As tonight is Halloween, let's kick off the blog by looking at a legend very topical to the season; the story of Stingy Jack, or Jack O' Lantern.
The story is said to have originated in rural Ireland many, many years ago. No one is sure quite how many. It tells of a man nicknamed 'Stingy Jack' for his mean and miserly ways. There are many different versions of the story, but each of them revolves around Jack's encounter with the Devil, and his eventual fate.
Long before Dickens gave us Ebenezer Scrooge, Jack was the quintessential miser, a heartless, unfeeling, twisted soul. He was also, by all accounts, a drunkard, and a thoroughly unpleasant character, especially when drunk. The local taverns tolerated him, probably because he was their best customer, but none of the other patrons wanted to sit near him or have anything to do with him, which suited Jack fine. Everyone who knew him agreed on one thing; Jack was destined to go to Hell.
One dark moonless night in late autumn, Jack, drunk as usual, was walking alone on a country lane. As he peered forward into the gloom, he caught sight of a dark figure standing under a tree, seemingly waiting for him. The figure was none other than the Devil himself, come to take Jack to Hell at last!
Now Jack was a miser, and he was a drunk, but he was no fool. Some said he was more devious and cunning than the Devil himself. To the Devil's surprise, Jack showed no resistance. He agreed that yes, certainly he would accompany the Devil down to Hell - but first, he had just one last request. Would the Devil allow him to go to the tavern for one last drink? The Devil didn't object, and so together they walked to the nearby tavern and ordered ale. They stayed an hour, then two. After several drinks, the Devil said that time was up. Jack pointed out that they couldn't leave without paying the bill, but he had no money. He had a plan, though. The Devil could turn himself into a silver coin to pay the barman, and turn back into his real form when the man’s back was turned. The devil readily agreed and magically transformed into a coin. Quick as a flash, Jack grabbed the coin and stuffed it into his pocket, right next to a crucifix! The crucifix took away the Devil's power and left him able to transform back to his real shape. The Devil howled, cursed and threatened. Jack refused to let him go. Finally the devil promised that if only Jack would release him, he would spare him for the next ten years. Jack agreed, and the Devil was freed. Without another word, he disappeared back Into Hell, leaving Jack standing alone on the road.
Jack carried on just as before. A year passed, two years, three. Jack had half forgotten about his encounter with the Devil, so that he lost track of how much time had passed. Until, one dark autumn night, when Jack was staggering home once more, he spied a familiar shape waiting for him in the road. The ten years were up, and the Devil had come for Jack’s soul once more!
Jack thought quickly. He told the Devil he would go quietly this time, but first he had one last request. He was hungry. Wouldn’t the Devil allow him one last taste of food? The Devil laughed. There was no food here, and he wasn’t going anywhere with Jack this time. Jack pointed to a nearby apple tree, the autumn fruit nice and ripe. Would the Devil be so good as to just pick him an apple? Relenting, the Devil scrambled up the tree to retrieve an apple. When he was high enough up in the tree, Jack carved a sign of the cross into the tree’s bark so that the Devil could not come back down. Once again the Devil howled and raged, but just like before, Jack had him trapped. Finally the devil promised that if Jack would release him, he would never take him to Hell. Jack agreed and the Devil vanished once more, leaving Jack laughing and congratulating himself on his guile.
A few years later, once more in the autumn, time and drink finally caught up with Jack, and he died. His soul made his way up to Heaven. He didn’t expect to be welcomed of course, but somewhere at the back of his mind was the thought that maybe he could trick his way inside. After all, he had tricked the Devil. But when he reached the pearly gates, St Peter refused to listen to a word Jack had to say. There was no place in Heaven for a soul like Jack, and nothing he could say would persuade the saint otherwise. So there was nothing for it but to make the long descent all the way down to Hell. Well, at least it will be warm there, thought Jack. He reached the gateway to Hell and found the Devil there waiting for him, a twisted grin on his face. But when he tried to go inside, the Devil blocked his path. Had he not promised never to take Jack into Hell?
Once again Jack tried to bargain and cajole, but this time the Devil was having none of it. So Jack was stuck in limbo. Not welcome in Heaven or Hell, his fate was to wander the earth alone until the end of time. The Devil, though, took the slightest pity on him. He gave Jack a single glowing ember from the fires of Hell to light his lonely way. Finding himself back on the lonely road where he had first met the Devil, Jack hollowed out a turnip from a nearby field and placed the hot ember inside. Carrying the turnip as a lantern, Jack’s ghost began his endless journey.
It is said to this day that if you wander the country lanes after dark, especially in rural Ireland, especially in the autumn, you might notice a faint light ahead of you on the road. If you were to get close enough, you might see a shadowy figure still making his lonesome way through the world, with only the dim glow from his turnip lantern to light his way through the darkness.
