The Legend of the Jack O'Lantern

Published: 10/17/07, 4:32 PM EDT

The true origin of the jack-o'-lantern is forever lost in the mists of time. All we have are stories and legends handed down over the years - undoubtably embellished and exagerrated with each successive generation. The most colorful (and maybe true?) account of the first jack-o'-lantern is found in an old Irish folk tale.

The central figure, Jack, of course, is a lazy but very shrewd character who uses a cross to trap the Devil. In one story, Jack tricks the Devil into climbing an apple tree. Once the Devil is in the tree, Jack quickly places crosses around the trunk (one version tells of Jack carving a cross into the bark) so the Devil couldn't get down.

Another tale describes Jack being chased by villagers that he had stolen from. He encounters the Devil in his escape, who tells Jack it is time for him to die and go to Hell for his wicked ways. However, Jack stalls his death by tempting the Devil. He proposes that the Devil turn himself into a coin (as the Devil could turn himself into any form he wanted) with which Jack would pay for the stolen goods. Then, when the coin/Devil disappeared, the Christian villagers would fight over who had stolen it. The Devil agreed to the plan, turned himself into a silver coin and jumped into Jack's wallet, only to find himself next to a small cross Jack had hidden there. Jack closed the wallet and the cross stripped the Devil of his powers, thus trapping him.

In both of these tales, Jack only lets the Devil go when he agrees to never take his soul. Time passed in Jack's life and he finally died. Since his life had been too sinful for him to go to Heaven and seeing as the Devil promised not to take his soul, he was also barred from Hell. Encountering the Devil once again, Jack lamented that he had nowhere to go and no light to guide him. The Devil mockingly tossed him an ember from the flames of Hell that would never burn out. Jack carved out a turnip, his favorite food, placed the ember inside and began endlessly wandering the Earth looking for a resting place. He became known as "Jack of the Lantern," or "Jack-o'-Lantern."

I found this at : http://www.att.net/s/editorial.dll?eetype=Article&eeid=5455947&render=y&ck=&Table=

Interesting :)

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!