In folk belief, a person who violated land boundaries during life became a fiery man. He appeared as a burning figure, barrel, wheel, sheaf, pillar or fiery animal. Regional names and forms differ, but heat, light and wandering through the night landscape are their common features.
Where it appears
Widespread in Bohemia and Moravia.
What the old legends say
One was not to touch the fiery man or follow him. Travellers were to step aside and let the apparition pass. Some legends suggest that the restless spirit could be helped by making amends for the wrongdoing, for example returning a displaced boundary stone to its proper place.
SOURCES OF THE STORY
Sources of the original atlas Tajemná místa · page 35
This legend preserves a folk tale. Its motifs do not constitute evidence of supernatural events.
