The Coffin Lights of the Western Isles

Isle of Lewis, Outer Hebrides, Scotland

Across the moors of Lewis, small glowing lights are seen moving slowly along old paths. They travel the same routes as funeral processions — sometimes days before a death occurs.

The taibhsear — the second sight — has been part of Outer Hebrides culture for as long as there are records of the place. Among the most specific and consistent manifestations of the second sight are the corp candles — corpse lights, sometimes called coffin lights or death lights — that appear on Lewis and the other Outer Hebrides islands. They appear as small, wavering lights, bluish or yellowish-white in colour, moving slowly along specific paths across the moorland. The paths they follow are, invariably, the traditional routes used for carrying coffins from outlying townships to the kirkyard — routes that have been used for centuries. The lights are seen before a death. In the simplest version, a single light indicates a single death. Multiple lights indicate multiple deaths or a larger funeral party. They are not seen by everyone. Those with the second sight — and on Lewis this is understood as an unwanted and sometimes hereditary capacity rather than a gift — see them involuntarily. There are multiple recorded instances of two people standing together, one of whom can see the lights and one of whom cannot. The lights follow the coffin path precisely. On roads built in the 20th century that deviate from the old routes, witnesses report seeing the lights pass through walls and fences at the points where the old path ran, undiverted. The phenomenon has been documented consistently from the 17th century to the present day.