How is the ghost fire formed?

Because human bones contain phosphorus, phosphine will be produced after the corpse decays. Phosphine has a low ignition point and can spontaneously ignite.

A strong green phosphorescence that appears in cemeteries or villages at night. Secular superstition, thinking that it is a ghost fire, with light and no flame, is produced by the burning of phosphide.

Interpretation: phosphorus fire. Superstitious people think it is a ghost fire, so it is called a ghost fire.

Ghost fire in Japanese legend

Japanese pronunciation: Hitodama. Refers to the phenomenon that the human soul is accompanied by strange fire when it leaves the human body near death or just after death, also known as phosphorus fire. There are many legends about the phenomenon of ghost fire, some just left the human body, some saw it flying in the air with their own eyes, some flew to relatives' homes to tell them that they were dead, and some flew to specific places.

The so-called specific places mostly refer to temples. In some areas of Nara Prefecture, it is said that before death, the ghost fire will go to Puguang Temple to pay homage. Aomori Prefecture, it is said that after the ghost fire broke away from the body, it went to settle in Mount Fear. For jack-o'-lantern, it is generally explained that the soul will go where it should go after death. Influenced by the legend of ghost fox in modern times, the image of ghost fire has become more and more specific, generally showing green or yellow, dragging a long tail.