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The Tale of Jack O' Lantern
The “Jack O’ Lantern” is without a shadow of a doubt as symbolic of Halloween as a tree is of Christmas or as an egg is of Easter for what would be Halloween without that decoration which is so unique for that day but what is a “Jack O’ Lantern” and were from did this expression come?
A “Jack O’ Lantern” is a pumpkin that has had its insides taken out while a pair of eyes, a nose and a mouth have been cut out on its side so light from a candle which has been placed inside might be seen by all in the dark. This is what a “Jack O’ Lantern” is but where does this beautifully frightful object get its name from? This is what the following story is about.
Once upon a time there was a man whose name was Jack his last name being O’ Lantern as he was Irish. Jack like many a man in Ireland enjoyed a shot of whisky from time to time among many other drinks which might have included a pint of Guinness now and then. Jack was also rumored to have been a man who despised working and everything that took away his freedom to loaf about doing what he enjoyed the most which was nothing that did not including going to the pub for a drink.
Jack lived a gay life as he would stay up to the early hours of the morning drinking in merry company only to sleep through the rest of the day so that he might wake up late in the afternoon with intensions of repeating the same cycle. Such was the life of this man who in truth never did harm to no man but then again never did good to no man either.
Good deeds however were not the only thing this man never performed for it can not be said in truth that this man never performed what could be labeled as an honest days work as his life was one of laziness.
Jack had a grand life or so he thought till one day while at his favorite bar the devil came upon him to inform him that his time on earth was up meaning he would have to accompany the devil on a road that would lead to where people like him belonged. Jack however remained defiant in the face of the prince of darkness and challenged him to attest who he was by saying in a cheeky manner “If you are so powerful as you claim to be then prove it! Change yourself in to a coin and you will have left no doubt over whom you say you are”.
The devil incensed by this defiance turned himself in to a coin which Jack suddenly grabbed tightly in his hand on which he had had a cross carved on. It was in doing this that he trapped the devil who offered Jack what ever he wanted if he were to let him go. Jack once having trapped the devil and knowing he had him at his mercy negotiated that should the devil not bother him for one more year he would let him go. The devil not having much in the way of options agreed and did not disturb Jack for another year.
A year however passed from that day on which Jack O’ Lantern encountered the devil for the first time and therefore the devil came back with vengeance to claim Jack but Jack would not have it fore he tricked the devil again. This time Jack was outside and instead of goading him in to turning himself in to a coin he deceived him in to claiming up a tree where he trapped him by carving out a cross on it. Naturally with the cross between himself and the ground the devil was trapped on this tree and therefore unable to get down. Jack at that moment seeing the opportunity struck another deal with the devil telling him that in return for his help in getting down the tree the devil should grant him more time on earth which the devil did.
Naturally like all good things that must come to an end eventually so did Jack’s life however when he died he had a problem and that being that when he got to heaven God did not want him there because after all he had never done any acts of kindness for anyone.
Jack then after having been refused entrance by the all mighty knew not were to turn to so he tried to see if he could enter hell but it was once again that he was denied access this time by the same devil whom he had tricked.
Oh, poor Jack had no where to go as he was unwelcome where ever he went! It was a sad case even for the devil who in a show of pity gave him a pumpkin (ok, it was really a turnip) with a red hot amber inside telling him that it would serve to light his way while he walked the earth for the rest of eternity as such was his fate.
And that as they say is the tale of “Jack O’ Lantern” the man who unwillingly gave his name to the item that no proper Halloween can ever go with out or who shall know fore it maybe that what we are seeing is the spirit of Jack O’ Lantern walking the earth.
