Will-o'-the-Wisp
Year: 1935
Collector: Seán de Buitléir
Location: Wexford
Informant: Mrs. Roche
Long long ago there was a smith. He was a very good smith and got a lot of work to do. After a while he started to drink like every good tradesman and it wasn't long until he was as poor as a church-mouse. He lost some of his trade then as well.
One day he was in the forge sitting on the bench and [?] very down in the mouth, as he had drank an awful lot the day before and had no work to do this day. He was sitting there for a long time brooding over his sorrow in silence when a big black man walked into the forge. The poor smith got a fright as he never saw the like of such a man before. He was black all over and had a pair of horns and a tail.
The black man noticed the smith getting the fright. "You needn't be a bit afraid of me" says he "I've come to do you no harm" "What have you come for then" says the smith. "I'll tell you" says the black man. I know you are in a bad way at present and would give anything to make money. Well I will give you plenty of money, more money than you'll ever be able to spend" says the black man "on one condition alone." "What is that" asked the smith "that you will come with me at the end of ten years." The smith was silent for a few minutes and then finally answered. "It's a bargain" for he was delighted to get money on any condition. "Very good" says the black man "I hope that you'll have a good time, but expect me at the end of ten years."
The smith then was a gentleman. He spent a very good time travelling around the world, but he used always return home and do a bit of smith work to amuse himself. Ten years don't be long going when spent well, and one morning while the smith was amusing himself in the forge, who walking in but the black man. "The ten years are up" says he "Very good" says the smith I'm ready to go." They travelled on until they were passing a public-house, and then says the smith to the black man "I'm very fond of beer" says he, "but the worst of it is" says he "I'm no money to buy it. Perhaps you could change yourself into a two-shilling piece for half an hour or so and you can change yourself back again. I'd never be able to go the whole journey with the thirst that's on me." says he to the black man.
The black man consented, and changed himself into the two-shilling piece for half an hour. The moment the smith got the two-shilling piece he ran home and put a bar of iron in the fire and reddened it then he put the two-shilling-piece of iron and hammered it down over the two-shilling piece. "You'll hardly over come out of that, me boy when the half hour is up" says he. It was true for him the black man never troubled him after that and he lived to be an old man. Then he died and went to the gate of heaven and wanted to get in, but St. Peter wouldn't let him in.
You are too bad for this place" say he "and we can't possibly let you in." He then turned and went down to the gate of hell and knocked there. The big devil came out to him. "What's wrong with you" says the devil. "I want to get inside" says he "We can't let you in here says the devil "you're too clever for us." I'll never be able to get out this long dark passage by myself" says the smith. The devil went back and got a wisp of straw and lit it and gave it to him to give him light coming back the dark passage.
He wasn't let into heaven and he wasn't let into hell, so he is now travelling around the world with his wisp of straw, and that is the person that we call "Will-o-the Wisp."
Credit to the Dúchas project at the National Folklore Collection, University College Dublin.
Please find more of their fascinating work here:
https://www.duchas.ie/en/info/res