Simple Grafix

I never new the legend and old folk tales of the Jack-O-Lantern until I just did some research as I put these images together.

Jack-O-Lanterns represented the souls of the departed loved ones and were set on porches and placed in windows. They also protected against malevolent spirits or goblins freed from the dead to wreak havoc on unsuspecting citizens.

Several version of an Irish legend tells of Jack, who invited the Devil to have a drink. When it came time to pay, he convinced the Devil to change into a sixpence, but instead of paying for the drink Jack pocketed the sixpence and kept it stored beside a silver cross, which prevented the Devil from changing back. Jack made a deal with the Devil before letting him free that the Devil could not harass him. When Jack died and was turned back from the Gates of Heaven. He went to the Gates of Hell and the Devil turned him away, as the Devil promised not to claim his soul. Jack didn’t want to leave because it was dark and he couldn’t find his way. The Devil tossed Jack a glowing coal and Jack put it inside a turnip, and ever since with this “Jack O’ Lantern”, Stingy jack’s lonely soul has been roaming the faces of this earth.

Source: Encyclopedia of Ghosts and Spirits by Rosemary Ellen Guiley.

Another version has Jack tricking Beezelbub into climbing a tree, where upon Jack then carved an image of a cross in the tree’s trunk, trapping the devil in his high perch. Jack made a deal with the devil that, if he would never tempt him again, he would promise to let Lucifer down from the tree. According to the folk tale, after Jack died, he was denied entrance to Heaven because of his evil ways, but he was also denied access to Hell because he had tricked the devil. The rest of the legend remains the same.

It is an interesting read to go through the different legends but we’re here to see some great carvings!

Here’s Johnny! by sage

Joker by sage

Speedracer by sage

Alice Cooper by sage

The Ghost by sage

Wall-E by sage

Halloween Jacks by roy-harper

Jack by zunshyn

Spooky Tree by gren

Mario from Trendhunter

Nintendo Wii from Trendhunter

Mario from Trendhunter

Harry Potter from Trendhunter

Darth Maul from Trendhunter

Darth Vader from Trendhunter