1 00:00:02,480 --> 00:00:05,000 Speaker 1: Welcome to brain Stuff, a production of I Heart Radio, 2 00:00:07,720 --> 00:00:10,719 Speaker 1: Hey brain Stuff. I'm Lauren Vogelbaum, and today's episode is 3 00:00:10,760 --> 00:00:14,240 Speaker 1: another classic from our archives. In this one, we explore 4 00:00:14,400 --> 00:00:17,880 Speaker 1: Halloween tradition that's charming but pretty dang odd when you 5 00:00:17,880 --> 00:00:21,320 Speaker 1: think about it, the carving and lighting of pumpkins into 6 00:00:21,400 --> 00:00:25,279 Speaker 1: jack o' lanterns. Hey brain Stuff, Lauren voc obam Here. 7 00:00:25,760 --> 00:00:28,479 Speaker 1: Traditions have always played a big part in what defines 8 00:00:28,600 --> 00:00:32,000 Speaker 1: any holiday, but Halloween's traditions are some of my favorites. 9 00:00:32,320 --> 00:00:35,080 Speaker 1: The costumes, the trigger treaters, the horror flicks, and the 10 00:00:35,120 --> 00:00:39,000 Speaker 1: maccab decor, including jack o' lanterns grinning and glowing next 11 00:00:39,000 --> 00:00:42,720 Speaker 1: to front doors all across America. Like most folklore, the 12 00:00:42,800 --> 00:00:45,199 Speaker 1: history of the jack o lantern varies a bit depending 13 00:00:45,200 --> 00:00:48,080 Speaker 1: on who's telling the story, but all stories involve a 14 00:00:48,159 --> 00:00:51,880 Speaker 1: clever drunkard who pulls one over on the devil. Legend 15 00:00:51,920 --> 00:00:54,960 Speaker 1: has it. In sevente or eighteenth century Ireland, a foul 16 00:00:55,000 --> 00:00:58,640 Speaker 1: moutain disreputable miser named Stingy Jack asked the devil to 17 00:00:58,680 --> 00:01:01,240 Speaker 1: go have a drink with him. Jack was the generic 18 00:01:01,320 --> 00:01:03,440 Speaker 1: name for the common man at the time, hence Jack 19 00:01:03,440 --> 00:01:06,039 Speaker 1: of all trades, every man, Jack, Jack, the ripper, et cetera. 20 00:01:06,640 --> 00:01:08,919 Speaker 1: But back to stingy Jack and his request for a drink. 21 00:01:09,360 --> 00:01:11,840 Speaker 1: The devil obliged, and when the bill came there was 22 00:01:11,920 --> 00:01:15,560 Speaker 1: that awkward moment that we're also familiar with. Jack expected 23 00:01:15,600 --> 00:01:17,480 Speaker 1: the devil to take care of things, and the devil 24 00:01:17,480 --> 00:01:20,479 Speaker 1: thought Jack should pony up. Seeing as how Jack had 25 00:01:20,520 --> 00:01:23,200 Speaker 1: no money anyway, he convinced the devil to turn himself 26 00:01:23,200 --> 00:01:26,240 Speaker 1: into a sixpence coin to pay the bill. The devil 27 00:01:26,319 --> 00:01:28,200 Speaker 1: fell for it, and Jack skipped on the bill, but 28 00:01:28,280 --> 00:01:30,560 Speaker 1: slipped the coin into his pocket, where he had a 29 00:01:30,600 --> 00:01:34,080 Speaker 1: secret weapon, a silver cross. The devil was stuck in 30 00:01:34,120 --> 00:01:36,959 Speaker 1: Jack's pocket, trapped by the cross, but Jack struck a 31 00:01:37,040 --> 00:01:39,760 Speaker 1: deal had let the devil go, provided the devil wouldn't 32 00:01:39,800 --> 00:01:42,160 Speaker 1: come after Jack for a period of one year or 33 00:01:42,280 --> 00:01:45,000 Speaker 1: ten years, depending on who you ask. The devil had 34 00:01:45,040 --> 00:01:47,720 Speaker 1: no choice but to agree. Jack took out the coin 35 00:01:47,760 --> 00:01:50,000 Speaker 1: and the devil returned to his normal form and went 36 00:01:50,040 --> 00:01:52,760 Speaker 1: on his not so merry way. At the end of 37 00:01:52,800 --> 00:01:55,240 Speaker 1: the agreed upon time frame, the devil found Jack for 38 00:01:55,280 --> 00:01:58,320 Speaker 1: a little payback, but somehow Jack convinced him to climb 39 00:01:58,400 --> 00:02:00,560 Speaker 1: a tree in search of an apple for Jack before 40 00:02:00,600 --> 00:02:03,880 Speaker 1: they set off for Hell. The horned one once again obliged, 41 00:02:04,080 --> 00:02:06,880 Speaker 1: only to see Jack carve across into the tree trunk, 42 00:02:07,120 --> 00:02:10,560 Speaker 1: leaving the beast stranded again. Jack had his sights on 43 00:02:10,560 --> 00:02:12,920 Speaker 1: a higher prize. This time, he said had let the 44 00:02:12,960 --> 00:02:15,880 Speaker 1: devil down only if he promised to never claim Jack's 45 00:02:15,880 --> 00:02:18,600 Speaker 1: soul for Hell. The devil had nothing to do but agree. 46 00:02:19,160 --> 00:02:21,680 Speaker 1: When Jack died, St Peter rejected him at the pearly 47 00:02:21,760 --> 00:02:25,360 Speaker 1: gates because of his suspect credentials. The devil wouldn't and couldn't, 48 00:02:25,400 --> 00:02:27,760 Speaker 1: let Jack into Hell for their agreement at the tree. 49 00:02:28,160 --> 00:02:30,040 Speaker 1: In the end, the devil gave Jack a lump of 50 00:02:30,040 --> 00:02:33,320 Speaker 1: burning coal to light his way through purgatory. Jack carried 51 00:02:33,360 --> 00:02:37,320 Speaker 1: the coal inside of a hollowed out turnip. Irish families 52 00:02:37,360 --> 00:02:39,640 Speaker 1: told the tale and began to put carved out turnips 53 00:02:39,639 --> 00:02:42,200 Speaker 1: in their windows to prevent Stingy Jack and other ghouls 54 00:02:42,200 --> 00:02:45,280 Speaker 1: from entering the home. Some had scary faces carved into 55 00:02:45,320 --> 00:02:48,160 Speaker 1: them to frighten such ghosts away. The tail spread to 56 00:02:48,240 --> 00:02:51,200 Speaker 1: Scotland and England, where folks might use potatoes or beats. 57 00:02:51,600 --> 00:02:54,600 Speaker 1: When those families immigrated to America, they realized that the 58 00:02:54,639 --> 00:02:57,520 Speaker 1: pumpkin native to the area was more ideal for carving, 59 00:02:58,000 --> 00:02:59,760 Speaker 1: and that is why you see jack o' lanterns on 60 00:03:00,000 --> 00:03:07,840 Speaker 1: which is around Halloween. Today's episode was written by Emily 61 00:03:07,880 --> 00:03:10,359 Speaker 1: Sane Bogan and produced by Tyler Clang. For more on 62 00:03:10,440 --> 00:03:12,440 Speaker 1: this and lots of other topics, visit how stuff works 63 00:03:12,440 --> 00:03:15,120 Speaker 1: dot com. Brainstuff is production of I Heart Radio. For 64 00:03:15,280 --> 00:03:17,799 Speaker 1: more podcasts for my heart Radio, visit the iHeart Radio app, 65 00:03:18,000 --> 00:03:20,720 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.