Legend of Jack-O-Lantern

So as to continue the Halloween themed week...here's a new story for ya...

Optional: To be enjoyed with some Irish Lager :)  

Every October, the American suburban lawns are lined with carved pumpkins, peering out from porches and doorsteps. Pumpkin carving exists in other countries but it’s just not that prevalent. Pumpkins are inscribed with ghoulish faces and illuminated by candles, a sign that the Halloween season is upon us (see what I did there? Haha.) The practice is decorating “jack-o’-lanterns” and its story comes from an Irish folktale about a man referred t as Stingy Jack. Originating in Ireland, instead of pumpkins, it was first done within large turnips and potatoes. When Irish immigrants brought the tradition to the US where pumpkins are the most available fall fruit and it just probably looked nicer than potatoes (can’t imagine what that would’ve looked like!).

Legend of Stingy Jack

According the story, Stingy Jack invited the Devil to have a drink with him (because well, I can’t think of any reason to do that.) True to his name, Stingy Jack didn’t want to pay for his drink so he convinced the Devil to turn himself into a coin that Jack then used to buy their drinks. The Devil complied (What?!?!) and Jack decided to keep the money in his pocket next to a silver cross, which prevented the Devil from returning to his true form. Jack then blackmailed the Devil, freeing him only after the Devil promised not to bother Jack for a year and that in the event that Jack died, will not claim his soul.

The next year, Jack again tricked the Devil (I have no words for how moronic the Devil is made out to be in this story.) into climbing into a tree to pick a piece of fruit. However, while he was up in the tree, Jack carved a cross into the tree’s bark so the Devil could not come down until the Devil promised Jack not to bother him for ten more years (See, why does it take any magical power to climb down a tree? If I’m correct in understanding that the symbol of God takes away the Devil’s power…)

I just imagine the fruit being an apple...you know, to symbolise the  forbidden fruit that  the Devil convinced humans to eat...IRONY is hilarious!

Eventually, Jack died but as irony would have it, God didn’t allow such a rapscallion into heaven. The Devil (who would obviously be furious to be outwitted by a man not once, but twice!) kept his word not to claim his soul and didn’t allow Jack into hell either (The smartest thing the Devil did!). He sent Jack off into the dark night with only a burning coal to light his way. Jack then put that coal into a carved-out turnip and has been roaming the Earth ever since. He became known as the ghostly “Jack of the Lantern” or when spoken with an Irish accent, “Jack-O’-Lantern”!

<-- An actual turnip lantern!

How did everyone start making their own version of Jack’s lanterns? Well, in Ireland and Scotland, people would carve scary faces into turnips or potatoes and place it in their windows or at doors to frighten away Stingy Jack or other wandering evil spirits. In America, the native pumpkins were found to be perfect jack-o’-lanterns!

Hope that little story was cute and interesting..I sure thought so...old legends are always so fascinating!

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