School: St Egney's (C.), Buncrana
- Location:
- Buncrana, Co. Donegal
- Teacher: Ellen Daly
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 1112, Page 442
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- People believed in will o the wisp. They thought it was an invisible man that carried a light about the size of a candle light and it used to go about a quarter of a mile at a time. The people said he was too bad to get to heaven and the devil would not let him into hell. Others said that he was a blacksmith who sold himself to the devil and the devil told him he would get money every time he struck the anvil. When he was selling himself to the devil he made three promises.
1 Whoever lifts the sledge cannot leave it down till he gives him leave.
2 Whoever sat on a chair they could not rise till he told them.
3 Whatever money was put into his purse could not be taken out until he told it.
When will o the wisp sold himself to the devil he got three years leave to live on earth. At the end of the three years the devil came and asked him to come with him and Will told him he would go whenever he would finish a piece of work he had to do and he asked the devil to sledge some for him. When the devil lifted the sledge he could not leave to down again unless he promised three more year to the blacksmith to remain on earth and so he did.(continues on next page)
- Informant
- William J Mc Laughlin
- Gender
- Male
- Age
- 89
- Address
- Carvagh, Co. Donegal
