When Jack finally did die and tried to enter Heaven, God wanted no part of allowing entry to this man who had demonstrated such terrible behavior while living. Angry at being fooled again but having no other choice, the Devil went along with the deal. If the Devil assured Jack his soul would remain intact and never been the Devil’s to take, Jack would set him free from the tree. Once the Devil had made his way far into the limbs, Jack quickly etched the sign of the cross into the bark of the tree trunk, capturing the Devil in the branches high above. First though, Jack requested that the Devil climb a nearby tree to snatch an apple for Jack to eat as his last meal. Jack tried to delay and distract the Devil, but finally reluctantly caved in. Suddenly, the Devil appeared before Jack having come to claim the soul he felt he was owed. Of course, the Devil obliged but was enraged with Jack for his cunning trickery, and waited for those years to pass.Īt the end of the ten year spell, Jack was meandering down a lonely, road deep in the countryside, having long forgotten about his contract with the Devil. He agreed to set the Devil free, as long as this demon assured Jack he would not try to steal the mortal’s soul for ten full years. Of course, once the Devil had done so, Jack got to rethinking this deal they’d made and was tempted by the feel of money in his hand, so he slipped that Devil coin into his pocket, keeping it near a silver cross so that there was no chance of a change back transformation.Īfter some time, Jack thought of a better deal he could strike with the Devil. The Devil of course agreed and turned himself into a sixpence. Old Stingy offered up his soul in exchange for this deal. He asked the Devil if he would consider shifting himself into the form of a coin that could be used to square away the bill. Having the nickname “Stingy Jack” obviously meant the man was always looking for a way out of paying, and so on this particular occasion he saw the Devil as a way free and clear of paying for his drink. It starts with Jack having a pint at the pub with the Devil himself. There are variations of the story, as tends to happen with any story passed down through the generations, but the general idea remains fairly consistent. How the History of the Jack-o’-Lantern Came to BeĪn old Irish tale of folklore tells the tale of “Stingy Jack” and the Devil and how trickery led the man to become forever famous. Though the carving and display of the pumpkin has been an annual part of people’s lives, possibly all the way back to the arrival of the first Irish Immigrants, few know the history of the jack-o’-lantern. Sometimes this means deciding on one monstrous fruit to slice and dice, or each member getting their own pumpkin for decorating. In fact, it has even become part of the tradition for families to venture out to the pumpkin patch and make their selection together. Many families make this part of their own home decorating around Halloween. Halloween would not be complete without including the traditional carved pumpkin, more commonly known as the jack-o’-lantern.
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