When you carve out a pumpkin each year, place a flickering candle inside, and proudly display it on your porch, you’re keeping alive a story much older—and far darker—than most realize. The Jack-o’-lantern, now a beloved symbol of Halloween, has roots in folklore that speaks of deceit, damnation, and a soul forever wandering between the living and the dead. But who exactly was “Jack,” and how did his name become synonymous with these haunting orange gourds?

The Cunning Trickster: Stingy Jack

The tale begins with a man known in Irish folklore as Stingy Jack, a blacksmith with a heart as cold as iron and a mind as sharp as his tools. Jack was infamous for his cunning nature, using his wit not for good but to trick and deceive anyone who crossed his path. His most audacious act of trickery, however, was reserved for none other than the Devil himself.

One fateful evening, Jack invited the Devil to have a drink with him, and true to his stingy nature, Jack didn’t want to pay for his drink. He convinced the Devil to turn himself into a coin that Jack could use to cover the cost. The Devil, intrigued by Jack’s boldness, obliged. But instead of using the coin to pay, Jack slipped it into his pocket, where he kept a small silver cross, trapping the Devil in his coin form.

Realizing he’d been duped, the Devil demanded his freedom, but Jack struck a deal. He would release the Devil only if he promised not to claim Jack’s soul for ten years. The Devil, with little choice, reluctantly agreed.

The Final Trick

True to his word, the Devil left Jack alone for a decade. When the ten years were up, the Devil returned to collect his due. But Jack, not one to give up easily, tricked the Devil again. He convinced him to climb a tree to fetch him a piece of fruit before they made their journey to the underworld. While the Devil was in the tree, Jack carved a cross into its bark, trapping him once more.

Jack made another deal: in exchange for his freedom, the Devil had to promise never to take his soul to Hell. Defeated once again, the Devil agreed and vanished.

A Soul Without Rest

When Jack eventually died, his trickery caught up with him. He tried to enter Heaven, but his deceitful ways had earned him no favor there. Desperate, Jack turned to Hell, but the Devil, true to his word, refused him entry. With nowhere to go, Jack’s soul was doomed to wander the earth for eternity.

To light his way through the eternal darkness, the Devil mockingly tossed Jack a burning coal from Hell’s fires. Jack carved out a turnip, placed the coal inside, and has roamed the earth ever since, holding his eerie lantern—a restless spirit known as “Jack of the Lantern” or, as we now say, Jack-o’-lantern.

From Turnips to Pumpkins

The tradition of carving turnips in Jack’s likeness was carried over by Irish immigrants to America, where pumpkins, much larger and easier to carve, became the new face of Jack’s eternal flame. Over time, the lanterns evolved from a ward against evil spirits to a symbol of Halloween itself, but the story of Stingy Jack remains the grim heart of the Jack-o’-lantern.

A Cautionary Tale

Next time you carve a toothy grin into a pumpkin, take a moment to remember Jack’s tale. His story is not just one of Halloween fun, but a warning of what can happen to those who live by deceit. Jack’s flame may flicker, but it never dies—just like his endless wandering between worlds.

The next time you light that candle, who knows—perhaps Jack himself will be watching from the shadows, holding his own lantern and searching for his final resting place.

Happy Halloween!