Samhain Countdown Day 20
History of the Jack o Lantern
It’s Halloween, and you see carved pumpkin Jack-o-Lanterns in almost every doorway. We see them often at this time of year; however, did you know that they weren’t originally made out of pumpkins?
Original jack-o-lanterns were made from root vegetables such as turnips or rutabagas and illuminated with candles. These would then be placed at windows and doors in order to chase away evil or negative spirits.
It only became pumpkin carving when it was brought over to America.
There are two origin stories as to why they are called ‘jack-o-lanterns’, rooted in Irish traditions.
The first comes from the phenomenon of strange flickering lights over peat bogs, these were also called jack-o-lanterns, they were also considered the fabled creature ‘will-o’-the-wisps.
The Second was created from a myth called ‘The Legend of Stingy Jack’.
The Legend of Stingy Jack
This tale derives from an Irish legend, which appeared in print in the 19th century. According to this legend, Jack invited the devil to drink with him. As the story says, Jack was a stingy man and didn’t want to pay for their drinks. He ended up convincing the devil to turn himself into a coin so that Jack could pay for their drinks. However, Jack ended up placing the devil, turned coin, into his pocket near a silver cross so the devil couldn’t change back into his original form.
The story then goes into more detail about the trick Jack came up to with the devil. However, in the end, God would not allow such an unsavory figure into heaven. The Devil, upset by the trick Jack had played on him and keeping his word not to claim his soul, would not allow Jack into hell. He sent Jack off into the dark night with only a burning coal to light his way. Jack put the coal into a carved-out turnip and has been roaming the Earth with it ever since. The Irish began to refer to this ghostly figure as “Jack of the Lantern,” and then, simply “Jack O’Lantern.”
*there are longer versions of this story and I encourage you to look them up!