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"Haunting Lights: The Paranormal Lore of Fireflies"

Writer's picture: lurkpodcastlurkpodcast

Whether you refer to them as fireflies or lightning bugs, they undeniably illuminate the summer season. Many people fondly recall leisurely summer evenings spent capturing these glowing insects and placing them in jars. Summer nights just wouldn’t be the same without them.


Gettysburg wouldn't be the same without them either.


Each summer, thousands of lightning bugs appear on the battlefield. While this might not seem unusual or blog-worthy, the sheer number of lightning bugs in certain areas of the battlefield certainly is noteworthy. Years ago, while exploring an area near Spangler's Spring and Rock Creek, several other investigators and I encountered trees filled with fireflies. There were thousands, so many that it looked as if someone had hung hundreds of strands of white fairy lights in the trees. I have never seen anything like it before or since. Fireflies are typically seen in fields flying around at night, not perched in the trees.


That isn't the only peculiar firefly story from the Gettysburg Battlefield. Some time ago, I was contacted about an unusual lightning bug encounter that took place at The Angle. The Angle (for those unfamiliar) is a section of the Gettysburg Battlefield that includes the Copse of Trees, which served as the target landmark for Pickett's Charge. It is the area where about 1,500 Confederate soldiers from Virginia broke through Union lines during Pickett's Charge on July 3, 1863. 


Continuing with the story, a family member of the person who contacted me mentioned that in late fall (I believe she said November), he was convinced he saw fireflies in the field. However, fireflies do not appear in the fall, especially not as late as November. The witness stated, "Recently, while jogging on the road from the PA memorial to The Angle, I noticed hundreds of fireflies along the roadside. It was such an unusual sight that I stopped running to observe them. It was amazing."


So, what else can I offer besides a few quirky bug stories from a haunted battlefield? In Mayan

culture, the firefly, known as kuhkay, was associated with the act of smoking cigars. Fireflies were also linked to stars, comets, and various Mayan deities. In Appalachian folklore, blue ghost fireflies (found in the southern Appalachia region) are believed to be the spirits of Confederate soldiers who perished in battle. Japanese culture shares a similar belief. In Japan, fireflies are considered to be the souls of soldiers who have fallen in battle.


And if nothing else you can go along with European folklore which says seeing a firefly is a good omen.

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