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Surrounded by mysticism and superstition, the sight of a wisp is a sight as beautiful as it is breathtaking. Very important part of the fault of all the legendary dark around the wisps comes from the areas in which it is easier to witness them, which are swamps and cemeteries.
But, What is a wisp really? Join us in this Green Ecologist article if you want to learn more about this striking phenomenon, because here we explain from what it really is and how it originates to what are the legends that different parts of the world have attributed to them.
Wisp: what is it - simple definition
In areas where there are plants that are being eliminated by decomposing organisms, gases such as phosphorus are produced, which rise from the accumulations that originate them. Gases from plant decomposition, which are flammable, sometimes enter spontaneous combustion and become inflamed, leading to small pale flares that usually they look at night and on the zone in which the decomposition originates or, even, on the surface of the water in marshy places, with stagnant waters or, even, in cemeteries.
Some say that decomposing animals can also cause wisps, although others disagree with this because if it were methane, the flame would be a different color, so there is no clear consensus in this regard. It is generally accepted that most will-wisps are caused by the phosphane and diphosphane inflammation.
These are not dangerous flames and, usually, they do not have enough force to burn even the paper, although sometimes there are testimonies that claim to have been able to light leaves on them. Although some attempts have been made to replicate it in an experimental environment, it has never been fully achieved, since it is a relatively little studied phenomenon.
How to see a wisp
The first requirement to see a wisp is let it be night. It is not that the phenomenon only occurs at night, but since you have to travel to natural areas to see it and because the flames are pale in color, during the day it is most likely that it will go unnoticed.
There are many specific areas that are recognized as Wisp sighting spots, although in general terms the most common is to see them in cemeteries and swamps. In the former, the wildfire is produced by phosphorus and calcium salts present in human bones or other animals buried in the area, while in swamps fires appear due to the decomposition of plant matter, which occurs many times underwater and causes gases to ignite by accumulating on the surface.
On the Mekong River in Thailand, the naga fireballs, a very common and partly similar phenomenon. There are also those who believe that it may simply be bioluminescent organisms, capable of creating their own light like some fungi or microorganisms. In this other article by Ecologist Verde we explain what is bioluminescence and examples.
Myths and legends of wisps
Wisp has practically always been associated with an ominous phenomenon, although it is easy to understand if one considers its appearance of pale flames on the surface of a swamp or in a cemetery. These are some of the myths and legends about wisps around the world:
- In Gaelic popular culture they are called will-o’-the-wisp, and are identified as spirits of an evil nature, of dead people or other creatures, who try to make travelers lose themselves so that they share their fate. Other versions identify them as the spirits of children who have not received baptism, and who thus wander between heaven and hell, without reaching any.
- In Japan there are Hitodamas, which are theoretically the souls of recently dead people, with the appearance of green or blue spheres that leave a trail when floating, and it is believed that it may be directly related to wisps.
- In South America, they are usually given connotations of evil and dangerous souls who have not been able to find peace or access heaven. The case of Colombia deserves special mention, in which it is believed that only good-hearted and detached people can see these llamas, which is why they are almost always seen by children. There they believe that they indicate the location of an ancient buried treasure.
If you want to read more articles similar to Wisp: what is itWe recommend that you enter our Nature Curiosities category.
