Elmo (St.). The fire of St. Elmo (Feu de Saint Elme), a comazant. If only one appears on a ship-mast, foul weather is at hand; but if two or more, they indicate that stormy weather is about to cease. By the Italians these comazants are called the "fires of St. Peter and St. Nicholas." In Latin the single fire is called "Helen," but the two "Castor and Pollux." Horace says (Odes, I. xiii. 27):
Quorum simul alba nautis stella refulsit,
Defluit saxis agitatus humor,
Concident venti, fugiuntque nubes, etc.
But Longfellow makes the stella indicative of foul weather:
Last night I saw St. Elmo's stars,
With their glimmering lanterns all at play ...
And I knew we should have foul weather to-day.
Longfellow,
The Golden Legend