“Aurora Borealis” Nature’s Holiday Lights The origin of the northern and southern lights has various explanations in folklore and mythology throughout different cultures all over the world. The Finnish name for the northern lights "revontulet" is associated with the arctic fox. According to a folk tale, an arctic fox is running far in the north and touching the mountains with its fur, so that sparks fly off into the sky as the northern lights. A different version of the story says the fox throws the northern lights up into the sky by sweeping snow upwards with its tail. Another addition explains how moonlight is reflected from the snowflakes swept up into the sky by the fox's tail. Vue 5 Infinite / Rendered in Vue 6 Infinite. No postwork.