Corpse Candles (was: RE: The Living Philosopher's Stone

[Catlady (Rita Prince Winston)]

No: HPFGUIDX 56305

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "mongo62aa" 
<william.truderung at s...> wrote:

> There is a version of that in the old tales of the `swamp candles',
> which are supposed to hypnotise unwary travellers at night and lead
> them to their deaths by drowning, whereupon they become candles 
> themselves. Tolkien included this idea in his description of the 
> `Dead Marshes', but the idea is ancient. 

Apparently, in the Potterverse, they are non-spiritual magical 
creatures named Hinkypunks, which Our Heroes study in DADA class with 
Lupin in PoA. Here's a quote:

Professor Lupin had brought along a glass box containing a hinkypunk, 
a little one-legged creature who looked as though he were made of 
wisps of smoke, rather frail and harmless looking.

"Lures travelers into bogs," said Professor Lupin as they took notes.
"You notice the lantern dangling from his hand? Hops ahead -people
follow the light -- then --"