Legend of the Strange Dancing Light of Mafasca

In a tiny corner of Fuerteventura, squeezed between Pozo Negro, Valles de Ortega and Tiscamanita, lies Mafasca – a little place, largely forgotten, never visited and home to a curious legend famous throughout the Canary Islands.

In this remote location during the dark nights of a new moon, a strange and mysterious light dances before those that travel that way.

As with all phenomenon, there is a legend attached to this mysterious, teasing light.
The traditional explanations lie in one of the stories most likely heard by little children before bed about three friends walking home after too much fiesta on a cold February night.

The night was dark except for the flickering matches the friends kept lighting in an effort to illuminate the way. Nevertheless, it was hopeless and the effort was wasted and soon the friends were lost.

Before long, one had the idea of of burning a clump of the dry tumbleweed that grows throughout Fuerteventura to act as a torch to light the path home.

They began once again lighting matches this time in the hope of finding some tumbleweed to burn but were unable to see further than their noses as the biting wind extinguished the matches.

After a few attempts the light from a match illuminated a shrine and a cross. The cross was made of wood and one of the friends suggested that they burn it and use it to find the elusive tumbleweed.

At first, the other two were hesitant until the first friend promised to return and replace the cross with an even bigger and more beautiful one. The cross was burned, tumbleweed found and the three eventually found their way home.

Needless to say the cross was never replaced and as the years went by, the friend died.

However, from the moment of his death a light began to appear which, according to legend, is his earthbound soul paying penance for not keeping his promise.

No threat from light, say witnesses

Although strange lights have appeared in other areas, the main sightings have always been in and around the Mafasca area. 

Witnesses have described the light as a round ball of light about the size of a tennis ball. They have never been harmed or felt threatened by the ghostly illumination – in fact, accounts have described the light as a guiding torch to travellers who pass that way.

One of the last sightings happened in 1992 when the light appeared to two teenagers from Jandia.

They described the light as a porous, illuminated red light similar to a piece of burning coat that disappeared after a minute or two.

There have been other strange apparitions in other parts of the Canary Islands.

In Gran Canaria, the port Puerto de la Luz (port of light) is so called because of the frequent flickering lights that used to appear.

In Tenerife in the village of Guimar there have been eye witness accounts describing a strange light over the mountains  of this area

Myths and legends