The Origins of the Jack-O'-Lantern

October 30, 11:55 AMFatherhood ExaminerJoe Schatz

Previous Next

1 comment Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the Fatherhood Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

Jack-O'-Lanterns
ehow.co.uk

During the holidays I tend to ask myself questions like, “Why do we celebrate the birth of Jesus by putting a tree in the house,” or “why are we dying eggs?” As for Halloween, I myself have always wondered about the origins of the Jack-O’-Lantern. This year, so I could be equipped to answer my daughters’ inevitable questions regarding the holiday, I did what any good dad would do—I turned to Wikipedia. I love Wikipedia. Wikipedia shines like a beacon of light in the dark foreboding quagmire which is the internet, and wouldn’t you know it—they knew all about Jack-O’-Lanterns.

The History Behind the Carved Pumpkin

The actual phrase ‘Jack of the Lantern’ is part of Irish folklore and first appeared in print in 1750. The term referred to a night watchman or a man carrying a lantern. The oral tradition precedes the written one and was used to describe a strange light flickering over the marshes. If approached, the light would seemingly always advance and was perpetually out of reach. The mysterious lights are also known as will o' the wisp and ignis fatuus (Gaelic for foolish fire). However, ‘Jack of the Lantern’ has roots that are deep and old and stem from the legend of Stingy Jack.

As legend has it, Jack, an Irish blacksmith, had a run in with the Devil in a pub on Halloween. Jack was drinking a bit too much that evening and the only thing that saved him from damnation that night was some quick thinking. Jack struck a bargain with the Devil. He offered up his soul to Devil in exchange for on last drink—which he had no intention of having. The Devil agreed and changed himself into a sixpence so Jack could buy that last drink. Instead, Jack pocketed the money and placed the coin in a bag with a silver cross. He knew that once in the bag with the cross the Devil couldn’t revert back to his old self. Jack made the Devil promise not to come to him for another ten years or he wouldn’t let him out of the purse. The Devil agreed.

Ten years later, the Devil found Jack walking on a country lane and told him that he was back to collect his soul as promised. Jack, as stingy and tricky as ever, pretended to resign his fate. He had one last request and asked if the Devil would climb a nearby tree and fetch him down an apple. The Devil thought for a moment and realized he had nothing to lose and agreed. Climbing the tree to fulfill Jack’s last request, the Devil was once again tricked. This time, when the Devil was sliding back down the tree he noticed that Jack had carved the sign of the cross into the trunk of tree. Once again, and agreement was struck. Jack told the Devil that he could never take his soul.

Many years later, Jack did finally die. St. Peter turned Jack away from Heaven because of his drinking, trickery and all around nastiness. His soul then went to Hell, but the Devil denied him entrance because of the deal they had struck. Jack asked, "But where am I to go?" And the Devil replied, "Back to where you came from". 
 

The way back was treacherous, dark and windy, so Jack asked the Devil one last favor—a light to help guide his way. Perhaps the nicest Devil I had ever read about granted Jack a light and gave him an ember from the fires Hell. Stingy Jack placed the ember in a turnip he was eating to protect it along his journey.

Ever since, Jack has been wandering the darkness alone, and his name and turnip lantern are synonymous with a damned soul.

The Irish, in an effort to ward off damned, wandering souls carved out turnips and placed candles inside them during Halloween. They would also leave food outside their houses to appease the spirits and carve faces on turnips, potatoes, rutabagas and even beets to chase away ghosts. Fear of souls like Jack's venturing back to the warmth of their previous homes on Halloween spawned a custom that is carried on today. After the Potato Famine in the mid-1800’s, there was a mass immigration of Irish to the United States. The Irish brought with them their tradition but found the US wasn’t a breeding ground for turnips, but found an even much more suitable carving palette in the pumpkin.

The jack o' lantern is basically the trademark of Halloween and the mere image of a carved pumpkin is synonymous with costumed kids saying ‘trick or treat.’ So, when your kids ask you about ‘Jack-O’-Lanterns’ tell them about Stingy Jack.

* This post is a Fatherhood Friday post on Halloween, to read what other dads are writing about this Halloween click here. *