Will-o’-the-Wisps: A Mini-Essay

    

     From the Naga fireballs of the Mekong River in Thailand to the Marfa lights along U.S. Route 67 in Texas, folklores throughout the world attest to the bizarre occurrence of will-o’-the-wisps, glowing lights ranging in color from green to white that appear at night over bogs and swamps or within fields and woods and hover mysteriously until ultimately disappearing.[1] For some, these floating orbs are spiritual or extraterrestrial entities who either benevolently guide lost travelers out of the wilderness or maliciously lead unsuspecting individuals to their deaths.[2] For instance, the devil’s bonfires of Longdendale, England, have, since the sixteenth century, been assumed to be the products of witches, who use them as a means to lure gullible individuals into entrapment for sacrifices.[3] While earlier generations turned to supernatural explications, more contemporary scholars explain the will-o’-the-wisp as a misunderstood natural phenomena. In 1898, Dr. M.A. Blunard proposed phosphuretted hydrogen caused by reactions between calcium phosphide and water produced these occurrences at sea and, since then, other scientists have presented their own hypothesis, ranging from clusters of fireflies to the luminescent fungus Panelluses stipticus.[4]

Works Referenced

Blunard, M.A. “Will-o’-the-Wisps.” English Mechanic and World of Science 1761 (1898): 433. 

Gisondi, Joe. Monster Trek: The Obsessive Search for Bigfoot. Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press, 2016.

Jones, Richard. Haunted Britain and Ireland. New York: Barnes and Noble, 2002.

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[1] Gisondi, 41-42.
[2] Gisondi, 41-42.
[3] Jones,  97-98.
[4] Blunard, 433.

Hanging Clown

$15 - $20 (based on 2019 prices) 

Makes one clown 

The final build for 2019’s twisted carnival was this hanging clown, which I repurposed to hang above the haunt’s exit to usher guests out of the display. Along with the clown doll, clown masks, and clown pumpkins, it was just one of a few clown-themed props crafted for the event, as I endeavored to stick more toward a turn-of-the-century travelling show motif rather than a clown-heavy circus. If you cannot find a hanging clown prop for this build, a hanging skeleton prop can be easily refabricated to achieve the same results.

• One three-foot hanging clown prop
• One 10 oz. can of interior/exterior, fast-drying spray paint in glossy green
• One 10 oz. can of interior/exterior, fast-drying spray paint in glossy orange
• One 0.64 oz. bag of pom poms in varying colors and sizes
• One to two yards of Halloween-themed ribbon
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat black*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat green*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat red*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat white*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat yellow*
• One cone-shaped party hat
• One 4 oz. bottle of all-purpose tacky glue*
  

1. Cover the nose with painter’s tape and the body with a plastic bag, leaving only the head and hands exposed. Then, on a newspaper-lined surface in a well-ventilated area, give the head a couple even coats of orange spray paint and the hands a few coats of green. The number of coats and colors can be altered to cater the prop to your specific needs. 

2. Modify the clown’s original outfit by gluing pom poms to the clothing. You could use one specific size and color to achieve a unified look or vary both the dimensions and hues for a more chaotic appearance. Likewise, you can apply the pom poms in a random pattern or create an intricate design. 

3. Accent the cuffs and ruff with Halloween-themed ribbon, lining both items with the fabric and gluing it in place. For visual interest, I chose to use two different patterns – one for the cuffs and one for the ruff. You, though, can use the same pattern for all three to maintain cohesiveness. 

4. Detail the skull with polychromatic paints to provide it with a clown-like appearance. Your face can be as fanciful of frightening as you choose. If you struggle with drawing, find templates online and use a pencil to lightly sketch their patterns. Once the paint has dried, outline the designs with black paint to enhance the colors. 

 5. Although I crowned the prop with a curly red wig and party hat, you can use alternative items, such as a small top hat or multicolored periwig, to adhere to your haunt’s theme. 

6. If you plan to hang the prop in a display, where it can leer menacingly downward at unsuspecting guests, create a hanging loop with black wire strong enough to support its weight and fasten it to the back (where it will remain unseen). 

7. You can give the clown further detail by adhering a bowtie, fake nose, and glasses for more whimsy or blood splatters, plastic insects, and severed body parts for a more frightening appearance.

*You will not use the entire bottle’s content for this project.

"Remember" (A Poem)

Unlike her brother Dante Gabriel, who buried and later disinterred the body of his deceased wife Elizabeth Siddal, Christina Rossetti’s dealings with death were no different than the average Victorian.[1] Due to this factor, Lorraine Janzen Kooistra explains, the writer remained relatively silent on the subject of death, only composing a limited number of works which dealt with the subject.[2] Her poem “Remember,” in turn, is just one of these few and takes a straightforward approach over the traditional sentimentalism, asserting that it is better to be forgotten than to be remembered only through the sadness of mourning.

Remember me when I am gone away,
Gone far away into the silent land;
When you can no more hold me by the hand,
Nor I half turn to go yet turning stay.
Remember me when no more day by day
You tell me of our future that you planned:
Only remember me; you understand
It will be late to counsel then or pray.
Yet if you should forget me for a while
And afterwards remember, do not grieve:
For if the darkness and corruption leave
A vestige of the thoughts that once I had,
Better by far you should forget and smile
Than that you should remember and be sad.[3]

Works Referenced

Kooistra, Lorraine Janzen. “Science and Art: Vestiges of Corpses in Pre-Raphaelite Illustrations.” Reading Victorian Illustrations, 1855-1875: Spoils of the Lumber Room. Edited by Paul Goldman and Simon Cooke. London: Routledge, 2016. 97-114.

Rossetti, Christina. “Remember.” Goblin Market and Other Poems. London: MacMillan and Company, 1862. 58.
____________________
[1] Kooistra, 97.
[2] Kooistra, 97.
[3] Rossetti, 58.

Framed Insect Specimens

$10 - $15 (based on 2018 prices)

Makes three framed specimens

For the witch den, which was part of my office’s annual decorating competition, I covered the walls in an assortment of framed specimens. To give the illusion of an eclectic collection, I created small groups of props with varying designs. For this version, I used aged copper frames and coffee-stained labels. You, though, can cater the props to your specific needs by altering the size (a subtle statement with a small, cheap frame or a dramatic impression with something more massive and ornate) or specimens (an eerie mixture of rat skulls or a bizarre cluster of bat wings).

• Three 8” x 10” frames
• One 10 oz. can of interior/exterior, fast-drying spray paint in metallic copper
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in grasshopper*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in hunter green*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in olive*
• Four pieces of 8” x 11.5” copy paper (one with scientific labels printed on it and three blank)
• At least four tablespoons of black tea (e.g. Darjeeling, Earl Gary, English Breakfast, etc.)
• At least four tablespoons of dark roasted coffee grounds
• One pan large enough to soak the copy paper
• One 4 oz. bottle of all-purpose tacky glue*
• Three or four plastic insects in various sizes
• One 8 oz. can of oil-based interior wood stain in Jacobean*
  

1. Remove the backings and any glass from the frames and, on a newspaper-lined surface in a well-ventilated area, apply an even coat of metallic copper spray paint. Although I only used one coat, you may want more depending on your desired coverage. Keep in mind, though, that this is the base coat and much of the copper will be covered by the green paints. 

2. Mix grasshopper and hunter green paint together to achieve and aged patina and pat it onto the frames. You could use a brush with splayed bristles, a stippling sponge, or crumpled paper towels for the application. As you do so, focus on areas where oxidization would naturally occur. 

3. To add further age and additional depth, dab olive paint onto the frames. As with step two, focus on places where continued exposure to the elements would weather the copper. Be modest with your application during this process. You do not want to overpower the other colors with this darker tone. If you choose to do so, the patina can be enhanced further with a flecking of black paint. You can do this by either quickly flicking a paintbrush or using an old toothbrush and strumming your finger across the bristles. Since this process flings paint everywhere, it’s best to perform it outside. 

4. Boil enough water to completely submerge the three sheets of blank copy paper and pour it into the pan. Add the tea. The longer you allow the tea to brew, the darker the stain will become. Likewise, greater amounts of tea will produce a richer stain. I found that a combination of English and Irish Breakfast brewed for over ten minutes produces a nice, deep brown. Submerge the paper into the tea mixture and soak it until it reaches the color you desire. I soaked mine for eight hours and scattered the loose-leaf tea over the top of the paper to add spots. Remove the paper from the water and allow it to dry. Although it can be time consuming, this process works best if you stain each sheet of paper individually. 

5. Glue the stained paper to the cardboard backings. To make it appear even more decrepit, crinkle the paper and create holes. You can use olive or vegetable oil to add further stains. I discovered that applying a small amount of oil to your index finger and patting it on the paper works well. 

6. Boil enough water to completely submerge the copy paper with scientific labels printing on it and pour it into the pan. Add the coffee. The longer you allow the coffee to brew, the darker the stain will become. Likewise, greater amounts of coffee will produce a richer stain. Submerge the paper in the coffee mixture and soak it until it reaches the color you desire. I soaked mine for eight hours and scattered the coffee grounds over the top of the paper to add spots. Remove the paper from the water and allow it to dry. I elected to stain this sheet with coffee rather than tea to give the labels a darker hue which contrasted with the tea-stained backings. You, of course, are free to just stain all four sheets with either tea or coffee to save time. 

7. After the paper dries, cut out the labels, leaving a small boarder around their edges, and roughen their surfaces with sandpaper. Once you have achieved your desired level of distress, glue the labels to the backings. 

8. On a newspaper-lined surface in a well-ventilated area, stain the insects. I began by giving each one a light, even coat with a foam brush. After that, I applied heavy amounts of stain and patted away the excess with paper towels. You want the color to build up in the cracks and fissures. Although you may use whatever color of stain you desire, I chose Jacobean because it gives the insects an old, rotted appearance. Once you have achieved your intended look, allow the insects to dry. I let mine sit outside in the sun for three days. 

9. Center the specimens on the backings with their corresponding labels and glue them in place. For a sturdier hold, consider using superglue.

10. Attach the frames to the backings. For added support, glue the backings in place, particularly if you plan to display these in windy conditions. If the frames did not come with hanging hooks, you can add store-bought items to the back or fashion your own with steel wire. 

*You will not use the entire bottle’s content for this project.