Friar's Lantern
English Folk Will-o'-the-Wisp
Friar's Lantern is a variant name for the will-o'-the-wisp in English folklore, derived from the 16th-century legend of 'Friar Rush,' a mischievous monk-spirit. Appearing as a flickering light in marshes and dark forests, it lures travelers astray. Mentioned in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream (where Puck likens himself to it) and Milton's L'Allegro, it belongs to the same family of marsh spirits as the jack-o'-lantern.
Origin
Friar's Lantern is a British folk variant of the will-o'-the-wisp. It draws on the 16th-century English tradition of a mischievous friar-spirit named Friar Rush who carries a lantern to mislead travellers. Almost identical to the will-o'-the-wisp save for the friar's form.
Features
- Light appearing on moors, meadows, and churchyards
- May appear in the form of a friar
- Deliberately misleads travellers
- Mischievous and prankish
- Vanishes at dawn
Stories
Part of the British countryside lore of lost travellers, sometimes used as allegory for false friars and religious hypocrisy. Influenced Shakespeare's depiction of Puck in A Midsummer Night's Dream.
Weakness
Vanishes in dawn light. Vulnerable to crosses and holy water — an irony given its friar-form. A firm will can simply ignore it.
