pumpkin heads ?
My dictionary gave no etymology for jack-o'-lantern, but definition
1) describes your classic carved pumpkin, and definition 2)
says: "an ignis fatuus or similar phenomenon".
Looking that up then, we find ("IG-niss FACH-ooh-ess") 1)
describes your classic swamp gas lights, and adds: also called friar's
lantern or will-o'-the-wisp [both of which refer back to ignis
fatuus, and will-o'-the-wisp is claimed to be of uncertain origin]; and
"2) Something that misleads or deludes; a deception.";
it comes from Mediæval Latin and is translated
in my dictionary as "foolish fire", though "fire-o'-fools",
or "fool's fire", might be a nice American English phrasing.
It would appear that by mediæval times,
"swamp gas" was already listed in the "x-files", and
lore from pagan times was being re-cast as unacceptable, foolish delusion.
My other dictionaries add nothing more or different, none of them delve
into legend and lore, and I had only a snippet on hand myself. However,
our latest local neighbourhood newspaper has included a question-answer
column*, half of which addressed these things ...
I find it rather universal to see "Celtic" identified solely
with the last survivors from that culture still to be found -- Gaelic speaking
peoples of the British Isles; because of lingual relationships -- even
though the entire Indo-European language and history is ultimately integrated
at some remote past time. Therefore, predominantly lore from Ireland (and
Scotland) is cited to give such histories, and the column followed that
practice.
The description is from a time when the pagan lore was evolving to
Christian attitudes among the folk. During that Dark when the old fires
were extinguished, as the intersection of Worlds promenaded through that
night, the living Celts wished to use that cover of darkness, and at the
same time they wished to scare away the evil spirits that would come creeping
about in search of an abode for the next twelve-month on their journey
to the afterlife. To render their darkened homes uninviting, and ward off
demons, they donned monstrous disguises and adopted weird behaviours, and
carved demonic faces on hollowed-out turnips. Fire was used inside
these jack-o'-lanterns to add dramatic emphasis (and maybe a little lingering
magic?).
The Irish legend given to explain the name for this lantern features
the ubiquitous Jack. He talked the Devil up a tree, and carved a
cross to trap him up there. Then he bargained for an end to the Devil's
temptations which were so ruinous to Jack's life. Unfortunately, when he
finally died, Jack was not allowed into Heaven because of the preceding
backlog of sins, and the Devil wouldn't have him either! So Jack lost the
game after all, and was left to wander the Earth forever. He did at least
beg an ember from the Devil, to light his way and warm his chill, but it
was such a meagre coal that he carved a turnip lantern to protect and carry
it. Sightings of a will-o'-the-wisp might be seen as an encounter with
poor Jack on his haunted, weary way.
Celtic and Christian folk traditions were brought to America by immigrants,
where pumpkins were more readily available, and the pumpkin was
quickly substituted for carving the jack-'o'-lantern. During the years
leading to the turn of the century, festive features of their traditions
were incorporated into America's Halloween customs. (See "some Halloween
customs".)
97-10-27 © 1997 Gregour Beatty
* East Side Review, Vol.13 No.39 for 97-10-27
...
Nature Wise, produced by the Bell Museum
of Natural History at the University of Minnesota.