Ignis fatuus \Ig"nis fat"u*us\; pl. Ignes fatui. [L. ignis
fire + fatuus foolish. So called in allusion to its tendency
to mislead travelers.]
1. A phosphorescent light that appears, in the night, over
marshy ground, supposed to be occasioned by the
decomposition of animal or vegetable substances, or by
some inflammable gas; -- popularly called also
Will-with-the-wisp, or Will-o'-the-wisp, and
Jack-with-a-lantern, or Jack-o'-lantern. It is thought
by some to be caused by phosphine, PH3, a sponaneously
combustible gas.
[1913 Webster + PJC]
Will o'the Wisp -- which also rejoices in the names
of Ignis Fatuus or Jack o'Lantern -- is not, as some
of you may think, a cartoon character. In mediaeval
times this chemical phenomenon struck terror into
travellers and, very likely, lured some of them to
their deaths in a stinking and marshy grave.
I have never seen this Will o'the Wisp; nor am I
likely to do so. It is a flickering flame seen over
marshes; marshes are not now common in London, nor
indeed anywhere else in Britain. In any case the
ephemeral nature of the phenomenon and the enormous
amount of ambient light [ldqo]pollution[rdqo] found
in most areas means that most of us will never see
it.
What is this Will o'the Wisp? Popular chemical lore
has it that it is marsh gas, or methane, which
catches fire when it hits the air because of the
presence of either phosphine (PH3) or diphosphine
(P2H4) in the gas, both of which are spontaneously
flammable in air. Methane is certainly formed in
marshes, and bubbles up if the mud is disturbed in a
pond, say. It is the same reaction that enables
organic materials to produce biogas, methane from
the decomposition of sewage, which can be profitably
used. But is it this that is burning in Will o'the
Wisp?
Almost certainly not. At this point I will say that
I have thought for some years off and on as to how
one might set up an experiment to test the
hypotheses, since the sporadic and rare nature of
the natural version renders its investigation a
highly intractable problem. However: the combustion
of methane under the conditions in a marsh would
give a yellow flame, and heat.
Will o'the Wisp is not like this, so it is said.
Firstly the flame is bluish, not yellow, and it is
said to be a cold flame. The colour and the
temperature suggests some sort of phosphorescence;
since organic material contain phosphorus, the
production of phosphine or diphosphine is scarcely
impossible, and maybe it does oxidise via a mainly
chemiluminescent reaction. The exact nature of the
Will o'the Wisp reaction nevertheless remains, to me
at any rate, a mystery. Similar phenomena have been
reported in graveyards and are known as corpse
candles. If anyone knows anything more, I would love
to hear of it. A warning that if you look for it on
the Web, you will get a great deal of bizarre stuff.
You will also get the delightful picture from a
Canadian artist which decorates the top of this page
(http://www.rod.beavon.clara.net/willo.htm), and a
couple of poems at least. One is also by a Canadian,
Annie Campbell Huestis, the other by the prolific
fantasy poet Walter de la Mare.
The preparation of phosphine in the laboratory (by
the teacher!) is fun, and perfectly safe in a fume
cupboard. White phosphorus is boiled with aqueous
sodium hydroxide solution in an apparatus from which
all air must have been removed by purging with, say,
natural gas. The phosphine will form marvellous
smoke rings if allowed to bubble up through water in
a pneumatic trough. This is an experiment for the
teacher, needless to say. The experiment is
described in Partington J.R., [ldqo]A Textbook of
Inorganic Chemistry[rdqo], 6th ed, Macmillan 1957, p
572. (So, inter alia, is a great deal of other
interesting chemistry.)
Dr. Rod Beavon
17 Dean's Yard London SW1P 3PB
e-mail: [email protected]
[PJC]
2. Fig.: A misleading influence; a decoy.
[1913 Webster]
Scared and guided by the ignis fatuus of popular
superstition. --Jer. Taylor.
[1913 Webster]
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Jack-o'-lantern \Jack"-o'-lan`tern\, Jack-with-a-lantern
\Jack"-with-a-lan`tern\, n.
1. (Biol.) A large orange-colored luminescent mushroom,
Clitocybe illudens, also classified as Omphalotus
olearius. It is poisonous and is sometimes found on
hardwood tree stumps. [WordNet sense 1]
Syn: jack-a-lantern, Clitocybe illudens.
[WordNet 1.5 +PJC]
2. a pale light sometimes seen at night over marshy ground;
an ignis fatuus; a will-o'-the-wisp. [WordNet sense
2]"[Newspaper speculations] supplying so many more
jack-o'-lanterns to the future historian." --Lowell.
Syn: friar's lantern, ignis fatuus, will-o'-the-wisp.
[WordNet 1.5]
3. A lantern carved from a hollowed-out pumpkin, with holes
cut in the rind and so shaped that when it is illuminated
by a candle inside, the features of a human face, cat's
face, etc. appear in a glowing yellow color. It is used
mostly as a decoration at Halloween.
[WordNet 1.5 +PJC]
|
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Jack-wdith-a-lantern Jack-dwith-a-lantern Jack-w8th-a-lantern Jack-wi8th-a-lantern Jack-w8ith-a-lantern Jack-w*th-a-lantern Jack-wi*th-a-lantern Jack-w*ith-a-lantern Jack-w9th-a-lantern Jack-wi9th-a-lantern Jack-w9ith-a-lantern Jack-wuth-a-lantern Jack-wiuth-a-lantern Jack-wuith-a-lantern Jack-woth-a-lantern Jack-wioth-a-lantern Jack-woith-a-lantern Jack-wjth-a-lantern Jack-wijth-a-lantern Jack-wjith-a-lantern Jack-wkth-a-lantern Jack-wikth-a-lantern Jack-wkith-a-lantern Jack-wlth-a-lantern Jack-wilth-a-lantern Jack-wlith-a-lantern Jack-wath-a-lantern Jack-weth-a-lantern Jack-wi5h-a-lantern Jack-wit5h-a-lantern Jack-wi5th-a-lantern Jack-wi%h-a-lantern Jack-wit%h-a-lantern Jack-wi%th-a-lantern Jack-wi6h-a-lantern Jack-wit6h-a-lantern Jack-wi6th-a-lantern Jack-wirh-a-lantern Jack-witrh-a-lantern Jack-wirth-a-lantern Jack-wiyh-a-lantern Jack-wityh-a-lantern Jack-wiyth-a-lantern Jack-wifh-a-lantern Jack-witfh-a-lantern Jack-wifth-a-lantern Jack-wigh-a-lantern Jack-witgh-a-lantern 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Jack-with-a-lazntern Jack-with-a-lzantern Jack-with-a-l ntern Jack-with-a-la ntern Jack-with-a-l antern Jack-with-a-lentern Jack-with-a-lintern Jack-with-a-lontern Jack-with-a-luntern Jack-with-a-lagtern Jack-with-a-langtern Jack-with-a-lagntern Jack-with-a-lahtern Jack-with-a-lanhtern Jack-with-a-lahntern Jack-with-a-lajtern Jack-with-a-lanjtern Jack-with-a-lajntern Jack-with-a-labtern Jack-with-a-lanbtern Jack-with-a-labntern Jack-with-a-lamtern Jack-with-a-lanmtern Jack-with-a-lamntern Jack-with-a-la tern Jack-with-a-lan tern Jack-with-a-la ntern Jack-with-a-lan5ern Jack-with-a-lant5ern Jack-with-a-lan5tern Jack-with-a-lan%ern Jack-with-a-lant%ern Jack-with-a-lan%tern Jack-with-a-lan6ern Jack-with-a-lant6ern Jack-with-a-lan6tern Jack-with-a-lanrern Jack-with-a-lantrern Jack-with-a-lanrtern Jack-with-a-lanyern Jack-with-a-lantyern Jack-with-a-lanytern Jack-with-a-lanfern Jack-with-a-lantfern Jack-with-a-lanftern Jack-with-a-langern Jack-with-a-lantgern Jack-with-a-langtern Jack-with-a-lanhern Jack-with-a-lanthern Jack-with-a-lanhtern Jack-with-a-lant3rn Jack-with-a-lante3rn Jack-with-a-lant3ern Jack-with-a-lant#rn Jack-with-a-lante#rn Jack-with-a-lant#ern Jack-with-a-lant4rn Jack-with-a-lante4rn Jack-with-a-lant4ern Jack-with-a-lantwrn Jack-with-a-lantewrn Jack-with-a-lantwern Jack-with-a-lantrrn Jack-with-a-lanterrn Jack-with-a-lantrern Jack-with-a-lantsrn Jack-with-a-lantesrn Jack-with-a-lantsern Jack-with-a-lantdrn Jack-with-a-lantedrn Jack-with-a-lantdern Jack-with-a-lantfrn Jack-with-a-lantefrn Jack-with-a-lantfern Jack-with-a-lantarn Jack-with-a-lantirn Jack-with-a-lantorn Jack-with-a-lanturn Jack-with-a-lante4n Jack-with-a-lanter4n Jack-with-a-lante4rn Jack-with-a-lante$n Jack-with-a-lanter$n Jack-with-a-lante$rn Jack-with-a-lante5n Jack-with-a-lanter5n Jack-with-a-lante5rn Jack-with-a-lanteen Jack-with-a-lanteren Jack-with-a-lanteern Jack-with-a-lantetn Jack-with-a-lantertn Jack-with-a-lantetrn Jack-with-a-lantedn Jack-with-a-lanterdn Jack-with-a-lantedrn Jack-with-a-lantefn Jack-with-a-lanterfn Jack-with-a-lantefrn Jack-with-a-lantegn Jack-with-a-lantergn Jack-with-a-lantegrn Jack-with-a-lanterg Jack-with-a-lanterng Jack-with-a-lantergn Jack-with-a-lanterh Jack-with-a-lanternh Jack-with-a-lanterhn Jack-with-a-lanterj Jack-with-a-lanternj Jack-with-a-lanterjn Jack-with-a-lanterb Jack-with-a-lanternb Jack-with-a-lanterbn Jack-with-a-lanterm Jack-with-a-lanternm Jack-with-a-lantermn Jack-with-a-lanter Jack-with-a-lantern Jack-with-a-lanter n Definition commonly spelled as: Defanition or Defenition, Synonym as: Synonim, Sinonym or Sinonim, Thesaurus as: Thesorus or Thesauris, Dictionary as: Dictionery or Dictionry and Define is usually not misspelled. What does mispell meen? It Meens...
Full Map Index: Å Norway-Am Timan Chad |
Ama United States of America-Audon France |
Audouville-la-Hubert France-Baskil Turkey |
Baskin United States of America-Bindoy Philippines |
Bindoy Philippines-Breuilpont France |
Breukelen Netherlands-Campofelice di Fitalia Italy |
Campofelice di Roccella Italy-Champigny France |
Champigny-en-Beauce France-Colle San Magno Italy |
Colle Sannita Italy-Damulog Philippines |
Damurhuda Bangladesh-Duliāgaon India |
Duliajan No.1 India-Ethridge United States of America |
Étienville France-Frignano Italy |
Frignicourt France-Gouhenans France |
Gouillons France-Hasselbach Germany |
Hasselbach Germany-Hurlock United States of America |
Huron United States of America-Jovellanos Cuba |
Jovellar Philippines-Kirchzell Germany |
Kircubbin United Kingdom-La Gomera Guatemala |
La Gonfrière France-Le Hohwald France |
Le Hommet-dArthenay France-Loma de Gato Philippines |
Loma de Juárez Mexico-Mālpur India |
Mālpura India-Memphis United States of America |
Memphis United States of America-Montería Colombia |
Monteriggioni Italy-Navalilla Spain |
Navalmanzano Spain-Noyelles-lès-Seclin France |
Noyelles-lès-Vermelles France-Pachelma Russia |
Pachgaon India-Piégut-Pluviers France |
Piekary Śląskie Poland-Prilep Macedonia |
Přílepy Czech Republic-Reuil-en-Brie France |
Reuilly France-Şag Romania |
Şag Romania-Saint-Puy France |
Saint-Python France-Santa Rita Panama |
Santa Rita Venezuela-Sewarhi India |
Sewen France-Sparbu Norway |
Spardorf Germany-Tamparan Philippines |
Tampayan Philippines-Tottington United Kingdom |
Tottleben Germany-Valdivia Chile |
Valdivia Colombia-Villeneuve-le-Roi France |
Villeneuve-lès-Avignon France-White City United States of America |
White City Canada-Żywiec Poland |