STINGY JACK - THE MYTH OF JACK O LANTERN.

Just some of the wonderful creations by artists Ray Villafane and Andy Bergholtz (you can view more HERE and HERE) - wonderful aren't they?

Stingy Jack invited the Devil to partake in a drink with him though, stingy by name and stingy by nature, it wasn't a drink he planned on paying for soooo....

Having convinced the Devil to turn himself into a coin that he, Jack, could use to pay for the drinks, he then decided to keep the money and, putting it in his pocket next to a silver cross, prevented the Devil from changing back until ......

Eventually having taken pity on the Devil Jack agreed to set him free on the condition that he wasn't bother to him for one year AND if he, Jack, should die the Devil  would not claim his soul.

Anyway .....

A year goes by and once again Jack tricks the Devil by getting him to climb up a fruit tree on which Jack carves the sign of a cross thus preventing the Devil from coming down until he has promised not to bother Jack for the next 10 years.

Soon afterwards though Jack dies and as God would not allow such an unsavoury reprobate into Heaven AND the Devil, though upset by the tricks played on him, keeps his word and does not claim Jack's soul thus allowing him into Hell, Jack is sent off into the night with only a burning coal which he puts into a carved turnip to light his way.

And so thus has Jack been roaming the Earth ever since.

Traditionally carved by the people of Ireland and Scotland out of turnips or potatoes (in England we used large beetroots) and placed in windows and doorways to frighten away Stingy Jack and any other wandering evil spirits, immigrants took the tradition of the 'Jack O'Lantern' with them to the US where they soon found pumpkins made great lanterns.

Happy Halloween 

PS. Go visit the Blond Duck HERE for yet another Pumpkin Song.