Off the Beaten Path

Well, I think we can safely say that this blue flame is pleased that we are following it. It has stayed very calm in its movements for the last couple of hours, floating down the center of the road, clear as day. Have you noticed that it is steadily getting brighter?
 
OH! There it goes into the trees! Time to climb down off of the vardo. Watch your step! There is no need to rush. I am certain the flame will wait for us to follow if it has its own story to tell.
 
 
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As we know, sometimes these spook lights lead one to an important location, such as the blue flame that led a son to the body of his father who passed deep in the mines. Of course, they can also be tricky and simply lead people astray for mischief’s sake, but I don’t think this is the intent here.
 
I don’t want to frighten you, traveler, but you should know before you continue down this path with me that sometimes ghost lights serve as a warning to those who witness it. The Candle of the Dead, for example, is visible only to those who are about to lose a loved one or are near imminent demise themselves. The Candle is known to manifest at the home of whomever is about to die and follow the path of the impending funeral procession to the place of burial. Other times it appears at the graveyard and heads to the house soon to be plagued by tragedy. The Candle gets its name due to the appearance of a flame, and if you are able to get close enough, you may see a spirit holding it. Being able to clearly see the spirit may give you a clue as to whom is slated to pass.
 
In a similar fashion of leading the way to a soon-to-be-occupied grave, spook lights can be accompanied by a moan that sounds as if someone is in the throes of death. This, of course, is cause for concern. The Cyhyraeth, a Welsh creature reminiscent of the Banshee, will wail three times, with each successive cry becoming fainter. This event happens prior to a death or tragedy. It is a harbinger of doom, if you will. Such sights and sounds have even been reported before a shipwreck that inevitably precedes sailors meeting their watery grave. 
 
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The appearance of these kinds of spook lights has long filled their witnesses with terror; but, please do not worry. Are you feeling any sense of fear? Do you hear any moaning cries? No? Neither do I. Do you think I would insist we follow such a creature? Of course not!
 
See, the flame is moving slowly now through the trees. I told you it would wait for us! The light is getting brighter. Mind your feet and watch the briars. We are walking on little more than a deer trail here: the trees are closing in, branches low, and the brush is getting thicker. I wonder where we are headed.

We are nearly through the trees. It appears there is a clearing ahead of some sort. Yes, look! The flame has stopped! It is hovering over something. 
 
An old cemetery! Long forgotten, clearly. Do you see some of the dates here? Hundreds of years old! Our flame is lingering over one stone in particular. Let’s try to decipher why that may be.
 
Goodness…this stone is broken and so incredibly worn. Even with the bright light from the flame, I can’t quite make out who is buried here, but I have a feeling we are supposed to find out….
 

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Until next time,
Heather
 
 
 
 
Further Reading:
Jenkins, D.E., et all. Bedd Gelert: Its Facts, Fairies, & Folklore. (Based upon the Articles by Mr. William Jones in Y Brython.) … With Translations of Poetry by the Rev. H.E. Lewis and an Introduction by Principal J. Rhys. Llewelyn Jenkins, 1899. p. 84
 
Sikes, Wirt. British Goblins: Welsh Folk Lore, Fairy Mythology, Legends and Traditions. 1881. p. 219-222.