The word for today is…
ignis fatuus (noun):
1: a light that sometimes appears in the night over marshy ground and is often attributable to the combustion of gas from decomposed organic matter
2: a deceptive goal or hope
Source : Merriam -Webster
Etymology : Ignis fatuus is a Latin term meaning, literally, “foolish fire.” Other names for this light are jack-o’-lantern and will-o’-the-wisp—both of which are connected to folklore about mysterious men, Jack and Will, who carry a lantern or a wisp of light at night. A Scottish name for ignis fatuus is spunkie, from spunk, meaning “spark” or “a small fire.” It has also been told that ignes fatui (the Latin plural form) are roaming souls. No doubt these stories spooked listeners by candlelight, but in time, advancements in science not only gave us electricity to dispel the darkness but proved ignis fatuus to be a visible exhalation of gas from the ground, which is rarely seen today.
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