The Luz Mala
On dark nights across the Argentine plains, people speak of the luz mala, a light that rises from the ground and drifts away when followed.
What was reported
In rural Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay, people tell of the luz mala, the 'evil light': a glowing ball that appears low over fields and hills at night, especially in the Pampas and the hills of the north-west. It is said to drift, stop, and move away from anyone who follows it.
Folk belief says it marks the place where treasure is buried, and that it is best left alone. Gauchos and farmers have passed the stories down for generations.
Explanations offered
Suggested explanations include gases from marshy ground catching fire, like the will-o'-the-wisp of Europe, glowing insects, distant headlights and mirages on the flat plains. No single explanation covers every account.
- When
- Told for generations
- Where
- The Pampas, Argentina
- Witnesses
- Gauchos, farmers and travellers
- Status
- Legend
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.