Who is stingy Jack?

Answer 1

Stingy Jack was an Irish blacksmith by some accounts, by others a farmer, or even a wandering vagabond. He was famed for being an exeptionally greedy, petty, cruel, and crafty man who enjoyed drinking and gambling. His reputation as a wrongdoer and a trickster spread with every fool he dupped and it was not long before he gained a twisted kind of praise among the people of Ireland. It was said that he had a silver tongue to rival the devil's and that he was even the better trickster between the two. The devil soon caught wind of this fantastic man, and in his own style sought to affirm that he had no rivals in Heaven or Earth.
One night on October 31st he having a drink when the devil appeared in front of him. Knowing that his life of mischief had caught up with him, and that he was finally to be taken to hell he asked the devil for one last request, if he could have one more drink.
The devil saw no reason not to grant him the request, but at the end of the round Jack admitted that he had no money, but that he had a plan. He told the devil if he could change into a silver coin, Jack would give it to the bartender to pay for the drinks and that he could simply change back after hours and sneak out. Having promised to give Jack his last drink, the devil had no choice and changed into a silver coin. Jack snatched up the silver coin and put it in his pocket, which also contained a crucifix. Powerless, the devil could not change back and Jack told him that he would let him go as long as he could live for another ten years. The devil begrudgingly agreed to the terms and let Jack go on with his life of hedonism for ten more years. On that same night, just as he had a decade earlier, the devil appeared to Jack who was now walking on a forest road. "It's time to go Jack." the devil said. Jack was sad for this was to be his last day on Earth. "If I am to go, can I at least have a last meal?" he asked pointing to an apple tree "I would have no more to say if you'd just fetch me an apple from the top of that tree."
The devil was weary of Jack, but knew that if he didn't transform, there was no way Jack could keep him from turning back. "Very well." the devil said, and scurried up the tree. By some versions of the story Jack placed a crucifix at the base of the tree, others said he had to place many all around the tree and there are those who say he simply had to cut such a shape into the tree so the devil wouldn't be able to come down. The devil saw that he'd been tricked again and cursed at Jack. Jack told the devil that he would let him down if he would agree never to take his soul to hell. The devil agreed and hopped down from the tree back to hell. Jack knew that he was spared the horrors of the pit for all eternity and for a time was happy, at least until his drinking and his gambling caught up with him and he died the way he lived, a miserable lonely mess.
When he showed up at the gates of heaven St. Peter told him that he would never be allowed into Heaven for all of Jack's misdeeds and he turned him away. Jack then tried find a home for his soul in hell, but the devil told him "I'm sorry Jack, though a rotten soul such as your is surly worthy of the Inferno I can not take you because of our deal." "Than where am I to go?" Jack asked "Back where you came Jack, back to Earth." but the way back to Earth was cold and dark so he asked the devil "How will I find my way there?" so the devil, taking pity on Jack, gave him an ember of hellfire to light his way. Now hellfire is much much hotter than any kind of fire we have here on Earth, so Jack didn't like the idea of carrying it the whole way, so he took a stolen Rutabaga, or a gourd by some accounts, hollowed it out, and put the ember in there. Now he is doomed to walk the Earth forever, neither living nor dead, and with only an ember of the fires of hell to light his way. Some say that on moonless nights one can still see the first and the truest Lantern o' Jack.