However, that only explains the carving and illuminating of pumpkins. It does not shed light on how the term jack-o'-lantern began to be applied to the pumpkin.
The argument might be made that immigrants drew a connection between the glow of the pumpkins to the ignis fatuus back home, but why wouldn't a similar connection have been made to the familiar hollowed-out, lit turnips earlier? Another theory is that the use of jack-o'-lantern for a pumpkin lantern originated in a story from Irish folklore.
There are many versions of the story, but they all tend to center on a man named Jack, the devil, and a lit turnip with which the soul of Jack aimlessly wanders the Earth—but, again, it does not establish a convincing connection between the term and the pumpkin. A more compelling theory is that the application of jack-o'-lantern to a hollowed-out, carved pumpkin originated in nighttime pumpkin pranks. In 19th-century America, the pumpkin was readily available to young pranksters who knew that a grotesque face could be carved into its hollowed-out body, and that if it were lit up it could be used to frighten unwary people at night.
Eventually, people began referring to the pumpkin in the prank as a jack-o'-lantern because of its similar flickering, glowing appearance when lit to the jack-o'-lantern lights seen in marshy areas.
The leap from the prank pumpkin to the marsh lights is speculative, but it is reasonable to believe that Americans were aware of the ignis fatuus through scientific articles in newspapers and magazines and through stories about Britain.
Whatever your belief, the uncertainty of how the pumpkin jack-o'-lantern got its name is certainly fitting for the Halloween decoration. In America, pumpkins were easy enough to come by and good for carving, and got absorbed both into the carved lantern tradition and the associated prank. Over time, kids refined the prank and began carving crude faces into the pumpkins to kick up the fright factor and make the lanterns look like disembodied heads. Have you got a Big Question you'd like us to answer?
If so, let us know by emailing us at bigquestions mentalfloss. Original Irish Jack-o-Lanterns made of turnips were truly terrifying The Jack-O-Lantern story comes from Irish folklore, and the original was a far cry from the cute friendly Halloween decoration we know today!
Kayla Hertz. Oct 20, A jack-o-lantern made from a turnip. Getty Images. Read more. Subscribe to IrishCentral. IrishCentral History Love Irish history? Read this next Travel. Travel Dine with an Irish view in - the best food experiences across Ireland. Most Read Most Recent. History Ancient secrets of the Hill of Tara revealed. History This is why the Irish no longer mark Remembrance Day. The moronic Devil, who apparently lives to please, climbed the tree and fetched an apple for Jack.
A second deal was struck, this time with Jack demanding that the Devil never take his soul to Hell. The Devil agreed and, being known for honesty and integrity, kept his word once Jack let him go. Of course, Jack eventually died maybe he should have asked for immortality and eternal youth? Jack then placed it in a carved turnip which apparently doomed souls have easy access to and proceeded to wander the Earth for all eternity.
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