The Lore of the Jack-o'-Lantern
Now that October is here all fans of Halloween are spending every day of the month getting into the fun. For some this means decorating and for others it means watching movies and television specials. Whatever part of Halloween people enjoy it still revolves around the iconic symbols of that holiday. One of the most iconic of those is the one we expect to see every year in neighborhoods that night, the Jack-o'-Lantern. Like many of the symbols of Halloween there is a story behind this that we all wondered about as kids and even as adults. The story behind this one is simple yet interesting.
The Jack in Jack-o'-Lantern or Jack of the Lantern, as the name means, refers to a character sometimes known as Stingy Jack. As with all folklore there are variations in the names and stories. There are a couple of stories that tell the tale. In both, Jack was a miserable, mean spirited, old drunk who was known for playing trick on family, friends and even the Devil.
One story tells that one night Jack, while drunk, was wandering along the countryside and came across a body that turned out to be the Devil who smiled at him. Jack realized that this was the end and that the Devil had come to collect his miserable soul. Before being taken to Hell he asked the Devil if he could have a drink before. The Devil took him to pub and ordered all manner of drink for him. When Jack was done he asked the Devil to pay the tab by turning himself into a silver coin which he could change back from later thus cheating the pub out of the money and drinking for free. The Devil was impressed by Jack's deviousness and agreed. Jack then took the coin and put it in his pocket next to a crucifix thus rendering the Devil powerless. Jack agreed to let the Devil go if he promised to not take his soul, to which the Devil agreed.
Another tale has the Devil coming across Jack in the forest to claim his soul near an apple tree. Jack asks if the Devil can go up the tree to grab him and apple as he is hungry. The Devil agrees but once he goes up the tree Jack surrounds it with crosses to trap him. He agrees to remove the crosses if the Devil promises to not take his soul, to which the Devil agrees.
With either tale Jack eventually dies from his drinking and goes to the pearly gates of Heaven but is told by St Peter that he could not enter because he had led a miserable and worthless life on Earth. He then goes to Hell and begs the Devil to let him in. The Devil tells him that because of his promise he could not. Since Jack could now only wander in darkness between Heaven and Hell the Devil gave him an ember to mark him as a denizen of the underworld and to light his way. Jack hallowed out a turnip, his favorite food, and placed the ember in it to serve as his lantern.
On Halloween the Irish hallowed out turnips, swedes, potatoes and beets to place a light in to ward off evil spirits. Irish immigrants to America who maintained the tradition of carving a Jack-o'-Lantern found that a pumpkin was much easier to carve for this purpose. And the tradition of carving a pumpkin at Halloween was born.
The Will-o'-the-wisp has a similar story.but with a few differences. Will the Smith was a wicked blacksmith who was given a second chance by St Peter to change his ways and live a good life. He instead lives such a bad life that he is doomed to wander the Earth. The Devil gives him a single burning coal to warm himself. Being a wicked soul Will uses the coal to lure foolish travelers into the marshes.
The Jack-o'-Lantern is also associated with the corpse light and the ignis fatuus or follish fire. Both are considered death omens that play tricks on lone travelers at night to lure them from their path until they lose their way.