Old interpretations regarded them as the souls of unbaptised children or dead witches. They were said to appear as little blue or greenish-white flames, often in odd numbers. The book explicitly presents their nature as ambiguous: they can punish people and lead them into swamps, but in some stories they help them find the right path.
Where it appears
Marshes, cemeteries and damp places throughout Bohemia and Moravia.
What the old legends say
The most important rule was not to follow the lights, as they were supposed to lure travellers off the path into marshland or forest. People were to keep to familiar routes, not answer strange calls and, in some traditions, make the sign of the cross or pray.
SOURCES OF THE STORY
Sources of the original atlas Tajemná místa · page 20
This legend preserves a folk tale. Its motifs do not constitute evidence of supernatural events.
