Spring-Heeled Jack: Criminal, Demon, or Urban Legend? (Episode #42)

Mysterious Pals

Spring-Heeled Jack is one of the most popular and mysterious figures from English folklore, emerging in the early 19th century. Known for his extraordinary leaps, he was described as having a devilish appearance with clawed hands, fiery eyes, and sometimes a metallic helmet-like head. Sightings of Spring-Heeled Jack were most common in the London area during the 1830s and 1840s. He startled and attacked people, mainly women, by leaping from dark alleys or rooftops. Despite widespread panic, he was never caught, leading to theories about his true nature—ranging from an elaborate hoax to a real person with unusual abilities. So who or what, if anything real at all, was Spring-Heeled Jack?

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EPISODE RESOURCES

• ‌MacGowan, Doug. “Spring Heeled Jack.” Historic Mysteries, 24 May 2011, www.historicmysteries.com/myths-legends/spring-heeled-jack/4077/
• ‌“Legend of Spring Heeled Jack.” Ukmythology, 13 Apr. 2011, ukmythology.wordpress.com/legend-of-spring-heeled-jack/
• ‌Grundhauser, Eric. “Meet Spring-Heeled Jack, the Leaping Devil That Terrorized Victorian England.” Atlas Obscura, Atlas Obscura, 6 Oct. 2016, www.atlasobscura.com/articles/meet-springheeled-jack-the-leaping-devil-that-terrorized-victorian-england
• ‌Castelow, Ellen. “Spring Heeled Jack.” Historic UK, 18 May 2015, www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/Spring-Heeled-Jack/
• Lynch, Patrick.‌ “The Leaping Boogeyman Who Terrorized Victorian England.” History Collection, 24 Oct. 2017, historycollection.com/breathed-fire-terrorized-england-behind-legend-spring-heeled-jack/
• Littlewood, Rachel. ‌“England’s Most Notorious Urban Legend: The Mystery of Spring-Heeled Jack.” Sky HISTORY TV Channel, www.history.co.uk/articles/the-mystery-of-spring-heeled-jack.
• ‌Lamoureux, Aimee. “The Legend of Spring-Heeled Jack, the Victorian Demon Who Terrorized London.” All That’s Interesting, All That’s Interesting, 2 Oct. 2021, allthatsinteresting.com/spring-heeled-jack

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#mystery, #history, #crime, #unsolved, #springheeledjack, #urbanlegend, #folklore, #england, #victorianera