Behind The Pokémon: Pumpkaboo, Gourgeist & The Origins Of Jack-O’-Lanterns

Today is October 31st.
Today is the day of the year when we embrace the spooky with decorations, stories, and costumes.
Today is the day of Ghost-type Pokémon, but especially of two Pokémon inspired by one of the most symbolic aspects of the festivity.
Today is the day of Pumpkaboo and Gourgeist.

So, what’s a better way to commemorate Halloween than to delve into the origins of the Jack ‘O Lanterns that partially inspired the Trick-Or-Treat Pokémon Duo?

Let’s take a quick look at these Pokémon:

According to Bulbapedia, “Pumpkaboo is a dual-type Ghost/Grass Pokémon introduced in Generation VI. It evolves into Gourgeist when traded. Pumpkaboo has four different forms: Small Size, Average Size, Large Size, and Super Size. Pumpkaboo appears to be based on a pumpkin, specifically, the ones carved into jack o’ lanterns for Halloween. Pumpkins are also known for their variety of sizes, possibly contributing to the four sizes Pumpkaboo comes in. Considering its fangs, black upper body, and affiliation with Halloween, it may also be based on bats or black cats, which are also associated with the holiday.”

“Gourgeist is a dual-type Ghost/Grass Pokémon introduced in Generation VI. It evolves from Pumpkaboo when traded Gourgeist has four different forms: Small Size, Average Size, Large Size, and Super Size. Gourgeist appears to be based on bottle gourds, pumpkins, and modern jack-o’-lanterns, decorations made out of carved pumpkins for Halloween. Its multiple sizes may be a reference to the tradition of trying to grow the largest pumpkin for Halloween. Its upper body may also be based on the candles within jack-o’-lanterns themselves, with the curl being its wick and its hair-like extensions its dripping wax. It could also be viewed as a mere extension of the shape and the curl on top being its stem. The lower body’s different color might also reference the tradition of decorating gourds with paint. Gourgeist’s behavior of knocking on people’s front doors before whisking them away, as described by its Pokédex entry in Pokémon Shield, may reference the Halloween tradition of going door-to-door for trick-or-treating. Gourgeist also has potential connections with the famous Japanese story, Yotsuya Kaidan, in which a woman transforms into a paper lantern yōkai with long hair.”

The origins of Jack O’ Lanterns are multiple, but one of the most notable is the tale of the man who tricked the devil.

Stingy Jack.

The story goes like this:

Jack was a known drunkard and cheapskate. One night, he encountered the devil in a bar and invited him to share a drink with him, but he didn’t want to pay for it.

He convinced the devil to turn himself into a coin that Jack could use to buy the beverages. The devil transformed, and Jack put him inside his pocket instead of paying. Jack made a deal with the devil, making him promise that when his dying hour came, he wouldn’t claim his soul. The devil accepted, and Jack freed him.

When Jack passed away, he wasn’t allowed to enter heaven for being such a trickster, and the devil couldn’t claim his soul because of their agreement. So, Stingy Jack was sent off to wander the dark night with a burning coal that he put into a carved-out turnip to light his path.

Other theories connect Jack O’ Lanterns to Will-O-Wisp and the night watchmen who carried lanterns that might have been called “Jack with the Lantern” during the Britain of the 17th Century.

And let’s not forget about the Celtic pagan practice of hollowing out root vegetables and carving them with grotesque and scary faces, illuminated by coal or candles, to ward off evil spirits. A custom that was brought to the USA by the immigrants during the colonies.

There is a lot of speculation related to the origins of Jack O’ Lanterns, but one thing we can be sure of: Halloween wouldn’t be the same without them. And neither Pumpkaboo nor Gourgeist.

Happy Pokéween!