradise.
Saint Peter gave him a second life so that he could fix it. The blacksmith committed so many sins in her that he was not allowed to go to either Paradise or Hell. The devil took pity on him and gave a piece of fire from hell, so that you could warm yourself. So Will’s soul walks the earth with devilish fire.
Lights in japan
The appearance of such a phenomenon as wandering lights, many people explain in their own way. In Japanese mythology, there are several types of wandering lights. Depending on the province where the legend was born, they have different names. Evil entities and forest spirits are represented here.
Abura Akago is an oily baby. According to legend, in one city there lived a man who constantly stole oil from the lamp of a sacred statue standing on the street. After death, he turned into a wandering fire, which continues to steal oil from the lamps, while turning into a baby.
Tsurube-bi - tree spirits. This name was given to the flying blue wandering lights in the forests. They are considered woody spirits that appear at night and swing on the branches. Sometimes the balls fall to the ground, but then again move to the crown of the tree. They do no harm. Blue fire does not burn, does not scorch, lives its own life, not paying attention to people. It is just the spirit of a tree.
Lights in the USA
Mysterious balls are not spared and the New World. Some US states boast their mysterious lights. True, the legends about them are not as ancient as the beliefs of Europe. In Texas, an unknown glow got its names - the lights of Saragog and Martha. These mysterious balls have their own characteristics. Wandering fire can change color and disappear if a person tries to approach it.
Unlike superstitious Europeans who are afraid to even think about wandering lights, the Americans in the 60s of the last century made a real boom because of them. Thousands of tourists came to the Texas provincial mining area, where mysterious wandering lights appeared and tried to chase them in cars and horses. But the lights quickly disappeared, as if playing hide and seek with dashing Americans.
There are also legends. According to one of them, two policemen on a patrol car on a summer night in 1952 moved along the road when they saw a yellow luminous ball in front of them. They stopped the car, and the ball stopped, then they added gas and rushed in pursuit, but failed to catch up. The light accelerated and, turning into the forest, disappeared.
Min-Min Lights in Australia
In the last century, Australia was thrilled by the news of the appearance of mysterious lights near the Alexandria station, in the west of Quisland. A local shepherd noticed flickering lights in the cemetery. Riding closer in his car to examine them, he was surprised to see that the wandering lights began to come together and formed a ball that moved toward the shepherd. Frightened, the man drove towards the station. The ball moved after him until he rode up to the village.
