AI-generated interpretation of the Radiant Boy account attributed in print to MRS. CROW. The floor bedding, extinguished hearth, traveler and luminous boy follow the narrative; opaque light conceals the apparition’s body as an artistic choice, with no claim that the source supplies clothing. Faces, room and costume are imagined.
AI-generated interpretation of the Radiant Boy account attributed in print to MRS. CROW. The floor bedding, extinguished hearth, traveler and luminous boy follow the narrative; opaque light conceals the apparition’s body as an artistic choice, with no claim that the source supplies clothing. Faces, room and costume are imagined.
Overview
The Radiant Boy is an apparition in a story about the young Captain Stewart, introduced as the future Lord Castlereagh. After losing his way while shooting in rough weather, Stewart asks for shelter at a crowded gentleman’s house in Ireland. The host welcomes him and offers further sport, but sleeping space is scarce. A butler gives him a nearly unfurnished room, a makeshift bed of cloaks and a large turf fire. Before sleeping, Stewart reduces the fire because he fears its blaze is unsafe.
He believes that he has slept for about two hours when a brilliant light wakes him. The fire is now out, yet the light seems to come from the chimney. He sees a beautiful naked boy surrounded by dazzling radiance. The boy looks earnestly at him, then fades, leaving the room dark. Stewart initially interprets the sight as a practical joke by his host or the other guests. At breakfast he becomes reserved and announces that he will leave, despite the invitation to remain.
When the host asks what has offended him, Stewart complains of an improper trick. The other young men deny responsibility. The host then questions the butler, who admits putting the stranger in the Boy’s Room and lighting a strong fire because he hoped to keep its occupant from emerging. The host rebukes him: he had forbidden anyone to sleep there and had removed the furniture to discourage its use.
In private, the host tells Stewart a family tradition: a person who sees the radiant boy will attain great power and then die violently at its height. He says family records confirm the pattern. The selected account ends with that explanation. It supplies no records for inspection, names no house and narrates no later fulfilment of the prediction. Yeats prints it among ghost stories with the byline MRS. CROW. The boy’s identity and the cause of the haunting remain unexplained.
Origins & earliest records
Source-specific narrative in Fairy and Folk Tales of the Irish Peasantry, edited and selected by W. B. Yeats. The retained title names Walter Scott Publishing Co., Ltd., London and Felling-on-Tyne, with a New York address; its physical print year is not stated.
Records & interpretation
Complete selected account, byline, ending and attached note where present read from retained Project Gutenberg33887 witness. Claims remain attributed to the narrator.
Selected bibliography
Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.
- 01
Fairy and Folk Tales of the Irish Peasantry, edited and selected by W. B. Yeats
Printed pp.136–138. No attached numbered note in selected unit. Undated physical edition.
Family & connections
A source-supported family tree or inspiration record has not yet been compiled for this profile. Related reading below indicates a connection in subject matter, not a proven lineage or creative influence.
References
Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.
- Historical primary literary/folklore collectionFairy and Folk Tales of the Irish Peasantry, edited and selected by W. B. Yeats — complete selected account and apparatusResearch access: 2026-10-27
Image credits
Modern AI interpretation of a historical accountAI-generated interpretation of the Radiant Boy account attributed in print to MRS. CROW. The floor bedding, extinguished hearth, traveler and luminous boy follow the narrative; opaque light conceals the apparition’s body as an artistic choice, with no claim that the source supplies clothing. Faces, room and costume are imagined.
AI-generated interpretation of the Radiant Boy account attributed in print to MRS. CROW. The floor bedding, extinguished hearth, traveler and luminous boy follow the narrative; opaque light conceals the apparition’s body as an artistic choice, with no claim that the source supplies clothing. Faces, room and costume are imagined.
