MYTHICAL CREATURE: WILL O’ THE WISP

Will O’ The Wisp is a curious light seen flickering in the distance over swamps and marshes. In many parts of the world, the will o’the wisp is attributed to the bog faeries who appear as balls of light in order to lead travellers astray. Others are said to be faeries who carry lanterns to guide the unwary over cliff tops or into marshland. If a person follows one, he may meet his death in a bog or a deep pool. Some particularly viscious will o’the wisps have chased terrified people through mire and thorns, leaving them stranded amid peals of malicious laughter. However, some lights have proved helpful, and shown travellers to safety.

Some say that the lights are the souls of the dead children. Others say that will o’the wisps are the souls of greedy men with hidden treasure, money lenders and swindlers, or people neither good enough for heaven nor evil enough for hell. In Northern Europe, such lights are seen hovering over the tombs or burial mounds of warriors, and are thought to be the souls of the dead, guarding the treasure buried within the grave. In German and Swedish folklore, the lights belong to the souls of those who, in life, disregarded boundary markers and stole a neighbour’s land. In Italy they are souls in purgatory. Seeing a will o’the wisp or corpse candle may be an omen of death, either for the person who sees it, or someone they love.

Science cannot explain fully these strange lights, though there are various theories. The usual explanation is that decomposing organic matter causes methane gas – marsh damp – that ignites spontaneously to form flames and fireballs. These are then blown about on the breeze. In recent years. however, some scientists have disputed the fact that this could happen.

MYTHICAL CREATURE – SELKIE (Selchi, Silkies, Selkies)

Selkies are faeries from Orkney and Shetland. They take the form of seals in the sea, but when they come ashore they shed their seal skins and assume human form. Some say they are bewitched humans who can come ashore on Midsummer Eve, cast off their seal skins, and resume their true shape. Others say they are faeries and can only take a human shape at certain times, perhaps only every Midsummer Eve, though others say it is every ninth night.

Once ashore and in human form, the selkie-folk will dance on the seashore and if they are disturbed they will grab their skins and run back to the sea. If a man can steal and hide the shed skin he can force a selkie maid to marry him, though if she ever finds her skin she will put it on and be off back to the sea. The man will pine away and die of a broken heart. Though the female selkies sometimes marry humans, they can never settle: their dual nature means they are not truly happy either in the sea or on land.

Descendantsof such unions have webbed fingers and toes or a horny substance on their palms and soles. The Mac Codrum clan from North Ulst in the Hebrides claim descent from selkies; they are known as Sliochd nan Ron, the Offspring of Seals. A distant ancestor stole the skin of a seal maiden as she danced and kept it hidden for many years, during which time she bore him many children.

The male selkies also come ashore to make love to human women, to whom they appear very seductive. Island men who do not keep their wives satisfied risk their wives taking selkie lovers. If a human woman wants to attract a male selkie for a lover, she should go to the sea and drop seven tears in it at high tide. Generally, the male selkies have no love for humans, causing storms and overturning the boats of seal hunters and fishermen.

According to folklore of the Orkneys, selkies are fallen angels, thrown out of heaven and into the sea after offending God. Others say that they are the souls of drowned humans, allowed once a year to resume a human shape. Tales of seal people are found all over Shetland, Orkney, the Hebrides and Faroe Islands. Seals are a common sight in these parts and the name of Orkney is derived from the Norse Orkneyjar meaning ‘Seal Islands’.

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