among european rural people, especially in gaelic, slavic, and germanic folklore, the will-o'-the-wisps are held to be mischievous spirits of the dead or other supernatural beings attempting to lead travellers astray (compare puck). sometimes they are believed to be the spirits of unbaptized or stillborn children, flitting between heaven and hell. other names are jack o' lantern, or joan of the wad, jenny burn-tail, kitty wi' the whisp, or spunkie.