Transcript
Do you know where jacko lanterns came from? And why they're called that? It's after everyone's favorite Jack. No, not that one. But we name the monkey, Jack. Love him, but still no. Let's rewind. It wasn't always pumpkins, and it didn't originate in America. It was way back in Ireland, in the fens, in the marshes. There was a folk legend of a dark figure named Stingy Jack, Jack or a drunk Jack. Anyway, it was told that old Jack invited the devil down to a pub to have a drink. But as the tale goes, Stingy Jack wasn't one to pay his tab. So he asked the devil to turn into a coin with which to pay it. And the devil, always up for a good con, he agreed. But as soon as he transformed, Jack decided to double cross the devil and keep the coin, putting it into his pocket next to a silver cross, which prevented the devil from transforming back. It's unclear what happened to the tap. Now Jack realized that he was at an interesting position. He had a little leverage over the devil. So he negotiated to free him, but only on the condition that he wouldn't bother Jack for one whole year, and that if Jack died, the devil wouldn't claim his soul. Fast forward a year and a day, and guess who's back? Back again. But this time, somehow old silver-tongued Jack managed to convince the devil to climb a tree, to get a fruit. And while he was up there, Jack inscribed the sign of the cross on the trunk of the tree, preventing the devil from climbing down. This time, Jack bargained for ten years devil-free. But soon after, Jack died. Maybe he was a little bit. Maybe he was another swindle gone wrong? Who knows? But as the legend goes, Jack was turned away from the pearly gates. Not a big surprise if you knew him. And the devil kept his word, not admitting him through the gates of hell. Instead, he turned him away into the dark night with not but a one bright coal to light his way, which Jack then took and put inside of a turnip. Yes, that's right, lantern. The Irish and Scottish peoples began carving their own turnips and placing coals inside of them to ward away evil spirits and Jack himself. The British used beats. Irish immigrants brought the tradition to the states in the 1800s where it gained popularity after the Civil War. But here in America, bigger is better, and they already had a tradition of carving pumpkins. So the two traditions became one, and the Jack-o-Lantern as you know it became.
Additional notes
The creepy tale behind the jack-o’-lantern… #halloween #spooky #spooktok #spooktober #edutok
References
- No linked source, study title, DOI, or PMID found in the available source material.