Stingy Jack Lantern

Stingy Jack Pumpkin Lantern - use with battery tea light only.

The surface of the lantern is matt and unglazed, showing off the beautiful earthy red aesthetic of the earthenware clay. Each lantern comes with a little card detailing the Stingy Jack story.

Every item is unique and handmade so no two are identical, please allow variations between pieces. You will not receive the exact item pictured, but one of the same high quality.

DIMENSIONS:
Lantern is approximately 13cm round and the hole to allow a battery operated tea light is approximately 4cm

ECO:
Lanterns are packed with recycled wrapping paper in a recycled/recyclable kraft card box. Ceramics is tricky to post so in some cases I also re use bubble wrap in your order. I do NOT include a printed order receipt in your order or business cards as this is all available electronically - let's cut down on waste.


× The Story of How Jack o Lanterns Originated in Ireland ×

Jack o lanterns originated from an Irish myth about a man nicknamed “Stingy Jack" who invited the Devil to have a drink with him. True to his name, Stingy Jack didn’t want to pay for his drink, so he convinced the Devil to turn into a coin so Jack could use it to buy their drinks but - Jack decided to keep the money and put it in his pocket next to a silver cross, which prevented the Devil from changing back into his original form.

Jack eventually freed the Devil, under the condition that he would not bother Jack for one year and, should Jack die, he would not claim his soul. The next year, Jack again tricked the Devil into climbing up a tree to pick a piece of fruit. While he was up in the tree, Jack carved a cross into the tree’s bark so the Devil could not come down until the Devil promised Jack not to bother him for ten more years.

As the legend goes, when Jack died, God would not allow such an unsavory person into heaven. The Devil, upset by the tricks Jack had played on him and keeping his word not to claim his soul, would not allow Jack into hell. He sent Jack off into the dark night with only a burning coal to light his way. Jack put the coal into a carved-out turnip and has been roaming the Earth with ever since. The Irish refer to this ghostly figure as “Jack of the Lantern,” and then, simply “Jack O’Lantern.”

In Ireland and Scotland, people began to make their own versions of Jack’s lanterns by carving scary faces into turnips or potatoes and placing them into windows or near doors to frighten away Stingy Jack and other wandering evil spirits. The Irish brought the jack-o’-lantern tradition with them when they went to the United States. As turnips were not so easily available, they soon found that pumpkins; a fruit native to America, make perfect jack-o’-lanterns.

×

Each piece is handmade by Jemma in her studio based in County Antrim, Northern Ireland.

Follow Jemma on Instagram to watch her ceramic journey and stay up to date with new products @jemmamillenceramics