Comʹazants

Called St. Elmo fires by the French, Castor and Pollux by the Romans. A celestial light seen occasionally to play round mast-heads, etc. (Latin, coʹma, hair.) Virgil makes good use of this phenomenon while Ænēas is hesitating whether to leave burning Troy or not:

“Ecce levis summo de vertice visus Iuli

Fundere lumen apex, tractuque innoxia molli

Lambere flamma comas, et circum tempora pasci

Nos, pavidi trepidare metu, crinemque flagrantem

Excutere, et sanctos restinguere fontibus ignes.”

When old Anchises interferes, and a falling star is interpreted to mean that Jupiter will lead them forth securely. (Ænēid, ii. 682, etc.)

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Entry taken from Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, edited by the Rev. E. Cobham Brewer, LL.D. and revised in 1895.