What is a wandering light? Detailed answer

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What is a wandering light? Detailed answer

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What is a wandering light?

If man did not possess the marvelous gift of imagination, we might not have superstitions at all. Even if a person did not study the phenomena of nature, it seems that individual superstitions will never die. The will-o'-the-wisp has been the subject of many amazing stories for centuries.

Many legends were told by travelers who lost their way in the swamps and got out of them only thanks to a blue light that seemed to dance in front of them, showing the way. It was something elusive. People thought that the will-o'-the-wisp was also an evil spirit dragging them to their death. The will-o'-the-wisp has another name - "dead man's candle".

In England, in different parts of it, this phenomenon was called differently. Pale bluish flames in swamps and swamps were seen by people in Germany, and in Scotland, Ireland, and even in Venezuela. Sometimes the blue light glows in one place, but more often it wanders. From time to time he appears and disappears. Its Latin name is gnis fatus, which means stupid fire.

The blue light appears as a result of the glow of swamp gases, which are released from rotten plants and animals that have fallen into the bog. One of these gases is a mixture of hydrogen and phosphorus. In dry air, this mixture bursts into flame - that's the will-o'-the-wisp.

But why is this fact the cause of so many superstitions? Perhaps the fact is that the will-o'-the-wisp was often observed near churches, where the soil and climate are favorable for such phenomena. And when people tried to follow the spark, they eventually lost it, since these are just luminous gases.

In Wales today, peasants believe in the following explanation for the will-o'-the-wisp. Years ago, Saint David promised the people of Wales that not one of them would die without seeing the light it would bring forth in the churchyard. Since then, the people of Wales believe that the will-o'-the-wisp is a ghost that came from the church fence to take away the soul of the deceased.

Author: Likum A.

Random interesting fact from the Great Encyclopedia:

Why do people faint?

You can often see how a hero or heroine in a movie or play faints when he hears bad news or is very frightened. We usually associate fainting with events of this kind. But fainting can occur as a result of many reasons. People can faint due to being in a cramped and poorly ventilated room, due to hunger, fatigue, severe pain, emotional distress, and many other reasons.

The immediate cause of fainting is a lack of blood supply to the brain. Since fainting occurs quite often, it is important to know what to do in such cases. A person who feels that he is about to faint should be laid down. If this is not possible, make him bend over so that his head is at the level of his knees. The purpose of these actions is to get more blood into the brain.

If someone faints, lay them down and loosen tight clothing. Lower his head or lift his legs. Again, the goal is to increase blood flow to the brain. When a person regains consciousness, he can be given something tonic, such as coffee, or give him a sniff of ammonia.

Sometimes a person loses consciousness for some other reason. For example, from a blow to the head, shock, sunstroke, overheating, or even poisoning.

There are two types of unconsciousness, in which different assistance is provided. One of them is the "red" unconscious state. At the same time, the face turns red, and the pulse increases. The patient should be placed with the head and shoulders slightly raised. A cold compress should be placed on the head.

In the case of "white" unconsciousness, the face turns pale, the skin becomes clammy, the pulse is weak. The patient should be laid down with his head down and covered with something to keep him warm.

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