Once upon a time, there was a blacksmith named Jack, who was also a drunkard. And as if that wasn’t bad enough, Jack was a liar, con man and cheat of such renown that even the devil heard of him. Some even said that Jack was a bigger liar than the devil himself. The very idea that anyone was a better liar than Satan infuriated that devil. Determined to remove his rival, the devil decided to collect Jack’s soul.
So, the devil disguised himself as a corpse and lay on the road Jack always took to the pub. When Jack saw the body, he paused to roll the corpse over and check its pockets for any valuables. The devil leaped up, very much alive, and announced Jack’s soul now belonged to him.
Jack was momentarily terrified and knew there was no way out, but he gambled on one last request. Would Satan come with Jack to the pub, so Jack could enjoy a final drink of ale? Surprisingly, the devil agreed. The two went to the pub and made a night of it. But at dawn, Satan announced it was time to go to Hell.
Jack reached in his pocket and discovered he had no coin to pay the bill. The devil also lacked funds. So, how would they pay the tab?
Some say it was Jack’s idea; others say it was Satan’s, but between them, they decided that the devil would turn himself into a coin to pay the bill, and when the bartender wasn’t looking, the devil would change himself back and take Jack to Hell.
So, the devil became a silver coin. As soon as the coin hit the bar, Jack put his hand over it, picked the coin up and put it in his pocket. As luck would have it, Jack’s pocket also contained a silver crucifix, effectively trapping the devil in Jack’s pocket, because the devil can never escape a Christian symbol.
Satan was not happy, but he was stuck, so he made a bargain. If Jack would release him, Satan promised not to take Jack’s soul for 10 years. And so the deal was done. After all, a lot can happen in 10 years.
The years passed. Jack became more of a trickster than he had been before. On All Hallow’s Eve, Jack was on his way to the pub when the devil met him on the road. Once again, Jack knew his time was up. But . . .
It was a long way to Hell and Jack was hungry. Would the devil allow Jack to grab some apples from a nearby tree. The devil agreed. Why, I do not know. But when they arrived at the tree, Jack was not tall enough to climb it. So, the devil climbed the tree to retrieve apples for Jack.
Why the devil would do such a thing, I can’t imagine. But Satan climbed the tree and began picking apples. While he was busy, Jack carved crosses around the tree’s base. Once again, the devil was trapped.
The devil demanded that Jack release him immediately. Jack thought about it and decided to make another bargain. If Satan promised he would never take Jack to Hell, Jack would remove one of the crosses so the devil could escape. Done! The devil disappeared and Jack never saw him again in this world.
Years passed, and eventually Jack died. St. Peter met Jack’s soul at the gates of heaven, and refused him entry.
“But where am I to go?”
“Try Hell.”
So Jack’s soul made its way to Hell where Satan stood at the door.
“Our contract forbids it. But, as a favor, I’ll give you an ember of hellfire to light your way.”
Jack returned to earth and hollowed out a turnip to make a lantern for the the ember. Every night, Jack wanders the earth, but he’s only visible on Halloween when the veil between worlds is at its thinnest.
If you chance to see him on Halloween night, look away, because Jack is still a wily trickster and will try to convince you to hold the lantern for him. “Only for a minute,” he’ll say. But then Jack will be off, and you’ll be the one wandering the world while holding a turnip lantern.
Happy Halloween!
Illustrations & A Few Sources
Halloween Greetings 1910; Death & the Highwayman by Thomas Rowlandson 1815; Interior Tavern by David Teniers, the Younger 1600s; Peasants Beside the Road by Pieter de Molijn 17th century; Devil Won’t Take Him. What a Pity. Napoleon at the Gate of Hell 1805; Traditional Irish Turnip Jack o Lantern Attribution: Rannpháirtí anaithnid. Jack O’Lantern – The Original Irish Legend of Stingy Jack. USA Kilts.
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