Jack-O'-Lanterns - sage

 Jack-O'-Lanterns


It’s Halloween and Jack-O’-Lantern time … so let’s talk a bit about them.

Jack-O’-Lanterns are the hollowed-out and decorated pumpkins one sees sitting on door steps and window sills as Halloween is celebrated. They look mesmerizingly lovely, sitting there in the dark, with candles flickering away in their warm, orange hollow – giving off that warm, orange light while setting off the various patterns which would have previously, very patiently and lovingly been carved out to make the night a magical and a glowing one. Very poetic.

But how did the Jack-O’-Lantern get its name?

The term Jack-O’-Lantern (Jack of the Lantern) derives from the mysterious, ghostly lights which, folklore holds, are seen over marshes, bogs and swamps at night or during the twilight hours. Other names for this phenomenon are Will-o’-the-wisp (wisp – a bundle of burning hay) or Ignis Fatuus (foolish fire), and it is said to look like a light which recedes if approached.  The folk tale associated with these ghostly lights goes back to Celtic times, and it is told in different versions across Scotland, Ireland and Northern England.

Will-o'-the-Wisp by Arthur Hughes

One version goes that Will the Smith was a wicked blacksmith who was given a second chance, by St Peter, at entering the Pearly Gates. However, Will being the wicked man he was, wasted this second chance and was doomed to roam the Earth for ever. The Devil gave him a single burning coal to warm himself with, and Will – true to his character - used it to lure foolish, lost travellers into the marshes. According to the Irish version, though, a character known as Stingy Jack ran into the Devil in a pub and invited him to have a drink. But Stingy did not want to pay for the drinks and so convinced the Devil to turn himself into a six-pence coin in return for his soul. The Devil did so but Stingy did not keep his side of the bargain and placed the coin in his pocket next to a silver cross. This, of course, prevented the Devil from turning back to his original form ... Well, it's a long story, so maybe you'd better read it here:

http://www.hauntedbay.com/history/jol.shtml

J.R.R. Tolkien refers to the lights as Hobby Lanterns. But there are other names for them too, such as Corpse Candles or Corpse Fires, Friar's lanterns,  Hinky-Punk, Fair maids or Ireland,  Kitty-with-a-Wick and just plain Wisp. And that’s just in the English-speaking world. In truth, one finds references to this strange phenomenon seen over marshes and peat bogs – which is probably due to the ignition of phospine and methane given off by decaying matter - coming from all over the world: Feux Follets in France and Canada, Brujas (witches) in Mexico, Fuoco Fatuo in Italy, Irrlicht in Germany, Błędny Ognik in Poland and Bataklık Yakamozu in Turkey.

In any case, the term Jack O’ Lantern was first used in relation with lanterns made of carved vegetables in the 1800s. Not that similar lanterns were not carved before: England and Ireland have a very long traditions of lanterns carved out of veggies - usually turnips and swedes - lit up and used to ward off evil spirits. This old British tradition was then carried to America by Irish immigrants, which is where pumpkin (instead of turnip or swede) carving actually originated, and also where the lanterns became associated with Halloween. On All Hallow’s Day the spirits of all dead people were supposed to return to visit their families and friends, and Jack O’ Lanterns were therefore imperative in warding off any evil spirits which might re-visit. A treat was also left out with the lantern, to prevent the spirits from making a menace of themselves and meddling in property and other earthly matter, which they obviously had no right to. The treat was therefore a form of appeasement which finally found its way into today’s trick-or-treat tradition. It took until the late 1800s for Halloween to really take off as a very popular and observed tradition in America.

Large display of Jack-O'-Lanterns in the US

Jack-O’-Lanterns are traditionally carved on All Hallows’ Eve, to be ready just in time for All Hallows’ Day. Every Halloween eve, since the tradition took off, has seen thousands of adults and children happily eking out pumpkin seeds and flesh from the hearts of thousands upon thousands of pumpkins and turning them into magical lanterns. The tradition of pumpkin carving may have started in America, but it has spread all over the world. However, in America, the tradition is so strong that some people grow their own pumpkins for the occasion and carve hundreds of pumpkins in the days leading up to Halloween – which makes for a magical displays on the day, some of which are quite large. Some even organise pumpkin-carving parties and use special pumpkin-carving kits. Once Halloween is over the pumpkins are returned to the soil and used as an organic fertilizer ... which is the right thing to do.

Pumpkin carving has become an intricate art, with new and ever-more-complicated patterns being developed all the time … and used the make lanterns ever more fascinating.


 Making a jolly Jack-O'-Lantern

First choose your pumpkins. It is important to select ones which are uniformly orange and ripe, but which do not show signs of bruising and over-ripeness. Choose pumpkin shapes  – long or round -depending on the shape you want and the pattern you want to carve into your pumpkins’ walls.
Sharpen all the knives you will be using – it is important to have them in different shapes and sizes, according to the final designs you are planning. Using a sharp, long and thin boning knife, cut out the top holes –about two thirds the width of the pumpkins.
Use spoons and ice cream scoops to remove the “guts” of the pumpkins – the seeds and the internal flesh. Make the bottoms of the hollows as flat as can be to hold your candles safely.

Use crayons or other pencils, to draw the designs you will be carving into the wall of the pumpkins after choosing the best part of the pumpkins’ surface to decorate. You can use stencils for the purpose if available.

With very sharp and fine knives, cut out your chosen patterns and push out the pieces to see the results.

Nowadays, pumpkins may be prepared before the eve of Halloween and special sprays (probably not available in Malta) applied inside the hollows to prevent the pumpkin from rotting too quickly – or petroleum jelly is just smeared all over the pumpkin flesh lining the hollows immediately after the pumpkins are ready, which seals the pumpkins from the air and protects them from mould. Make sure that anything you use to smear on the pumpkin flesh is not flammable.

Choose your candles. You can use votive candles. White candles are best as they give off better light. Never leave candles unattended, or children unattended when candles flames are present.

Remember to put your pumpkins on a smooth and level surface before lighting. Do not position them in places where they can be easily knocked over or on unlevel surfaces or wobbly objects.

Finally, light up your lanterns and enjoy the spectacle.

http://www.pumpkincarving101.com/

Happy Halloween!

My sources:

http://jackolanterns.net/favorites.htm
http://www.jack-o-lantern.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will_o%27_the_wisp
http://www.monstropedia.org/index.php?title=Will_o%27_the_wisp
http://www.pumpkin-carving.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack-o%27-lantern
http://pumpkins.gusick.com/
http://www.hauntedbay.com/history/jol.shtml