 Okay, the myths and folklore around pumpkin carving and jack-o'-lanterns are freaking crazy and convoluted! Ow! Let me explain. Pretty much every tall tale around pumpkins and carving them for Halloween has two or more alternative endings. I felt like I was in a choose-your-own-adventure book while researching this. It is absolutely bonkers, but totally fun. It's pumpkin carving madness! Today on eccentric nature. And now pumpkins and Halloween. Okay, I'm gonna try and break this down as clearly as possible. Basically, the whole brouhaha about carving pumpkins and having jack-o'-lanterns at Halloween stems back to a saw-in ritual and stems back to the story of a really big jerkfish named Stingy Jack. Oh, and believe me, he earned that title. The story of Stingy Jack. Jack was a total alcoholic prick from Ireland who was supposed to kick the bucket, so the devil came to collect his soul himself because he was a total manipulative prick and the devil would kind of respect that, I guess. Well, apparently Jack was also very suave and persuasive because he convinces the devil to hang out with him and get a drink before he has to go. And in some versions, they get properly sloshed. So it comes time to pay the bill and Jack is like, oh man, I totally forgot my wallet. You think you can cover the tab for me Satan, please? Oh, oh yeah. How about this? Why don't you turn yourself into a coin, then jump into my pocket and like, yeah, pay for the drinks with yourself. How this works on the devil, I got no freaking idea. But it does. The devil turns himself into a coin and then jumps into Jack's pocket. The problem is, is that Jack, being a wily jerk-off, has stashed a cross in his pocket so the devil can't escape. So not only does Jack skip out on his tab and not pay his bill, but he ends up forcing the devil to give him 10 extra years before the devil will come and claim his soul. Now in some versions, Jack only gets one year and he uses a snazzy silver cross to interrupt the devil. While some of the versions of this story have the devil really being a complaint and utter dunce. As he's actually heard of Jack's reputation for being incredibly devious and goes to see if this is true and yet still gets tricked. Yeah, that's bad. The devil returns. Okay, part two of the story. The devil returns to claim Jack's soul. And this time jerky jackie is like, yeah, hey devil, I am so ready to come with you, man. I'm just a little bit hungry though. You think you could climb that tree over there and give me an apple, man? That would be so awesome. You're the man. You're the devil. Devil man. The devil does it and you probably know what's coming. But depending on the source, either this never happened at all or happened one of two ways. The devil climbs the tree. Really smart there, Beelza dud. And either Jack carves a cross into the tree or was extremely quick with a hammer and nail because he hammers across or possibly a bunch of crosses on or around the tree. Now apparently this works because the devil then couldn't climb down the tree or jump. I guess the crosses act like a super glue. Regardless, Jack barters with the devil again and gains himself another one or 10 years of freedom or convinces the devil never to take his soul again. Which is really important because that comes into play in phase three. Jack dies. Bum bum bum. Here we go again with more confusion depending on the source. Either Jack dies from liver disease and drinking too much or he just up and dies for some unexplained reason. And according to most sources, this happens before his 10 years are even up. So Jack rightfully goes to hell and either the devil acts like a petulant child and says no no no no you can't come in here. You tricked me you jerk. Get away from me Jack. You bad man. Or because of his pact he tells Jack. Sorry dude I promise not to let you into hell. So yeah man maybe try God. See how he's feeling. So Jack ascends to the pearly gates and St. Peter is like are you kidding me? You can't come in here. You've been far too much of a Mr. Meany naughty man. It's heaven dude. Now this version makes more sense overall because without the devil making a pact not allowing Jack into hell it seems kind of crazy that he wouldn't. And you'd think the devil would be all hey Jack. You finally died. Great to see you. Have I got a great list of tortures planned for you. This is gonna be just tons of fun for me. Prepare to suffer. You know what I mean? So with nowhere to go Jack is banished to wander the earth for a turn of teeth. One way things pan out according to the folklore is that the devil actually does respect Jack for being a wily trickster like himself. So as Jack's going off into the darkness the devil hands him no wait tosses him or throws at him an everlasting coal ember from hell to help light his way. Jack then finds a turnip carves it out and uses it as a lantern. Starting to sound familiar. Now he does this because either it's his favorite food or just because it was the easiest item available. It's not terribly clear in most of the versions. Jack in purgatory. So pitiful old stingy Jack is doomed to wander the earth. Some say this has its origins from all saints day where Jack symbolizes the Christian souls who are stuck in purgatory or possibly from the tale of the wandering Jew who taunts Jesus and then is forced to walk the earth until the second coming. As word got round about the legend of Jack people started calling him Jack of the lantern for obvious reasons which of course was then shortened to Jack-a-lantern. There is a reference in the general dictionary of provincialisms talking about the two meanings for Jack in the land thorn. The first equates it to the old legends of the willow the wisp. The second regards the traditional carved turnip. Now people started carving their own turnip lanterns for various reasons. Now some say it was because Jack was still a colossal jerk off and as he wandered around he would have fun luring people into the marshes for the fairies to have their way with them. So people carved turnips and potatoes and in some cases even beats to scare Jack and other evil spirits away. Now some people say they carved lanterns to symbolize the one that Jack carried. Others do it as a means to help guide wayward souls home and really it just depends on who is telling the story. Pumpkins for turnips? So how does all this get back to pumpkins? I mean if you're trying to scare Jack away stick with the turnip. Those are freaking scary. Well this is when we move over to America. As the Irish migrated in greater numbers to the US of A they of course brought their traditions with them and sure enough turnips were available. However they weren't nearly as cheap as pumpkins and noticing the trend pumpkin growers started breeding pumpkins to make carving even easier. Now this is all simple deduction as there's actually no hard evidence as to why people started using pumpkins over turnips. Other cool pumpkin carving connections. Part of Jackal lantern's connection to Halloween is believed to go way back to the Celtic practice of placing their ancestors skulls on their doorsteps or sometimes on poles during Salwan. They would also place a candle in them as well. In Ireland they carved pumpkins to represent their patron saint Bridget of Kildare. There was also an 18th century tradition from Worcestershire England using turnips called Hobarty's Lantern where they also carved faces on them and put candles inside as well. Okay what's with all the turnips let's get back to the pumpkins. Carving pumpkins slowly picked up steam until eventually they became the primary carving item of choice. Oh dear god stop doing that! And it was finally in the 1960s that John Howden finally created the Howden pumpkin varietal which is still the pumpkin of choice for carving. Political Jackal lanterns. There was a time when Jackal lantern was used to describe political policies as a deception that will lead to nothing but misery and ruin. The most famous use of this was by Amos Tuck who is credited with starting the Republican party in America. He castigated Democrats for their jackal lantern fantasies of little dictators. Solid burn. And now the completely different version of Stingy Jack. And if all of this isn't enough. Yeah there's a completely different version of this story outlined in the Dublin Penny Journal in 1836. Now in this crazy tale Jack is still a slimy curmudgeon who nobody likes but one day he's struck by a generous whim and decides to help a poor old man who's having trouble on his path. It's an angel. And because Jack helps him out the angel grants him three wishes. Jack however is still a complete and total idiot. First first wish he tells the angel he wants anyone who uses his favorite chair to be stuck there until he releases them. Really that's your wish. Next anyone who grabs something from his sycamore tree in the front yard will be stuck there until he releases them. And yep the last wish he wastes on his toolbox for the same purpose. Oh my gosh seriously you could have had eternal happiness or anything that you want. But nooo Jack chooses to stick people to things like flight paper. Now in this version when it's Jack's time to die he starts off by sending a demon to come collect him. And the first demon gets stuck in that chair. Then Jack negotiates his extra time. A second demon is sent and gets stuck in the toolbox. Bright demon. More time negotiated. Finally the devil has had it and comes himself. And Jack gets the devil stuck on the tree. No crosses needed this time. In return for his release the devil promises no hell for Jack. Jack dies. And because he was a blithering idiot wasted his wishes and spurred a chance for holy redemption. He can't get into heaven. And you know the rest. So had you heard of Stingy Jack before? Or maybe even another version of this tale? Let me know in the comments down below. If you want to learn some more crazy myths and superstitions about plants or herbs then watch either of these awe inspiring videos right here. Please be kind, take care of each other, and have fun carving those pumpkins. Oh god! Jesus, he's stopping already, it's so freaky!