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Finding a definition of "St. Elmo's Fire" that didn't involve Demi Moore or Rob Lowe took some work, but the invaluable Encyclopedia Britannica came through in the end. St. Elmo's Fire is a beautiful, eerie form of atmospheric electricity that usually appears in stormy weather around church spires, sailing masts, and airplane wings. During thunderstorms, the air between the clouds and the ground becomes electrically charged, resulting in a "glow discharge" -- the same phenomenon used in fluorescent tubes. This electricity is drawn to the closest conductor, usually the top of a tall building.
St. Elmo is actually a derivative of St. Erasmus, an early Christian martyr and the patron saint of sailors. During rough weather, frightened seamen interpreted the blue glow around the tops of the masts as a sign of his protection. You'll also find a beautiful evocation of St. Elmo's Fire in Act I, Scene 2, of William Shakespeare's The Tempest. In the scene, the sprite Ariel describes playing havoc with a crew of unlucky sailors while disguised as the strange phenomenon: I boarded the Kings' ship; now in the beak, / Now in the waist, the deck, in every cabin, / I
flamed amazement; sometime I'd divide / And burn in many places; on the topmast / The yards and bowsprit, would I flame distinctly / Then meet and join.
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