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Quiz about The Winds Wave at the WillotheWisp
Quiz about The Winds Wave at the WillotheWisp

The Winds Wave at the Will-o'-the-Wisp Quiz


Will-o'-the-wisps are phantom lights that cannot be explained easily. The Four Winds are taking a wave at some of the more famous examples of these unexplained phenomena, and we enlist your help matching each one to a brief description. Good luck.

A matching quiz by shuehorn. Estimated time: 3 mins.
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Author
shuehorn
Time
3 mins
Type
Match Quiz
Quiz #
394,252
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Easy
Avg Score
8 / 10
Plays
363
Awards
Top 10% Quiz
Last 3 plays: Guest 108 (4/10), matthewpokemon (10/10), Guest 98 (10/10).
(a) Drag-and-drop from the right to the left, or (b) click on a right side answer box and then on a left side box to move it.
QuestionsChoices
1. Will-o'-the-wisps popular among children on Halloween.  
  Boitata (also known as "mboi tata" or "mboa tata")
2. A Brazilian will-o'-the-wisp in the form of a long snake-like creature.  
  Ignus fatus (marsh methane)
3. A Colombian will-o'-the-wisp that proves that not all grannies are sweet.  
  Candileja (or the evil old woman)
4. The Australian Outback has its own will-o'-the-wisps, small balls of light that scare travelers unfamiliar with the area.  
  Aarnivalkea
5. A Scottish version of the will-o'-the-wisp, a boy who offers to lead travelers with his lamp for a coin or two.  
  Irrbloss and Myling
6. The souls of unbaptized Swedish children who have died or been killed become will-o'-the-wisps.  
  Jack-o'-Lanterns
7. Will-'o-the-wisps from Finland that mark the spot of buried treasure.  
  Feu-Follet
8. A Louisianan will-o'-the-wisp that is a mixture of French and African legend.  
  Spunkie
9. Japan has its own legends of will-o'-the-wisps that are the souls of the dead.  
  Hitodama
10. Scientists claim that this is a logical explanation for will-o'-the-wisps that doesn't involve the paranormal at all.  
  Min-Min Lights





Select each answer

1. Will-o'-the-wisps popular among children on Halloween.
2. A Brazilian will-o'-the-wisp in the form of a long snake-like creature.
3. A Colombian will-o'-the-wisp that proves that not all grannies are sweet.
4. The Australian Outback has its own will-o'-the-wisps, small balls of light that scare travelers unfamiliar with the area.
5. A Scottish version of the will-o'-the-wisp, a boy who offers to lead travelers with his lamp for a coin or two.
6. The souls of unbaptized Swedish children who have died or been killed become will-o'-the-wisps.
7. Will-'o-the-wisps from Finland that mark the spot of buried treasure.
8. A Louisianan will-o'-the-wisp that is a mixture of French and African legend.
9. Japan has its own legends of will-o'-the-wisps that are the souls of the dead.
10. Scientists claim that this is a logical explanation for will-o'-the-wisps that doesn't involve the paranormal at all.

Most Recent Scores
Feb 27 2024 : Guest 108: 4/10
Feb 20 2024 : matthewpokemon: 10/10
Feb 15 2024 : Guest 98: 10/10

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Will-o'-the-wisps popular among children on Halloween.

Answer: Jack-o'-Lanterns

There are a few explanations of the origin of the jack-o'-lantern. One popular one says that Jack was a wicked soul who upon dying managed to trick the devil a number of times into letting him live longer and not go to hell. Despite his cleverness, Jack had not lived well enough to gain entry into heaven when he eventually did die, and the devil denied him a place in hell too. Jack was given an inextinguishable light that he put into a hollowed out turnip, and was doomed to wander lonely areas at night for the rest of eternity, with only his ghoulish lantern to guide him.
2. A Brazilian will-o'-the-wisp in the form of a long snake-like creature.

Answer: Boitata (also known as "mboi tata" or "mboa tata")

Originally a Tuti legend that has become part of Brazilian folklore, the story of the Boitata is that of a fiery serpent who terrorizes animals and unfortunate humans at night. The light necessary for any will-o'-the-wisp tale are the snake's burning eyes. According to the folk tale, the snake is blind during the day, but able to see everything at night. Boitata was supposedly a normal serpent that had survived a great flood.

When it went out to hunt at night, it would eat only the eyes of any animal or person that it came across, because that was the most delectable part.

This diet made Boitata's own eyes grow brighter and redder, absorbing the light from the eyes of its victims, as the serpent grew bigger and bigger, and hungrier and hungrier.
3. A Colombian will-o'-the-wisp that proves that not all grannies are sweet.

Answer: Candileja (or the evil old woman)

This Colombian folk figure was a grandmother who did not teach her grandchildren how to behave. You would think that their parents would be held accountable, and not their poor granny, but in this tale, the children run amok and become criminals. Because of this, upon her death, the grandmother became the Candileja, and was forced to wander the earth at night with only the light of a candle to guide her, never entering into eternal rest.
4. The Australian Outback has its own will-o'-the-wisps, small balls of light that scare travelers unfamiliar with the area.

Answer: Min-Min Lights

According to Australian folktales, the Mim-Min lights are tiny orbs that seem to float above the ground. They seem to target foreigners, and their sightings have become more common with the influx of Europeans, Asians and Americans to their shores. Interestingly enough, the Min-Min don't like to be shot at, and they disappear when a traveler tries to defend himself with gunfire.

The Min-Min always reappear, however, and often lead confused wanderers to get lost, and some never find their way back.
5. A Scottish version of the will-o'-the-wisp, a boy who offers to lead travelers with his lamp for a coin or two.

Answer: Spunkie

Versions differ as to whether this figure is real or a ghost, but more often than not, the boy and his light disappear, leaving the hapless soul who has paid for a guide to his own devices to find his way. Some of these tales also blame Spunkies for leading boats to crash on rocky shores.
6. The souls of unbaptized Swedish children who have died or been killed become will-o'-the-wisps.

Answer: Irrbloss and Myling

This belief combines two separate elements of Swedish folklore. Irbloss is an eerie light that leads people astray combined with the tormented souls of dead children, Myling. The religious element appears to be an attempt at providing protection from becoming this type of a spirit.
7. Will-'o-the-wisps from Finland that mark the spot of buried treasure.

Answer: Aarnivalkea

The Finnish have a more fun explanation of the will-o'-the-wisp, and those who see the Arnivalkea are encouraged to follow them to their point of origin, where there is said to be the spot where a fairy or sprite has buried its gold. Some tales caution that it is dangerous to follow too closely, and that the treasure seeker might lose his mind, so do so at your own risk!
8. A Louisianan will-o'-the-wisp that is a mixture of French and African legend.

Answer: Feu-Follet

The feu-follet are souls sent back to earth to repay their wrongs by helping others and thereby earn entry into heaven. They are not happy with this destiny, however, and often take revenge on humanity, doing mischief or worse. They often use their lights to trap people in the swamps ("marsh fire" is the translation of "feu-follet" in French).
9. Japan has its own legends of will-o'-the-wisps that are the souls of the dead.

Answer: Hitodama

These balls of light appear to float disembodied near cemeteries or other lonely spots. The word "Hitodama" means human soul as a ball of energy. Though the tales focus on graveyards, they are reported all across Japan in a variety of places, with no simple explanation for the phenomenon.
10. Scientists claim that this is a logical explanation for will-o'-the-wisps that doesn't involve the paranormal at all.

Answer: Ignus fatus (marsh methane)

Scientists from different countries have claimed that the accumulation of methane in marshy areas could combust and create the orbs of light that many call will-o'-the-wisp". Naysayers ask why these lights often disappear when approached or shot at, and one hypothesis is that the movement of air near the ignus fatus could cause it to wane, much like when a breeze puts out the flame on a gas stove.

Another scientific explanation of some of these phenomena is the presence of bioluminescent algae and bacteria concentrated in the water.
Source: Author shuehorn

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor agony before going online.
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