JACK O' LANTERN

A pumpkin, a pumpkin, A jilly jolly jumpkin, Well make a  jack o’ lantern, For this is Hallowe’en. We’ll hang it round the corner, To fright the Brownie Bumpkin, And scare the little goblins, That gobble on the green. A pumpkin, a mumpkin, A jilly jolly jumpkin, Eyes, nose, and mouth now, With teeth grinning wide. Scoop him out clean, With a scape and a scrumpkin, And put in a lighted candle In his little inside.

--Laura E. Richards, I Have Song to Sing You, 1938. These lyrics are reprinted for educational purposes only to illustrate that the pumpkin “jack o’ lantern” with carved “teeth grinning wide” was associated with frightening off “goblins” and various other night wandering fairies—such as Brownies. This association in the USA was present at least from 1938 through 1955. I found it in an old beat up children’s educational book dated 1955.

This information shared for educational purposes only. Whoever owns the copyright retains all rights.

Added November 2, 2017.

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Jack of the Lantern
Folktales and Stories
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