UnseenI
Eternal Member
"Part Of The Furniture"
Keeping on keeping on
Posts: 8,078
|
Post by UnseenI on Sept 15, 2020 18:19:28 GMT
Jack-in-the-box
In this picture from 1863, Jack springs out with outstretched hands looking much the same as Spring-Heeled Jack does in many depictions:
|
|
UnseenI
Eternal Member
"Part Of The Furniture"
Keeping on keeping on
Posts: 8,078
|
Post by UnseenI on Sept 16, 2020 17:37:13 GMT
Jack and the number five
Investigating Spring-Heeled Jack has brought up some intriguing associations and themes. Maybe it is just chance, or maybe there are some underlying connections. The number five, which has been featured in a few other threads, is a common element. For example, there is a traditional children’s game called Fivestones or Jacks. They put the five pieces on the back of their hand then throw them in the air and try to catch them. The original Jacks were knucklebones, then they became stone or wooden cubes and eventually streamlined metal or plastic pieces that look a bit like a person with outstretched arms and legs. Spring-Heeled Jack is sometimes depicted as a gentleman in a top hat and sometimes as a kind of demon. In both cases, his hands are often outstretched. This is a modern picture by Amy Clark: This version of the Jacks game has a flying? gentleman with outstretched hands on the box:
|
|
UnseenI
Eternal Member
"Part Of The Furniture"
Keeping on keeping on
Posts: 8,078
|
Post by UnseenI on Sept 17, 2020 7:40:45 GMT
Jumping Jack Flash
The jumping jack or star jump makes people look like the jacks in the game above. Whoopi Goldberg does a good one here:
|
|
UnseenI
Eternal Member
"Part Of The Furniture"
Keeping on keeping on
Posts: 8,078
|
Post by UnseenI on Sept 18, 2020 6:56:33 GMT
Penny Dreadfuls
Spring-Heeled Jack made an ideal subject for the Victorian sensational booklets known as Penny Dreadfuls because they were full of gruesome horror stories and cost 1d - one penny in the currency of the time. Here is an advertisement for one of these publications from 1886 with the price at the top right and Jack making the familiar star or jumping jack shape at the bottom right: Here is a modern depiction of Jack, with a price of one penny at the top left:
|
|
UnseenI
Eternal Member
"Part Of The Furniture"
Keeping on keeping on
Posts: 8,078
|
Post by UnseenI on Sept 21, 2020 7:42:26 GMT
Spring-Heeled Jack jumps out of the box
The Victorians noticed the connection between Spring-Heeled Jack and a jack in the box. He jumps out of a lady’s trunk in this engraving from a penny dreadful circa 1850, in which he is depicted as both demonic and a gentleman. Is he holding a horse whip? Does she faint dead away?
|
|
UnseenI
Eternal Member
"Part Of The Furniture"
Keeping on keeping on
Posts: 8,078
|
Post by UnseenI on Oct 4, 2020 18:43:29 GMT
The milkmaid and the chimney sweep get a surprise
In addition to reporting on alleged sightings, the Victorian Penny Dreadfuls published horror stories based on the activities of Spring-Heeled Jack. The illustrations seem very amusing now, but they probably frightened the readers of the time. Here he is portrayed as both the gentleman and the pantomime demon:
|
|
UnseenI
Eternal Member
"Part Of The Furniture"
Keeping on keeping on
Posts: 8,078
|
Post by UnseenI on Oct 7, 2020 7:23:18 GMT
German Jacks
The German word for a jumping jack toy is 'hampelmann'. They use the same word for the jumping jack or star jump:
|
|
UnseenI
Eternal Member
"Part Of The Furniture"
Keeping on keeping on
Posts: 8,078
|
Post by UnseenI on Oct 10, 2020 19:50:00 GMT
Spring-Heeled Jack eyeshadow!
Who thought of this 'notoriously morbid' product:
|
|
UnseenI
Eternal Member
"Part Of The Furniture"
Keeping on keeping on
Posts: 8,078
|
Post by UnseenI on Oct 11, 2020 19:28:19 GMT
Spring-Heeled Jack aftershave!
Spring-Heeled Jack is nowhere near Alice in Wonderland when it comes to getting into many areas of life, but more products have his name than I would have expected. In addition to the ale and eyeshadow, we have aftershave:
|
|
Tsar
Junior Member
Posts: 126
|
Post by Tsar on Nov 15, 2020 23:24:50 GMT
|
|
UnseenI
Eternal Member
"Part Of The Furniture"
Keeping on keeping on
Posts: 8,078
|
Post by UnseenI on Jan 16, 2021 19:46:50 GMT
Urban legends from Kent
The county of Kent is being featured on the Brexit thread. It also has some urban legends, including the usual UFOs, big cats and phantom hitchhikers. The author and folklorist Neil Arnold has written several books on the subject, including Kent Urban Legends: “Do motorists pick up a phantom hitchhiker on Blue Bell Hill during stormy nights? Does Satan appear if you dance round the Devil's Bush in the village of Pluckley? Do big cats roam the local woods? And what happens if you manage to count the 'Countless Stones' near Aylesford? For centuries strange urban legends have materialised in the Garden of England. Now, for the first time, folklorist and monster-hunter Neil Arnold looks at these intriguing tales, strips back the layers, and reveals if there is more to these Chinese whispers than meets the eye.” Neil Arnold is said to be a non-believer who has debunked many of these legends.
|
|
UnseenI
Eternal Member
"Part Of The Furniture"
Keeping on keeping on
Posts: 8,078
|
Post by UnseenI on Jan 24, 2021 9:11:17 GMT
Monsters of Kent and Haunted Ashford
Monsters of Kent is a blog by the above-mentioned author, researcher, monster hunter - and sceptic - Neil Arnold, who lives in Kent. It has links to his other, dedicated, blogs, including one about big cat sightings in Kent. kentmonsters.blogspot.com/kentbigcats.blogspot.com/Neil Arnold has written many books about the paranormal, including a 'Haunted' series about specific towns in Kent. Here is one example:
|
|
UnseenI
Eternal Member
"Part Of The Furniture"
Keeping on keeping on
Posts: 8,078
|
Post by UnseenI on Aug 1, 2022 18:41:16 GMT
Spring-Heeled Jack and Sherlock Holmes again
“I believe Sherlock Holmes is now public domain. Might help explain why there are so many stories with him in it.” Avacyn there is no end to the tribute books. I have just come across another series that looks promising: Shane Peacock's young adult books about Sherlock Holmes the boy detective. The fourth book features Tsar's friend Spring-Heeled Jack, who breathes blue flames and captures girls: “It appeared out of nowhere, leaping from a bank of the River Thames onto Westminster Bridge one dark, London night like a man endowed by the devil with superhuman powers. Two servant girls, walking arm in arm and frightened by the late hour, barely turned before it was on them. It gave a shriek and then did its deed, ripping one from the other and making off with her across the cobblestones, reaching the other side of the wide bridge in just a few bounds. There, it sprung up onto the balustrade, the limp girl in its arms, and jumped out into the night, its wings fluttering in the cold air as though it were a human bat escaped from the under-world.” From The Secret Fiend: The Boy Sherlock Holmes, His Fourth CaseI will read these books when I get the chance and see if there is anything else of interest to this site.
|
|
UnseenI
Eternal Member
"Part Of The Furniture"
Keeping on keeping on
Posts: 8,078
|
Post by UnseenI on Aug 8, 2022 7:40:10 GMT
Anyone can be Spring-Heeled Jack
I wonder how well this 'good idea' sold!
|
|
UnseenI
Eternal Member
"Part Of The Furniture"
Keeping on keeping on
Posts: 8,078
|
Post by UnseenI on Nov 6, 2022 19:21:48 GMT
|
|
UnseenI
Eternal Member
"Part Of The Furniture"
Keeping on keeping on
Posts: 8,078
|
Post by UnseenI on Dec 29, 2022 19:44:14 GMT
Jack on a T-Shirt
Spring-Heeled Jack seems an unlikely character to put on T-Shirts, but he is very colourful and mysterious so perhaps he sells well. This one been reduced to £27.20: www.zazzle.co.uk/spring+heeled+jack+tshirts
|
|
Avacyn
Project Manager
Posts: 11,247
|
Post by Avacyn on Dec 25, 2023 19:20:05 GMT
Monsters of Kent and Haunted Ashford
Monsters of Kent is a blog by the above-mentioned author, researcher, monster hunter - and sceptic - Neil Arnold, who lives in Kent. It has links to his other, dedicated, blogs, including one about big cat sightings in Kent. kentmonsters.blogspot.com/kentbigcats.blogspot.com/Neil Arnold has written many books about the paranormal, including a 'Haunted' series about specific towns in Kent. Here is one example: I could have sworn I had that book... I'll have to see if it is in my local bookshop. I have a few books on ghosts of Kent. Kent Ghost Stories by Richard Holland. Ghosts Of Kent by Peter Underwood. Haunted Places Of Kent by Rupert Matthews. If this is of any help.
|
|
UnseenI
Eternal Member
"Part Of The Furniture"
Keeping on keeping on
Posts: 8,078
|
Post by UnseenI on Apr 23, 2024 18:38:30 GMT
Spring-heeled Jack is back! Tsar . I didn't expect to find any more references to this strange character, but he is still inspiring people. We have seen the beer named after him, now he is associated with coffee:
|
|
UnseenI
Eternal Member
"Part Of The Furniture"
Keeping on keeping on
Posts: 8,078
|
Post by UnseenI on Apr 30, 2024 8:03:16 GMT
More from the 'penny dreadfuls'
Spring-heeled Jack was a godsend to the sensationalist publications of the day. I think that the illustrators let their imaginations run away with them; they invented or embellished stories and rumours. The results are very amusing though:
|
|
Avacyn
Project Manager
Posts: 11,247
|
Post by Avacyn on May 6, 2024 20:49:09 GMT
I'm starting to wonder if we should have a dedicated thread on Spring-Heeled Jack?
|
|
UnseenI
Eternal Member
"Part Of The Furniture"
Keeping on keeping on
Posts: 8,078
|
Post by UnseenI on May 11, 2024 17:37:04 GMT
I'm starting to wonder if we should have a dedicated thread on Spring-Heeled Jack? It is really up to you. I am not sure how much more material I can find, but he is such a colourful character that maybe he deserves to be highlighted.
|
|