wights

Wight is a term with multiple meanings in folklore and fantasy. In Old English and older Germanic traditions, wight originally meant a living being or creature. Over time the word came to refer more specifically to beings such as spirits, demons, or revenants associated with the natural world or human graves. In many folk traditions, wights are liminal beings linked to particular places—hills, mounds, waters, or woods—and are depicted as either dangerous guardians or restless dead.

In folklore, barrow-wights or hill-wights are often described as malevolent spirits inhabiting ancient tombs who guard treasure or trap travelers. They may be portrayed as dangerous, but sometimes as more enigmatic presences whose mischief or malice can be appeased by ritual, hospitality, or offering.

In modern fantasy, wight has become a generic name for undead creatures animated by necromancy. Depictions vary, but wights are commonly portrayed as reanimated corpses that serve a necromancer or a dark ruler. In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, barrow-wights are a notable example: malevolent spirits inhabiting tomb-filled Barrow-downs. In contemporary fiction and games, wights are widely used to denote mindless or semi-autonomous undead enemies, often vulnerable to light, fire, or magical means, depending on the setting.

Etymology and usage: the term derives from Old English wight, related to the broader sense of person or creature in Germanic languages. The concept has influenced many fantasy genres, where it remains a flexible label for undead or supernatural beings.

See also: Barrow-wight, revenant, undead.