Stingy Jack, perhaps also known as Jack the Smith, Drunk Jack, and Jack
of the Lantern, is a mythical character apparently associated with All
Hallows Eve. It is common lore that the "jack-o'-lantern" is derived
from the character.
As the story goes, several centuries ago amongst the myriad of towns and villages in Ireland, there lived a drunkard
known as "Stingy Jack". Jack was known throughout the land as a
deceiver, manipulator and otherwise dreg of society. On a fateful night,
the devil
overheard the tale of Jack's evil deeds and silver tongue. Unconvinced
(and envious) of the rumors, the devil went to find out for himself
whether or not Jack lived up to his vile reputation.
Typical of Jack, he was drunk and wandering through the countryside at night when he came upon a body on his cobblestone
path. The body with an eerie grimace on its face turned out to be the
Devil. Jack realized somberly this was his end; the devil had finally
come to collect his malevolent soul. Jack made a last request: he asked
the devil to let him drink ale
before he departed to hell. Finding no reason not to acquiesce the
request, the devil took Jack to the local pub and supplied him with many
alcoholic beverages. Upon quenching his thirst, Jack asked the devil to
pay the tab on the ale, to the devil's surprise. Jack convinced the
devil to metamorphose
into a silver coin with which to pay the bartender (impressed upon by
Jack's unyielding nefarious tactics). Shrewdly, Jack stuck the now
transmogrified devil (coin) into his pocket, which also contained a crucifix.
The crucifix's presence prevented the devil from escaping his form.
This coerced the devil to agree to Jack's demand: in exchange for the
devil's freedom, the devil had to spare Jack's soul for 10 years.
Ten years later to the date when Jack originally struck his deal, he
found himself once again in the devil's presence. Same as the setting
before, Jack happened upon the devil and seemingly accepted it was his
time to go to hell for good. As the devil prepared to take him to the underworld,
Jack asked if he could have one apple to feed his starving belly.
Foolishly the devil once again agreed to this request. As the devil
climbed up the branches of a nearby apple tree, Jack surrounded its base
with crucifixes. The devil, frustrated at the fact that he been
entrapped again, demanded his release. As Jack did before, he made a
demand: that his soul never be taken by the devil into hell. The devil
agreed and was set free.
Eventually the drinking and unstable lifestyle took its toll on Jack; he died the way he lived. As Jack's soul prepared to enter heaven through the gates of St. Peter he was stopped. Jack was told that because of his sinful lifestyle of deceitfulness and drinking, he was not allowed into heaven. The dreary Jack went before the Gates of Hell and begged for commission into underworld. The devil, fulfilling his obligation to Jack, could not take his soul. To warn others, he gave Jack an ember, marking him a denizen of the netherworld. From that day on until eternity's end, Jack is doomed to roam the world between the planes of good and evil, with only an ember inside a hollowed turnip ("turnip" actually referring to a large swede) to light his way.
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New York Tribune, 1915. |
Eventually the drinking and unstable lifestyle took its toll on Jack; he died the way he lived. As Jack's soul prepared to enter heaven through the gates of St. Peter he was stopped. Jack was told that because of his sinful lifestyle of deceitfulness and drinking, he was not allowed into heaven. The dreary Jack went before the Gates of Hell and begged for commission into underworld. The devil, fulfilling his obligation to Jack, could not take his soul. To warn others, he gave Jack an ember, marking him a denizen of the netherworld. From that day on until eternity's end, Jack is doomed to roam the world between the planes of good and evil, with only an ember inside a hollowed turnip ("turnip" actually referring to a large swede) to light his way.
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