Skip to main content

Origin of The Jack-O-Lantern

Have you ever wondered why people tend to display carved pumpkins during the Halloween season? If you really take a step back to think about the tradition, it seems a little random and perhaps odd to carve out a gourd for the sake of decoration. Like many traditions and legends, It's steeped in folklore and the supernatural. The origin of the Jack-O-Lantern comes from an Irish Folktale about "Stingy Jack," aka Jack of the Lantern (hence the name, Jack-O-Lantern).

source

As the story goes, there was a man named Jack in Ireland who happened to be a drunkard and a trickster. One night (some say Hallow's Eve), he happened to meet the Devil at a pub. Jack and the Devil had some drinks. When it was time for last call, "Stingy Jack" lived up to his name by not wanting to pay for his alcohol. Jack convinced the Devil to turn himself into a sixpence to pay for the drinks...in exchange for Jack's soul, that was. When the Devil did so, Jack put the sixpence in his pocket along with his crucifix. At that point, the crucifix rendered the devil unable to morph back.  Jack offered to let the Devil go, but only if the Devil agreed not to claim his soul for ten years. After ten years, Jack ran into the Devil again. This time, he asked for an apple before his Journey into Hell. The Devil obliged, climbing into the apple tree nearby. To the Devil's surprise, Jack had laid crucifixes around the tree trunk, trapping him once more. Jack demanded his soul back in exchange for the devil's freedom. Frustrated, the Devil agreed. Jack lived a hard life, and he died soon after to no one's surprise. Upon Jack's arrival to heaven's gates, St. Peter refused him. He was turned back because of his stinginess and deceitfulness in life. Jack had no choice but to trek to the gates of hell. When he arrived, the devil refused him too. Jack, not knowing where else to go, desperately asked the devil for an ember to find his way through the darkness. The devil willingly gave Jack an ember, which he placed in a hollowed-out turnip. It is said that Jack still wanders with his turnip lantern, trying to find his way through the dark.

When Irish immigrants came over to America, they brought the tradition with them. Instead of using turnips, which were plentiful in Ireland, pumpkins became the designated lanterns. So, readers, as we carve our pumpkins this year, keep in mind that we are lighting the way for Jack's journey through the afterlife.

source
source


Labels:

Comments

  1. CherishSeptember 13, 2012 at 5:57 PM

    I shall light a lot of lanterns this year then. :P

    Halloween folklore is the best! Thanks for writing about it. :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. AsylumAliceSeptember 13, 2012 at 6:19 PM

    That is such a cool legend! I've never heard it before!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. OddGhoulOutSeptember 13, 2012 at 9:04 PM

      I only heard it a couple years ago myself. I thought it was pretty neat.

      Delete
  3. MegSeptember 14, 2012 at 7:51 PM

    Well this is new! I've never heard this legend before. It's really interesting! I love folklore like this and now I have a story to tell my friends around Halloween :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. OddGhoulOutSeptember 15, 2012 at 2:20 PM

      Awesome! I love telling stories, especially around the campfire.

      Delete
  4. UnknownSeptember 15, 2012 at 7:29 AM

    Aha that's interesting!

    Much love: http://razzledazzleandrocknroll.blogspot.co.uk/ If you fancy a follow or a nosey. xx

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Devil's Turnaround

Noonday Missionary Baptist Church's Cemetery is also known as "Devil's Turnaround." It is located along a little back road in Kennesaw, Georgia, and most of the graves are scattered in the woods. It is easy to miss, but some of the gravestones are visible from the road. The cemetery has graves from the 1860's. I wouldn't doubt that some of its occupants were slaves at one time. Many say the land is haunted by malevolent spirits who hurl objects and make physical contact--shoving, scratching, and even biting visitors. I could understand why any lingering spirits might be upset: These grounds have been terribly neglected. Much of the graves are broken and toppled over. Some are barely visible through the overgrowth of ivy and weeds. People also say the root of the haunting may be related to rumored cult rituals performed on the property. Located right by the cemetery are huge power lines (high voltage transmission lines). I could hear them b
7 comments
Read more

Depeche Mode Concert

Last night, Depeche Mode came to town. After a long week and much time spent looking forward to this, I'm glad to say I was in attendance. Justean and I ventured off to the venue with little incident this time (meaning not getting horribly lost like before). When we arrived, we noticed what a broad spectrum of fans Depeche Mode reached. There were a lot of drunken middle aged people, but besides that, there was a range of alternative types as well as more mainstream looking people. One thing is for sure that most everyone seemed excited to be there. In fact, at one point, I almost got in an altercation with a couple who was so excited, they decided to squeeze right in front of me and cut me off! Let's just say I got them to vacate my vicinity.  It was a great night for a concert. The moon shone brightly, and looming rain clouds dissipated. As for the show itself, Depeche Mode knows how to work a crowd. They sound mostly the same in concert as on their albums. They eve
14 comments
Read more

Decatur Cemetery

Established in 1823, Decatur Cemetery is older than the city of Atlanta itself.  Through the iron gates sprawled pathways lined by stone walls and oak trees. There were monuments of varying sizes and shapes, some worn and peppered with lichen.   Within the cemetery, there are a few mysterious letterbox locations. Letterboxing is a past time similar to geocaching. Participants use riddles to find hidden boxes. Inside the box is a pad of paper that is stamped and dated by the finders. My boyfriend and I trekked through the cemetery to find the hidden boxes. We managed to find one of the three, which was soaked with water. Although we didn't find all, our cemetery exploration proved successful. soaked letterbox, hiding under the tree trunk. Thomas Holley Chivers Upon research, I found that Decatur Cemetery is home to a man named Thomas Holley Chivers. Chivers was a Medical Doctor who became a poet, achieving mild fame at the time. He is famous for his friendship an
8 comments
Read more