Will-o'-the-Wisp

Highly similar games.

• Will-o'-the-wisp
  Source and relationship

  Zygmunt Wyrobek, Harcerz w polu: zabawy i gry terenowe (1946). Both variants describe a night pursuit of scouts who pass a lantern between them and reveal its light at fixed intervals. This activity has an approved link to another historical variant. The records remain separate to preserve each source text and provenance.

Source text

This game should take place across country at night. Two scouts set off in a given direction with a lighted bull’s-eye lantern. After two minutes have passed the patrol or troop starts in pursuit.

The lantern bearer must show his light at least every minute concealing it for the rest of the time. The two scouts take turns in carrying the light, and so may relieve each other in difficulties, but either may be captured. The scout without the light can often mingle with the pursuers without being recognized and relieve his friend when he is being hard pressed. They should arrange certain calls or signals between themselves.

Metadata

• Type: game
• Traits: Not stated in the source
• Source: Ernest Thompson Seton, Boy Scouts Handbook: The Games (1911)
• Printed pages: 317–318
• Digital edition: Digital edition · Source record
• Open the edition at the relevant page: p. 317
• Read the automatic translation: bsh-037