Corpse Candle
Preserved but no longer current.
The ignis fatnus is so called by the Welsh because it was supposed to forebode death, and to show the road that the corpse would take. The large candle used at lich wakes — i.e. at the watching of a corpse before interment — had the same name.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Corpse Candle” mean?
The ignis fatnus is so called by the Welsh because it was supposed to forebode death, and to show the road that the corpse would take. The large candle used at lich wakes — i.e. at the watching of a corpse before interment — had the same name.
Is “Corpse Candle” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.