![]() ![]() ![]() By 1673, it connected to the will-o’-the-wisp which probably helped inspire the legend of Jack. Jack-with-the-lantern is in the Oxford English Dictionary referring to “a man with a lantern” as early as 1663. Granted, it isn’t hard to speculate on the origins of this folktale. And when seen at a distance, especially if witnessed dancing in the darkness, that glowing lantern may be in the hands of a bitter specter. In every jolly jack-o’-lantern is a reminder of the damned soul who inspired the grinning gourd. Yet, there is something sinister beneath the surface. Thus, the jack-o’-lantern is born.Įvery variation of the story is comically charming. Banned from Perdition but still too sinful for Heaven, Jack wanders the world with no place to rest, a smoldering coal from Hell held in a turnip lighting his endless search-never able to rest. Routinely outsmarted, Satan gives up in frustration. Whatever the version-Stingy, Drunk, or Curmudgeon-it’s always Jack and the Devil unable to collect a damned soul. Only when Old Scratch agreed not to drag him to Hell did Jack let Lucifer loose. Then, instead of paying, Jack trapped the Devil in the coin. However, when Jack couldn’t afford the bar bill, he convinced Satan to shapeshift into a sixpence. It relates how the Devil came for Jack, who begged Old Scratch for one last drink before going to Hell. Unwelcome in Heaven or Hell, he’s then condemned to wander the Earth until Judgement Day with only a lantern to light his way. Though he releases the infernal fiends, the devil bans Jack from the Inferno. Each, in turn, gets stuck in the chair, to the box, and to the tree. However, the aged curmudgeon tricks demon after demon and then Satan himself. Flashforward a few decades, the devil sends demons to snatch Jack down to Hell. Though the angel begrudgingly grants these wishes, they’re so disgusted by this pettiness that Jack gets banned from Heaven. Jack is essentially a curmudgeon who uses his wishes to supernaturally glue down anyone who comes between him and his favorite chair, tries to borrow his tools, or breaks a stick off his beloved tree. The same goes for those trying to steal a branch from his prized sycamore tree or take anything from a junk box full of various tools. Awarded three wishes for his kindness, Jack asked that anyone who sat in his favorite chair is stuck in place until he allowed them to leave. In the morning, the withered elder transformed into a magnificent angel. One night, he rescued a decrepit old man dying of exposure on the moor. It seems there used to be a fellow named Jack. Although the writer offers a scientific explanation for the sight, the superstitious uncle relates the folklore behind fool’s fire. While walking home from an Irish wake, a writer and his uncle observed ignis fatuus, more commonly known as will-o’-the-wisps but referred to then as Jack-o’-the-lantern. In roughly 1835, The Dublin Penny Journal released an article detailing the legend of Jack-o’-the-lantern. They also utilized hollowed-out turnips as lanterns, a lit candle within dispelling the darkness as well as scaring away spooks. As such, Celts kept treats on hand to bribe the more malicious manifestations. Some in search of mischief torment the mortals they find. Supernatural entities slip through the thinning divide between worlds. Red tinted sunsets cast narrowing alleys of illumination as daylight dies. According to folk tradition, “it was also a period of supernatural intensity when the forces of darkness and decay were said to be abroad, spilling out from…the ancient mounds or barrows of the countryside.” Jack-o’-lantern carved in a turnip inspired by Seán Na Gealaí. Populating most of Europe, England, Scotland, and Ireland, the Celts believed the year divided into seasons of light and darkness, with Samhain ushering in the latter. This amounted to a Celtic variation on New Year’s Eve. The Coligny Calendar, a bronze plaque from that time, marks the annual celebration of Samhain (pronounced sow-in). Halloween grew out of a Celtic tradition dating back to at least the first century B.C.E. Although what terrified in days past may not petrify the way it once did, perhaps that history can still add some spice. It’s the face of Halloween, and consequently, people are so accustomed to its ubiquitous presence, they forget the underlying horror in this symbol. Oddly able to adapt to every facet of the holiday, it stands capable of being kid-friendly, horrifying, and if need be, sexy. No matter how All Hallows’ Eve has evolved over the decades, the jack-o’-lantern remains roughly the same. Although all manner of gruesome ghouls scream spooky season, the carved pumpkin is king. Nothing heralds Halloween quite like the jack-o’-lantern. ![]()
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