A distinctive Halloween custom is the making of jack-o’lanterns, nowadays usually from pumpkins but originally from neeps (turnips). Which figure from Irish folklore is associated with the origin of the jack-o’lantern?
A) A hunchback who was made whole after a revel among the fairy folk B) A husband whose demonic mistress turned his wife into a dog C) A thief who tricked the devil into promising not to claim his soul ü D) A warrior who slew a hound of Culann the smith, then took its place
Stingy Jack was an itinerant rascal who made his living by stealing the necessities of life, including his beloved turnips, from the decent people he met on his travels. One day the devil came to collect Jack’s soul, but Jack tricked the devil into climbing a tree, and trapped him there with the sign of the cross. To win his freedom, the devil was obliged to renounce his claim on Jack’s soul. But since Jack was not allowed into heaven either, Jack’s soul wanders the earth for eternity, with just a single glowing ember from hell to light his way. He carries the coal in the first jack-o’lantern — a hollowed out turnip, with holes carved into the skin to release the light.
