This week: Jack the Trickster Edited by: NaNoNette  
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| “Carve out some happiness.” ~ Sarah Orchard |
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Jack the Trickster
It's not really Halloween without a jack-o-lantern. Ideally one that is carved into a scary face. Because Jack was a scary man.
Jack was a miserable drunk. He was so miserable that his nickname was "Stingy Jack."
While the vast majority of kids who threaten to play tricks unless treats are handed over, this Jack had no wholesome side to him. He started out harmless enough by playing tricks on his family, friends, and neighbors. When they got tired of him, Jack punched higher. Or lower. He started picking on the devil himself.
Twice, Jack lay dying. Twice the devil came for him. Twice, Jack tricked the devil into giving him a few more years. The devil did not think this was funny. So the devil punished Jack in the only way he knew how to. When Jack died for the third time, the devil refused to come get him.
That doesn't sound terrible.
For Jack, it was the worst! There is only one other place to go when the devil doesn't take you, but mean tricksters don't go to the other place. He wasn't even allowed into purgatory.
Jack was condemned to roam the earth.
A trickster himself, the devil hooked Jack up with a glowing hellfire ember. It was too hot to hold in his hands, so Jack put the ember into a hollowed out turnip.
You can see him carrying his glowing lantern as he wanders the night, old, forgotten, and lonely. Except on Samhain night, when he is everywhere.
This myth comes from old Irish traditions. It originated sometime in the 17th century. Remember, each time you retell a myth, adapt it to your morals, needs, and uses. That's what keeps them alive.
Did you know that Jack was a real person? |
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Replies to my last Horror/Scary newsletter "Summer Spooks" that asked Which scary characters immediately make you think of summer?
Osirantinous  wrote: Belated thanks for listing my story as one of your Editor's Picks! Enjoyed writing it; sometimes I feel there's such a mean-spirited person living in me!
To be honest, I have that feeling about myself too at times.
Beholden  wrote: Thank you very much for including my short story, The Cat is in the Well in your Editor's Picks section.
As regards there being a connection between summer and horror, I didn't think I'd paid much attention to the influence of seasons on the matter. And then I remembered that I once wrote a story about air conditioning and its influence during a very hot summer. So much of what I do is decided unconsciously.
It makes sense that a lot of our writing decisions are made unconsciously depending of what is going on in our environment. |
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Horror/Scary: October 30, 2024 Issue [#12809]
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