The Lantern Men
Stories of orbs, spook lights, and will-o-wisps crowd folklore. But, there's always more room at the table. Enter: the lantern men. While it may fall under the umbrella category of "ghost lights" described through the ages, this folklore has its origin in the fens of East Anglia and have their own story to tell.
Unlike other stories of ghost lights, folks claim to know what drives the lantern men. They are vengeful spirits with one goal in mind: to kill as many humans as possible. In fact, it seems they wish to squash any joy that might be found in the dreary fens. Why? Because whistling, one of the only things to entertain yourself while traversing them alone, is what attracts them most. If you whistle, it’s said you’re likely to join their ranks yourself and have your own vengeful goal of luring others to their untimely deaths.
One of the most infamous stories (and victims) of the lantern men (man?) is Joseph Bexfield. He ignored the warnings and died at the age of 38 in 1809, leaving behind a distraught wife and two children. He was a wherry man on the River Yare, so you may be surprised he drowned. It was said to be a dark night and the mist rolled across the fen, confusing him. It was just this kind of night when the Lantern Man was on duty. When he left the pub that night, his friends begged him to say because they had seen the flickering of the lanterns in the no man's land of the fen. But he didn't listen, he knew the marshes like he knew his own soul. He was never seen alive again.
When he failed to return home, and then failed to show up for work his family and friends frantically searched the marshes to no avail. His body would wash up three days later.
His gravestone reads, “cruel Death that would not spare, A Father kind and Husband dear, Great is ye loss to ye three he left behind But he they hope will greater comfort find.”
Walking in the fens and think you see one? The only way to escape their clutches is to lay face-down on the ground with your mouth in the mud (unclear if your mouth has to be open or not).
As always with stories from fens and bogs and moors…it’s said that the lantern men are nothing but swamp gas. But we’ll let you be the judge of that.
And remember, if you saw a light on the moors…no you didn’t.
Thanks to Caz for this blogstonishing suggestion!
The above image depicts Wicken Fen showing one of the many hides on the fen. Photographed by Paul Tuli on 23rd October 2005. Licensed under the public domain.
