Which figure from Irish folklore is associated with the origin of Jack-o-lanterns?

Answer 1

This is the story of Irish Jack, as told at Haunted Hike Night at the Kateri Environmental Center in New Jersey. As recounted by Rick Howe (Irish Jack 1988 - 1993): Back in the early 17th century, there lived a man in Ireland by the name of Jack. He was the meanest man in the area, Jack was. He was so mean that he would slip into your house and steal your Christmas presents. He was so mean that he would come into your house at night, take your toothbrush, and brush the dogs teeth with it - and then put it right back. He was so mean that he would visit the poor widow woman who lived in the woods, the one with 7 children, and he would take their food from them. Mostly turnips, you know. But the meanest thing he ever did was to trick the devil. Here's how it happened. One day Irish Jack was walking along the trail, and he saw the devil coming the other way. Jack decided he was going to play a trick on the devil, so Jack said, "Mr. Devil. I'm feeling hungry and weak, and I really need to get a bite of an apple from that tree. But I'm too weak to climb up there. Would you mind climbing up and getting me an apple?" So the devil said, "Well Jack. I can see you're lookin' a might peekid. You could use a bit of color. And seein' as how we've had some fun together, I'll climb up and grab you that apple." So the devil he goes up the tree and picks a ripe red apple. But when he's up there, Irish Jack takes a piece of chalk from his pocket and draws the cross of the holy church on the bottom of the tree. "What have you done?" cries the devil. "I can't get down now with the cross there." And Jack, he says, "Well, Mr. Devil. I'll make you a deal. I'll let you down if you'll promise that when my time comes, you'll not grab me and take me down to that hot place." "You drive a hard bargain," said the devil. "But I agree." Irish Jack goes on his merry way, doin' mischief here and there. Until one day, the last day of October don't you know, he goes back to that widow woman and grabs the family's dinner of a great, large turnip. Irish Jack he takes one bite from the turnip. And another. And on the third large bite, he chokes and he dies. So Irish Jack goes up to heaven, still carrying the turnip. But St. Peter, being the wise angel that he is, doesn't let Irish Jack into heaven. Then Irish Jack goes down to hell, still with that turnip, but the devil forces him out saying, "Irish Jack - we made a deal - you can't be coming here." Irish Jack he says, "But I have no place to go!" So the devil picks up a hot coal from the floor of hell and throws it at Irish Jack. Irish Jack ducks behind the turnip, and the hot coal burns down inside the turnip. And now, to this day, you'll see Irish Jack wandering in the haze or Purgatory on the last day of October. The day we now call Halloween. And he's carrying a turnip with a hot coal inside. And the light is shining from two small holes at the top, and a large hole at the bottom. It is like a lantern - Jack's Own Lantern. So we call that the Jack 'O Lantern to this day. But now we make it from a pumpkin, don't you know. If you've ever tasted turnip pie, you'd understand why. And that's the story of Irish Jack and the Jack 'O Lantern. Rick Howe January 6, 2009 rickhowe@aol.com

Answer 2

Stingy Jack.