Hello there, lovelies!
This is the first in a series where I discuss various creatures from folklore and how best to incorporate them in your writing!
I decided to start with one of my favourite little glowing orbs: the Will-O'-Wisp.
General Description:
According to most Europeans legends, it appears as a small light in the distance, often in woods or marshes, in order to trick travellers or lost people into following it. This then either leads to the people getting even more lost, or just straight up death, usually drowning.
Its appeal here is just how quiet and innocent it looks, which paired with the anxiety one must feel, lost in a dark wood or marshland, only adds to the dread of finally finding some form of solace, only to discover you're being led to your doom. Often this comes far too late.
Interpretation and Use:
Now, this creature has a ton of variations, spanning all around the globe, with appearances being attributed to faerie gold being buried in a specific place, to being lost souls wandering the earth, and even the fox fire from the Japanese Kitsune.
Christian interpretations exist too. For example: in Sweden, they are thought to be souls of unbaptized people, luring people to water, hoping to finally get baptized.
Something I noticed when I decided to use this creature in my storyline was that, rather than clear, malicious intent, the Will-O'-Wisp doesn't appear to actively want to cause harm. However, that depends on interpretation.
Considering they are often classified as Fae creatures, it's save to say you would have to write them with a non-human sense of morality. This partially means their actions may not be seen as harmful or malicious by themselves, or any other Fae creature you choose to have in your story.
I chose this type of interpretation.
To me, it seemed to be the effect they have on humans that causes the humans themselves to start following them, as if being enchanted or charmed by the sight of it, possibly by their own desire for salvation. This is the angle I took while writing this scene:
"Penny knew she needed to get to the light, she needed to get on that path! Why was Emmy trying to prevent her from going? Had she forgotten the stories she herself had told them? What about the wood choppers hearing terrible growls and cries in the night, or the children being lured away by beautiful, enchanting music, only for everyone they loved to suddenly forget their existence? "
-Chapter 2. Birch Smoke
This is only one way in which this creature can be incorporated in a story.
If you choose to make it more of a malevolent force, then you need to have a reason. Why are these Will-O'-Wisps actively luring people to their deaths? Is it because sadism, revenge, sport, or something else?
Most malevolent creatures in folklore have a primal reason for why they cause harm, as seen above, or have their origin in a negative source, such as being born from the wrath of a deity. In this case, they will also be much more active in leading their victims astray, as they will be more aware of the effect their actions have.
So, if you choose this angle, you will have to use words that describe this active state of mind. For example: moving, flying, leading, lighting the path, shooting through, following, bringing, twisting, or circling.
Setting: Where you choose to place this creature is going to influence the way you present them a lot, because cultural context is key to well-rounded understanding of not only the setting of your choosing, but also the creature itself.
Like I said before, there are a bunch of interpretations of the Will-O'-Wisp around the world, something crucial to be aware of.
For example: if you choose an East-Asian setting, your Will-O'-Wisp will more likely take a ghostly form, because of most cultures here putting a lot of weight on life after death and the large variety in ghosts in the folklore found there. This would be very different from the Fae version most often found in Western Europe, which would be far more removed from humanity.
There are obviously exceptions that should be researched, but these examples can show the options you can have with a creature that, at first glance, can appear pretty simple.
If you have any ideas or suggestions for another creature to discuss, let me know!
Goodbye, lovelies!
Comments