Abergavenny Folklore ~ "Will-o'-the-wisp" Sion Dafydd

An interesting extract I found in a book called "Folklore, Myths and Legends of Britain" - a Readers Digest published in 1973. I purchased the first edition on eBay and and delighted with this tattered and falling apart book, it's pages are folklore gold and it is a plethora of forgotten tales that you won't find anywhere on the web. I want to share this one with you.."Long ago, a man called Sion Ddfydd, who lived in the hills above Abergavenny, was in league with the Devil. He had arranged with the Devil that his soul was safe as long as he was touching something rooted in the earth, and many times Satan tried to catch him and failed. In the end, because he was too evil to go to Heaven but too clever to be trapped by the Devil, he became a "Will-O'-the Wisp." A will-o'-the wisp is a type of ghost light, "possibly orb" type light, most likely elemental and seen as a light at night time sometimes hovering over water or marshes and in graveyards. It flickers like a lamp and tempts travelers from their safe paths. Other names for similar entities are jack-o'-lantern, friar's lantern, hinkypunk, hobby lanterns, and they are widespread among world wide folklore tales. They will vary in their names and stories however there are striking similarities in the actual description of the entity. You can read more about other will-o'-the wisp stories here.