Folk Tales
Unlucky 13
07/11/25 16:28 Filed in: Folk Tales
Why is the number 13 considered unlucky and often feared by many? Is it due to the Nordic stories around the god, Loki? Or is it due to Jesus sharing the Last Supper with 12 Disciples?
This gathering of possibilities in an article will give one "food for thought". My phone number has a 13 in it so am I unlucky too?
This gathering of possibilities in an article will give one "food for thought". My phone number has a 13 in it so am I unlucky too?
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Jack-O-Lantern Halloween
31/10/25 07:55 Filed in: Holiday
Who is Jack in the carving of pumpkins to make Jack-o-Lanterns for Halloween? Where did this come from which you can learn here…
An old Irish folktale tells the story of Stingy Jack, a miserable drunkard who played tricks on family, friends, and even the devil. One day, he tricked the devil into climbing a tree, then placed crosses around the tree trunk so the devil couldn’t get down. After Jack made the devil promise not to take his soul when he died, he removed the crosses.
When Jack died, St. Peter denied him entrance to heaven, but the devil kept his promise and didn’t take his soul. Jack was destined to wander forever in the darkness between heaven and hell, but he asked the devil how he could live with no light. The devil tossed him a live coal from the flames of hell to help him light his way. Jack placed it in a hollowed-out turnip, and ever since that day, Jack has roamed the earth without a resting place, with only the makeshift lamp to light his way.
Many folklore tales are based on the need to explain some natural phenomenon or give a warning for safety, and Jack’s tale explained the luminous natural shimmerings found hovering over swampy ground at night, caused by spontaneous combustion of gases formed by rotting organic matter. The glowing fog was considered to be a sighting of Jack as he roamed the darkness with his turnip lamp.
An old Irish folktale tells the story of Stingy Jack, a miserable drunkard who played tricks on family, friends, and even the devil. One day, he tricked the devil into climbing a tree, then placed crosses around the tree trunk so the devil couldn’t get down. After Jack made the devil promise not to take his soul when he died, he removed the crosses.
When Jack died, St. Peter denied him entrance to heaven, but the devil kept his promise and didn’t take his soul. Jack was destined to wander forever in the darkness between heaven and hell, but he asked the devil how he could live with no light. The devil tossed him a live coal from the flames of hell to help him light his way. Jack placed it in a hollowed-out turnip, and ever since that day, Jack has roamed the earth without a resting place, with only the makeshift lamp to light his way.
Many folklore tales are based on the need to explain some natural phenomenon or give a warning for safety, and Jack’s tale explained the luminous natural shimmerings found hovering over swampy ground at night, caused by spontaneous combustion of gases formed by rotting organic matter. The glowing fog was considered to be a sighting of Jack as he roamed the darkness with his turnip lamp.
