I mean, I don't know how she didn't explode, not mentioning how BATLIKE those capes were. I had to come down to the comments to say something or I was gonna explode.
Very likely a Huge influence for Batman, however the Marquis of Waterford only had one leg which really should have been mentioned in this video as it ruled him out as a suspect... So maybe it was a friend of the Marquis of Waterford or another upper class "gentleman" perhaps?
This was magnificent. Note how similar in his Victorian graphic representations he is to Batman in the comics, particularly the original Golden Age ones. The notion of him as the avenger of the poor, but secretly an aristocrat, fits Batman's origins. I am sure I am not the only person to have pointed this out, but it does shine for me after watching this video. I love, also, the line about no one cared until an important man of high status mentioned him. There is a great deal of mythology, pseudo-science, etc even today in our "more enlightened" times that is given credibility by the same process, though such credence can come on Twitter, or Facebook, or UA-cam.. or press conferences. As far as we have come, we still have the same susceptible brains as our ancestors.
The full chain of custody goes like this: the Spring-Heeled Jack urban legend inspired the penny dreadful that turned him into an aristocratic masked avenger. The penny dreadful inspired Zorro, which supplemented the tale with a more thorough backstory for the character's secret identity. Then Zorro inspired Batman, which was directly nodded to by having The Mark of Zorro be the film Bruce saw with his parents before they were killed.
I have read somewhere that Spring Heeled Jack may have inspired Batman, he certainly has the similar profile. However, there were a few other characters over the decades that also lent inspiration to his character such as the Scarlet Pimpernel and even Zorro. Still I do agree with you on your insight.
That happens today as well, fanfic is filled with volumes of stories re-imagining everybody from creepy stalkers like the guy in You to outright slasher villains like Freddy and Jason into misunderstood sweethearts like some dark take on Beauty and the Beast. There's a theory that explains it as there being a comfort in having the monster protect you from all the OTHER evil in the world
@@Eviltwin531 so it’s like picking your monster to be safer. Somehow I like that idea. I will tink about which monster to be my best friend. But you are right. It already happened in Buffy the vampire slayer. In the series she got more and more monsters on her site. And then came more and more tv shows where a vampire was the hero, who fought against evil. And now we even have the devil, Lucifer, as our hero.
@@Eviltwin531 Imagine a series where every person is born with a mythical creature as their guardian for life or something (kinda like His Dark Materials but the dæmons are mythical creatures). INSPIRATION!
Spring Heeled Jack is one of my favorites. So glad to learn a bit more about it. An urbane stalker wearing skin-tight clothes under a cloak with burning red eyes, belching blue flame, and leaping over walls is just so interesting. I wonder why there haven't been any horror movies about him.
Spring-heeled jack : 🏴 England victoria traditional night city black hat demon men black coat claw heels bouncing breath smoke fire murderous women
Well a dangerous man with a hideous face and long metal claws, terrorizing women and people in the night and ripping their clothes. Sounds like Nightmare on Elm Street to me. 😉
Thanks to his "penny dreadful" (proto-pulp magazine) adventures, Spring-Heeled Jack is also the world's first superhero. In a very real sense, he helped pave the way for a genre that so much of us enjoy today.
That's something I'd never thought of before! There were always these local legends and folk tales and things that happened to a "my cousin's best friend's sister-in-law" (what Jan Harold Brunvand amusingly calls "F.O.A.F.-lore" because they always happen to a "friend-of-a-friend") but the Spring-Heeled Jack is the one that put the "urban" in "urban legend." I always learn something interesting when there's a new Dr. Z video!
I new about him because I he was listed in a book of Cryptids that I had when i was a kid but i was surprised by his apearance in JCA. I believe Daffy Duck also dress up as him in a short, I might be wrong, maybe he was just dress up as a devil.
Remember a few years back when you'd hear about guys going to conventions dressed like Deadpool and just harassing everyone? Spring-heeled jack sounds like the victorian equivalent.
@@ScionStorm1 Not really cosplay conventions in our sense nowadays, but cosplay was a thing! This is only one example, but the book character 'Werther' from 'Sorrows of the young Werther', written by Goethe in the early 19th century, had so many fans worldwide, that seamstresses and tailors specified on recreating and selling the clothes that the characters wore. Especially the young folks paid a ton to run around dressed like him or his loveinterest. Then they would hold small meetings and talk about books and discuss the character, so yeah, somewhat like an early convention.
@@dubuyajay9964 Because they weren't. Spring-heeled Jack predates Jack the Ripper by about 50 years. Also, there's no contemporary evidence to show that Sping-heeled Jack and Jack the Ripper were thought to be the same person. That association is an entirely modern invention.
Anyone else gets the sense that Spring-heeled Jack feels like a combination on varying ammounts of Batman (the costume, and the strange form of vigilantism) and the Joker (being a dangerous prankster)? Also, with a healthy dose of the paranormal mixed in
I could imagine Jack the Ripper with Spring-helled Jack like the meme of the two Spider-Man. Could the next chapter be about Jekyll / Hyde or about Jack the Ripper?
@@alphanightfury1416 in the game Oblivion in the Thieves Guild questline there is an entire quest around getting a pair of boots called "boots of Springheel Jack". The character and item in the game don't really have any connection to the Victorian urban legend... just the name.
I often wonder how urban legends start. Maybe some grandiose accounts of eyewitness accounts. Or even elaborate stories that have a grain of truth. Makes me wonder sometimes how these urban legends have that lasting legacy in the public eye.
You might find the Lore podcast interesting. It discusses all sorts of different legends and tries to construct an explanation for their existence and subsequent popularity. They've also done an episode on Spring-heeled Jack a couple of years ago.
I first heard about Spring-heeled Jack from the Skulduggery Pleasant novels, and I thought he was a original character from that series until earlier this year. Never heard about either of those other works you mentioned at the end.
I've been scrolling for a while now looking for someone like you, another person who knows spring heeled jack from skulduggery pleasant. Also, I too thought he was an original character and never looked into it (in my defense I didn't have a phone at the time of him first entering the scene and his description seemed original enough.....)
I remember hearing about Spring-Heeled Jack for the first time in an episode of Jackie Chan Adventures. He spoke in rhyme, was some kind of mostly human-looking monster thing that turned to stone when exposed to salt, but wasn't pure evil because the talisman that splits your evil and good selves into separate physically manifest beings worked on him, and he was after someone named "Magus".
Back in the Depression Era, my aunt and uncle lived in Needles, California. My uncle went to walk, it was nighttime, his sister (my aunt) home from visiting her friend. He was about 10 years old and she was 14. Needles, where they lived, was a very small town that people passed through on the way from Los Angeles to Las Vegas. As they walked, they saw a figure, cross the two lane highway, in 3 giant leaps, far in front of them. After they passed this point, they didn't see anyone, but they heard noises at the side of the road. They then heard a strange guttural sound behind them and back down the highway. Again, after a few minutes, but much closer, a figure now leapt in front of them and across the street in 3 giant leaps. That was enough for both of them to start running the rest of the way home. My uncle pulled out his pocket knife and opened it. Both my aunt and uncle said they then heard the same guttural sound, but now loud and directly behind them, and it froze them to the spot. An enormous long hand reached over my uncle and seized his hand and wrist that was holding the knife. He was lifted off of the ground and my aunt screamed when she saw how tall and skinny the person was who was holding her brother. The extra long face of this figure was covered with scars and it wore a large brimmed hat. The body was covered with a long ragged sleeved coat. At this point, the other hand came under my uncle's chin, and it bent my uncle's head back and from behind kissed his face. Both my aunt and uncle said the most terrifying scream and laughter came from this figure, and he dropped my uncle to the ground. Then, it leaped with one jump from the center of the road into a yard, jumped to the roof, and off into the backyard...never to be seen again. My uncle was a combat veteran of WWII. He wasn't afraid of any man alive, but he hated to go outside at night walking or to take out the trash. My aunt was very stable and had a low key personality. She also hated going outside at night. This one event had scarred them permanently. It would be one thing, if you heard this incident from strangers, but with both of them recounting this at a family gathering...you knew they were telling the truth. Springheeled Jack, or something like him, was also sighted on the New England coast. Perhaps, years later he made it all the way across the country to Needles, California. My aunt and uncle swore, until their last years, that they had met him...and it wasn't a good thing!
There was also a side mission on spring heeled jack in the game Assassin's creed syndicate based on the Victorian era . The game also gives us and opportunity to relive the past.
This is so interesting! I thought the earliest origins for Batman came from Zorro, but this makes me think they go back farther. The cape, the batlike wings, the weird terrifying "demon"/nighttime avenger thing, the mask, the (sort of) high-tech gear in the spring-heeled boots allowing him to jump around. Not to mention the upper-class background and W family crest. Definitely worth looking into!
I love this series... I kept watching since the first episode came from monstrum... What i most like about this show is that they explain and show us the urban legends we even havn't heard of and how it inspired the society.. Brilliantly done
I liked the show "Primeval"s take on the legend of Spring Heeled Jack. In a show with portals though time it is an interesting explanation that a misplaced Raptor roaming the streets of London caused the rumor of a man clawing up women. They used extinct and exotic animals as origins for several other myths and legends aswell.
A few years back i purchased a steampunk book titled "the strange affair of springheeled Jack". In it he is a time traveler in an alternate timeline that returns to the 1800s to prevent Queen Victoria from being assassinated. I've always been fascinated with the folklore
Speaking of Sweeney Todd, any chance of getting an episode about the evolution of his character? Todd is a good example of a character that has done a complete 180 as far as public perception goes, mostly due to the musical.
@@ScionStorm1 Todd, Turpin, and Mrs. Lovett are all the villains of the story. If any of them made a different decision, there would not be a conflict.
"Penny dreadfuls were weird" - that is putting it rather mildly I had not heard of this legend at all before this. Not even these newer versions! What a fascinating and chilling story, both the factual side and the sensational. And (sarcasm font here) I can't imagine why we would have dark desires and a need for violence, it's not like there's all the same troubles now as there were then, right.....
Well it’s kind of like how people want to believe in something like the dangers of, ‘The Lochness Monster’. We want something more interesting to exist, even if it could be extremely dangerous, to have something more in life than just plain, basic findings to be found. In fact the more mysteries and dangerous the better, it’s makes something, or someone more fascinating to think and talk about. One of the reasons people like gossip magazines and stuff like that about celebrities they find interesting..
What's with the footwear? That seems like such a random feature. The claws could just be exaggerated hands. The flames a cigarette. I think spring-heeled Jack was actually an abuser and was reported in as Jack. But what could the boots be inspired by? Who came up with that detail
Just a guess on my part, but it seems possible that whenever he made his escape, he'd make the occasional leap that seemed beyond the human body's ability to the average Victorian citizen (kind of a proto-parkour deal) which, like everything else, got exaggerated in the game of telephone that leads to urban legends. He probably leapt out a second story window or leaped over a fence or railing (impressive but not superhuman,) and down the line, that turned into "leaps tall buildings in a single bound" that could only be accomplished by having springs in his shoes.
My partner made a comment that now has my cogs turning. "He was obviously Jack the Rippers dad." I think it's mostly cause of the repetition of the name but it's got me thinking. Xxx
During the Second World War there was also similar urban legend in occupied Czechoslovakia - Pérák (the Springer or the Spring Man). It shows a lot of inspiration from Spring-heeled Jack but in this instance he was focused on fighting and sabotaging Nazis.
I was just about to comment the same thing! I have also read a version of this story where he was attacking Nazis and "common people" alike, but it's true that portraying him as a hero is far more common.
Despite knowing about this lad, it's only just occurred to me that "Jack the Ripper" in Soul Eater was actually Springheeled Jack. Also Skulduggery Pleasant has a fantastic version of Jack. His fight with Tanith Low on the roof of the Bentley is probably the biggest reason I want a proper adaptation of those books.
Ooh! This is the year (full moon on Halloween) to do the creatures and characters of Roger Zelazny’s _A Night in the Lonesome October_ and “Jack” is a good start!
I remember reading about Spring Heeled Jack in a book my uncle gave me that was written in the 70's called Strange Stories and Amazing Facts. His story was one that caught my eye and fascinated me. To this day, I still recognize some of the pictures used in this video and some of the names even ring a bell. Thank you for this wonderful, exhaustive history of the legend. I really enjoyed this video!!
Loved the nod to Hurd Hatfield's "Picture of Dorian Gray." One of my favorite movies. This was super interesting, I honestly had heard the name spring-heeled jack but never knew the lore-- keep up the great work!
i always loved the Spring heeled Jack myths and some of the books and stories it inspired. any chance you will have a book of all these great stories one day?
Then of course, there's the time Primeval made it out that Spring-Heeled Jack was actually just people seeing a large raptor that had been transported through time. Lol
The line between urban legend and myth is so fine, and I am a huge fan of modern folklore and such urban legends, yet I'd never heard of Jack! Looking forward to learning more on my own time. And if this show dips occasionally more often into the urban side of mythology, I would not complain!
How about a special on the 12 Labors of Heracles? Many of those tasks involved killing and/or capturing creatures, so it would be a great way to discuss multiple topics in one video.
Hey Emily! I know you usually cover monsters in those who harm humans. But I was wondering if you could put selkies on your list? I studied them for a play and was fascinated by them ever since. Especially the difference between female selkies and male selkies.
I read about Spring Heeled Jack in a small supernatural book when I was a kid. I didn't see him mentioned again until he showed up in the Jackie Chan cartoon.
For those who want an interesting version of this story, read Mark Hodder's "The Strange Affair of Spring-Heeled Jack," the first of a set of adventures featuring Sir Richard Francis Burton and Algernon Swinburne.
In a BBC production of Primeval (not to be confused with that crocodile movie) a velociraptor gets sent back in time into Victorian London. The velociraptor is Spring-healed Jack. Oh My! 😱
I believe that I saw Mr. Springheels Jack when I was living in southern Missouri. I was sitting at my computer one night around midnight or so and looking out my front window, I saw a dark shape standing at the end of my neighbors driveway. At first I thought it was my next door neighbor, but why would he be standing motionless at the end of his driveway? Suddenly two bright red lights, about where the eyes of the figure would be, flashed and then as if in slow motion, he rose up into the air and out of my sight. I didn't sleep that night because of the vision of that "thing" going through my mind!
Did you know that there's similar stories to spring heeled jack in the US? It even reached news articles for a bit before fading into black. But many assumed this monster moved to America during the industrial area as a local legend. I forgot where I heard this but it's documented somewhere.
Ahhh I remember Jack. My twin and I found a really old myths and legend book in the cupboard of our house and it had EVERYTHING. Giant ostriches, detailed reports of full sized Easter island statues, hollow moon and earth theories etc. I really miss it.
In his book 1932 book Ghosts of London, Elliot O'Donnell gives an entire chapter to spring heel jack. I'm surprised you missed the most bizarre element of this. groups of men hunted for Jack to stop him. in 1865 Francis Smith turned himself in to police for shooting a man in the street late one night because he thought it was jack. He was found guilty of murder but the courts themselves recognizing this had been caused by the hysteria and the man's obvious penitence, at once petitioned the Crown for mercy, which was granted.
First heard of Spring-heeled Jack on radio show Coast to Coast at midnight. English guest of George Nori had a number of stories, but none were better than Spring-heeled Jack.
First time I heard about Spring-heeled Jack was in a Reader's digest book about supernatural stuff that has scared the crap out of me even till this day.
There was a character called Spring-Heeled Jack in the Skulduggery Pleasant books, but I had no idea that it was a character that already existed, I though Derek Landy made him up
I've read that in those times saying a woman's "dress was ripped" was a euphemism for sexual assault. So that makes this even more f*cked up.
Why wouldn't you think that's what it meant?
What if it simply meant the dress actually ripped?
@@tomboytopic376 right because you would tear the wrapper of a candy bar and just leave it
@@SaRa-jg9lm mr. D2O you're funny
@@tomboytopic376 And why would it be ripped in the first place?
Me: An aristocrat? With W as the emblem of its house? BATM-
Dr. Z: Marquis of Waterford
Me: Close enough
Not to mention he has gadgets
@F There's some truth to that I believe, and another influence was Zorro.
I mean, I don't know how she didn't explode, not mentioning how BATLIKE those capes were. I had to come down to the comments to say something or I was gonna explode.
Very likely a Huge influence for Batman, however the Marquis of Waterford only had one leg which really should have been mentioned in this video as it ruled him out as a suspect... So maybe it was a friend of the Marquis of Waterford or another upper class "gentleman" perhaps?
@@TheGigashadow Or maybe it had nothing to do with the Marquis at all, we may never know.
Can you do an episode on Cotton-eyed Joe? Like where did he come from? Where did he go? I'm quite concerned...
ROTFLMAO! 🤣
🤣🤣🤣🤣
All I know is if it hadn' t been for him, I'd have been married a long time ago. Thanks, Joe.
i need to know
Indeed, a mystery. Where did he come from, where did he go.
"WHO are you?!"
"I'm Jackman"
"Hugh?"
"Yes, me."
*Whips out metal claws*
Good gag Jean-Paul😁
LOL
“Valjean, at last, we see each other plain! Monsieur le maire, you’ll wear a different chain!”
@@valthenvega2434 Lovely! Miserable.
This was magnificent. Note how similar in his Victorian graphic representations he is to Batman in the comics, particularly the original Golden Age ones. The notion of him as the avenger of the poor, but secretly an aristocrat, fits Batman's origins. I am sure I am not the only person to have pointed this out, but it does shine for me after watching this video.
I love, also, the line about no one cared until an important man of high status mentioned him. There is a great deal of mythology, pseudo-science, etc even today in our "more enlightened" times that is given credibility by the same process, though such credence can come on Twitter, or Facebook, or UA-cam.. or press conferences. As far as we have come, we still have the same susceptible brains as our ancestors.
We've entered the Dark Ages friend, the enlightenment has come to pass
The full chain of custody goes like this: the Spring-Heeled Jack urban legend inspired the penny dreadful that turned him into an aristocratic masked avenger. The penny dreadful inspired Zorro, which supplemented the tale with a more thorough backstory for the character's secret identity. Then Zorro inspired Batman, which was directly nodded to by having The Mark of Zorro be the film Bruce saw with his parents before they were killed.
Because Spring Heeled Jack is the Urban Legend London deserves, but not the one it needs.
I have read somewhere that Spring Heeled Jack may have inspired Batman, he certainly has the similar profile. However, there were a few other characters over the decades that also lent inspiration to his character such as the Scarlet Pimpernel and even Zorro. Still I do agree with you on your insight.
I highly recommend that you should watch Batman Gotham by Gaslight
"I am the night, I am vengeance, I am Ba... SPRING HEELED JACK!"
Just imagine him walking in high heel shoes and walking towards you!
*muffled laughter*
The pervert monster man!
Haa image if he meets bat🦇man
Well Batman ripped off a lot of other characters. So...
Strange, that development from violent attacker of women to protector of women.
That happens today as well, fanfic is filled with volumes of stories re-imagining everybody from creepy stalkers like the guy in You to outright slasher villains like Freddy and Jason into misunderstood sweethearts like some dark take on Beauty and the Beast. There's a theory that explains it as there being a comfort in having the monster protect you from all the OTHER evil in the world
@@Eviltwin531 so it’s like picking your monster to be safer. Somehow I like that idea. I will tink about which monster to be my best friend. But you are right. It already happened in Buffy the vampire slayer. In the series she got more and more monsters on her site. And then came more and more tv shows where a vampire was the hero, who fought against evil. And now we even have the devil, Lucifer, as our hero.
@@Eviltwin531
Imagine a series where every person is born with a mythical creature as their guardian for life or something (kinda like His Dark Materials but the dæmons are mythical creatures). INSPIRATION!
Note to self: When in Nineteenth Century London, avoid people named Jack
When in Ninteenth Century London, just avoid people lol
So ... every second guy? Jack was an extremely popular name.
ua-cam.com/video/7QleX31OjlU/v-deo.html
I think "Jack" was just synonymous with "guy". Like in Australia you call every guy a "Bruce".
“Jack” was just what everyone was called.. like “ok Bob” back in the 80s
Spring Heeled Jack is one of my favorites. So glad to learn a bit more about it. An urbane stalker wearing skin-tight clothes under a cloak with burning red eyes, belching blue flame, and leaping over walls is just so interesting. I wonder why there haven't been any horror movies about him.
Maybe making him leap over walls scary is difficult but its part of his name so you'd have to show that.
The Jack Mobile
Spring-heeled jack : 🏴 England victoria traditional night city black hat demon men black coat claw heels bouncing breath smoke fire murderous women
Well a dangerous man with a hideous face and long metal claws, terrorizing women and people in the night and ripping their clothes. Sounds like Nightmare on Elm Street to me. 😉
Thanks to his "penny dreadful" (proto-pulp magazine) adventures, Spring-Heeled Jack is also the world's first superhero. In a very real sense, he helped pave the way for a genre that so much of us enjoy today.
you mean supervillain
Yes I was looking for this comment
I’d love to see a fight between Spring Heeled Jack and Golden Bat (Japan’s first superhero)
That's something I'd never thought of before! There were always these local legends and folk tales and things that happened to a "my cousin's best friend's sister-in-law" (what Jan Harold Brunvand amusingly calls "F.O.A.F.-lore" because they always happen to a "friend-of-a-friend") but the Spring-Heeled Jack is the one that put the "urban" in "urban legend."
I always learn something interesting when there's a new Dr. Z video!
I was introduced to spring heel jack when I watched Jackie chan adventures.
Me too! That was one of my favorite episodes!
Same here. Learning later that he was an actual legend was a surprise. Nice to see he's getting some more attention.
I new about him because I he was listed in a book of Cryptids that I had when i was a kid but i was surprised by his apearance in JCA. I believe Daffy Duck also dress up as him in a short, I might be wrong, maybe he was just dress up as a devil.
Me toooo
One MORE thing!
Remember a few years back when you'd hear about guys going to conventions dressed like Deadpool and just harassing everyone? Spring-heeled jack sounds like the victorian equivalent.
What if there was cosplay conventions in Victorian era.
@@ScionStorm1 Not really cosplay conventions in our sense nowadays, but cosplay was a thing!
This is only one example, but the book character 'Werther' from 'Sorrows of the young Werther', written by Goethe in the early 19th century, had so many fans worldwide, that seamstresses and tailors specified on recreating and selling the clothes that the characters wore. Especially the young folks paid a ton to run around dressed like him or his loveinterest. Then they would hold small meetings and talk about books and discuss the character, so yeah, somewhat like an early convention.
@@loverofteaandspice the more things change, the more they stay the same.
There is nothing new under the sun.
People would go to "balls" dressed in different fashions in that age, would be considered a cosplay in those days
You mean those Deadpool prank videos or people literally harassing others?
Tall gentleman wearing Cloak?
Sounds like a different Jack I know
Him and the Ripper were suspected of being the same guy. I do wonder why Emily didn't bring this up.
I hope you’re talking about Jack from Miss Phisher 😂
@@dubuyajay9964 Because they weren't. Spring-heeled Jack predates Jack the Ripper by about 50 years. Also, there's no contemporary evidence to show that Sping-heeled Jack and Jack the Ripper were thought to be the same person. That association is an entirely modern invention.
Guess they just had something against the name Jack
My best guess is that the name spring-heeled jack was used as inspiration.
Oh so this is where the law
'don't handle salmon suspiciously'
Come from!
Ah, i see. You're a man of culture as well.
We flew a kite in a public space! We flew a kite in a puuubliiic spaceee!
Oh a fellow classmate from sam'o nella
SAM’ONELLA
hello everyone i would like you to help me on a quest to find mr sam or at least what he looks like
Anyone else gets the sense that Spring-heeled Jack feels like a combination on varying ammounts of Batman (the costume, and the strange form of vigilantism) and the Joker (being a dangerous prankster)? Also, with a healthy dose of the paranormal mixed in
I could imagine Jack the Ripper with Spring-helled Jack like the meme of the two Spider-Man.
Could the next chapter be about Jekyll / Hyde or about Jack the Ripper?
funnily enough, first time I ever heard of Spring-heeled Jack was Oblivion
Why? 🤔
@@alphanightfury1416 in the game Oblivion in the Thieves Guild questline there is an entire quest around getting a pair of boots called "boots of Springheel Jack". The character and item in the game don't really have any connection to the Victorian urban legend... just the name.
First time i saw him was in assassins creed syndicate
Lol me too. Still play that game today.
First timeI heard of him was in Jackie Chan Adventures.
Spring Heeled Jack needs a movie!
I'm sure Tim Burton Could pull that of
@@gavcol123 no we want it to be scary not GOOFY
@@RP752000 true man
I’m working on a surreal short film project starring him
I often wonder how urban legends start. Maybe some grandiose accounts of eyewitness accounts. Or even elaborate stories that have a grain of truth. Makes me wonder sometimes how these urban legends have that lasting legacy in the public eye.
They tingle on something subtle.
Opium dens were popular in Victorian London
You might find the Lore podcast interesting. It discusses all sorts of different legends and tries to construct an explanation for their existence and subsequent popularity. They've also done an episode on Spring-heeled Jack a couple of years ago.
I first heard about Spring-heeled Jack from the Skulduggery Pleasant novels, and I thought he was a original character from that series until earlier this year.
Never heard about either of those other works you mentioned at the end.
I had hoped someone would mention Skulduggery Pleasant as that was my first exposure of Spring-heeled Jack too.
I've been scrolling for a while now looking for someone like you, another person who knows spring heeled jack from skulduggery pleasant. Also, I too thought he was an original character and never looked into it (in my defense I didn't have a phone at the time of him first entering the scene and his description seemed original enough.....)
I think I found my people-
@@loverofteaandspice Dam, I really have to reread those. I really liked them when I was young.
Ditto.
I remember hearing about Spring-Heeled Jack for the first time in an episode of Jackie Chan Adventures. He spoke in rhyme, was some kind of mostly human-looking monster thing that turned to stone when exposed to salt, but wasn't pure evil because the talisman that splits your evil and good selves into separate physically manifest beings worked on him, and he was after someone named "Magus".
SWEET! One of my favorite urban legends of all time! This, this made my day.
Jack is my favorite urban legend! Thank you, Monstrum!
Back in the Depression Era, my aunt and uncle lived in Needles, California. My uncle went to walk, it was nighttime, his sister (my aunt) home from visiting her friend. He was about 10 years old and she was 14. Needles, where they lived, was a very small town that people passed through on the way from Los Angeles to Las Vegas.
As they walked, they saw a figure, cross the two lane highway, in 3 giant leaps, far in front of them. After they passed this point, they didn't see anyone, but they heard noises at the side of the road. They then heard a strange guttural sound behind them and back down the highway. Again, after a few minutes, but much closer, a figure now leapt in front of them and across the street in 3 giant leaps.
That was enough for both of them to start running the rest of the way home. My uncle pulled out his pocket knife and opened it. Both my aunt and uncle said they then heard the same guttural sound, but now loud and directly behind them, and it froze them to the spot.
An enormous long hand reached over my uncle and seized his hand and wrist that was holding the knife. He was lifted off of the ground and my aunt screamed when she saw how tall and skinny the person was who was holding her brother. The extra long face of this figure was covered with scars and it wore a large brimmed hat. The body was covered with a long ragged sleeved coat.
At this point, the other hand came under my uncle's chin, and it bent my uncle's head back and from behind kissed his face.
Both my aunt and uncle said the most terrifying scream and laughter came from this figure, and he dropped my uncle to the ground. Then, it leaped with one jump from the center of the road into a yard, jumped to the roof, and off into the backyard...never to be seen again.
My uncle was a combat veteran of WWII. He wasn't afraid of any man alive, but he hated to go outside at night walking or to take out the trash.
My aunt was very stable and had a low key personality. She also hated going outside at night.
This one event had scarred them permanently.
It would be one thing, if you heard this incident from strangers, but with both of them recounting this at a family gathering...you knew they were telling the truth.
Springheeled Jack, or something like him, was also sighted on the New England coast. Perhaps, years later he made it all the way across the country to Needles, California.
My aunt and uncle swore, until their last years, that they had met him...and it wasn't a good thing!
There was also a side mission on spring heeled jack in the game Assassin's creed syndicate based on the Victorian era . The game also gives us and opportunity to relive the past.
This is so interesting! I thought the earliest origins for Batman came from Zorro, but this makes me think they go back farther. The cape, the batlike wings, the weird terrifying "demon"/nighttime avenger thing, the mask, the (sort of) high-tech gear in the spring-heeled boots allowing him to jump around. Not to mention the upper-class background and W family crest. Definitely worth looking into!
I love this series... I kept watching since the first episode came from monstrum... What i most like about this show is that they explain and show us the urban legends we even havn't heard of and how it inspired the society.. Brilliantly done
I liked the show "Primeval"s take on the legend of Spring Heeled Jack. In a show with portals though time it is an interesting explanation that a misplaced Raptor roaming the streets of London caused the rumor of a man clawing up women. They used extinct and exotic animals as origins for several other myths and legends aswell.
Wasent that jack the reaper ?
Wow, never heard of S-h Jack, till this moment. Quite a fascinating trickster
@@solchapeau6343 "S" for spring, "h" for heeled :D
A few years back i purchased a steampunk book titled "the strange affair of springheeled Jack". In it he is a time traveler in an alternate timeline that returns to the 1800s to prevent Queen Victoria from being assassinated. I've always been fascinated with the folklore
Spring Heel Jack= too many trips to the Opium Den. Or he was an early version of Inspector Gadget Go Go Gadget Springs.
Opium’s a downer though
@@joshuahadams put you in a fog and have you seeing things and feeling things that are not there.
Speaking of Sweeney Todd, any chance of getting an episode about the evolution of his character? Todd is a good example of a character that has done a complete 180 as far as public perception goes, mostly due to the musical.
I always saw Mrs. Lovitts as the main villain of the musical.
@@ScionStorm1 Todd, Turpin, and Mrs. Lovett are all the villains of the story. If any of them made a different decision, there would not be a conflict.
@@kellybeck4579 Judge Turpin is not a victim. He's a man with a massive amount of power, and uses that for selfish and corrupt means.
@@cannibalisticrequiem I wrote "villain" not "victim."
"Penny dreadfuls were weird" - that is putting it rather mildly
I had not heard of this legend at all before this. Not even these newer versions! What a fascinating and chilling story, both the factual side and the sensational.
And (sarcasm font here) I can't imagine why we would have dark desires and a need for violence, it's not like there's all the same troubles now as there were then, right.....
Well it’s kind of like how people want to believe in something like the dangers of, ‘The Lochness Monster’. We want something more interesting to exist, even if it could be extremely dangerous, to have something more in life than just plain, basic findings to be found. In fact the more mysteries and dangerous the better, it’s makes something, or someone more fascinating to think and talk about. One of the reasons people like gossip magazines and stuff like that about celebrities they find interesting..
3:51 obviously of the "Wayne" family. A certain billionaire orphan.
Someone who is vengeance, the night.
I was thinking Reptilians or stranded Extra-Terrestrials
@@RP752000 Like say…A Raptor?
@@KhanhNguyen-mh5ec no, I mean the type of Reptilians hinted in the movie "THEY LIVE"
Spring-Heeled Jack as the first Urban Legend?
....someone needed to make a show out of it.
I came back to this channel.
I understand why I'm still subscribed.
What's with the footwear? That seems like such a random feature. The claws could just be exaggerated hands. The flames a cigarette. I think spring-heeled Jack was actually an abuser and was reported in as Jack. But what could the boots be inspired by? Who came up with that detail
Just a guess on my part, but it seems possible that whenever he made his escape, he'd make the occasional leap that seemed beyond the human body's ability to the average Victorian citizen (kind of a proto-parkour deal) which, like everything else, got exaggerated in the game of telephone that leads to urban legends. He probably leapt out a second story window or leaped over a fence or railing (impressive but not superhuman,) and down the line, that turned into "leaps tall buildings in a single bound" that could only be accomplished by having springs in his shoes.
The flames apparently represented the flames of the furnaces that were everywhere in Victorian England which looked quite hellish at night time
Was wondering is there any chance that Jack the Ripper was a person using the Spring-Heeled Jack legend as a sort of copy cat inspiration?
My partner made a comment that now has my cogs turning. "He was obviously Jack the Rippers dad." I think it's mostly cause of the repetition of the name but it's got me thinking. Xxx
I remember first hearing about Spring Heeled Jack in Skullduggery Pleasent! Its neat to know more about that character's origins!
During the Second World War there was also similar urban legend in occupied Czechoslovakia - Pérák (the Springer or the Spring Man). It shows a lot of inspiration from Spring-heeled Jack but in this instance he was focused on fighting and sabotaging Nazis.
I was just about to comment the same thing!
I have also read a version of this story where he was attacking Nazis and "common people" alike, but it's true that portraying him as a hero is far more common.
Despite knowing about this lad, it's only just occurred to me that "Jack the Ripper" in Soul Eater was actually Springheeled Jack.
Also Skulduggery Pleasant has a fantastic version of Jack. His fight with Tanith Low on the roof of the Bentley is probably the biggest reason I want a proper adaptation of those books.
Brah I love that urban legends are a part of this now. I love this channel so much and I'm so excited to see what you do next
Ooh! This is the year (full moon on Halloween) to do the creatures and characters of Roger Zelazny’s _A Night in the Lonesome October_ and “Jack” is a good start!
Britain loves naming their mysterious entities Jack lmao
Jack the Ripper: *first time?*
"We named the monkey Jack."
@@Rezzanine 🤣🤣🤣🤣
The first & ever time I heard of this urban legend was in Assassin's Creed Syndicate
I love the story of spring heel jack. Often overlooked by the exploits of the other well known Jack
This is first time hearing of this ghoul,he's like mix of jack the ripper and batman
I remember reading about Spring Heeled Jack in a book my uncle gave me that was written in the 70's called Strange Stories and Amazing Facts. His story was one that caught my eye and fascinated me. To this day, I still recognize some of the pictures used in this video and some of the names even ring a bell. Thank you for this wonderful, exhaustive history of the legend. I really enjoyed this video!!
Spring Heeled Jack that was a good one on that, I remember hearing about that story when I was a kid.
Awesome, Dr Zarka! This one's new to me so thanks!
Loved the nod to Hurd Hatfield's "Picture of Dorian Gray." One of my favorite movies. This was super interesting, I honestly had heard the name spring-heeled jack but never knew the lore-- keep up the great work!
"...when she was attacked in daylight"
*shows a night scene*
No ... it's London during the Victorian era. On a good day it's grey.
Pea-soupers (smogs) were v common
@@DavyHulme even deadly💀🖤
@@sainjawoof3506 yup
Not gonna mention the 18 year old with white hair
“A family crest with the letter W” interesting new advert for Walkers crisp
i always loved the Spring heeled Jack myths and some of the books and stories it inspired. any chance you will have a book of all these great stories one day?
Then of course, there's the time Primeval made it out that Spring-Heeled Jack was actually just people seeing a large raptor that had been transported through time. Lol
I was thinking about Primeval this whole video!
I loved that show when I was younger.
The line between urban legend and myth is so fine, and I am a huge fan of modern folklore and such urban legends, yet I'd never heard of Jack! Looking forward to learning more on my own time. And if this show dips occasionally more often into the urban side of mythology, I would not complain!
Well this put a spring in my step...
OW! Who threw that?
this is one of my favorite youtube series right now
How about a special on the 12 Labors of Heracles? Many of those tasks involved killing and/or capturing creatures, so it would be a great way to discuss multiple topics in one video.
One of the best episodes of Last Podcast on the Left involved Spring-heeled Jack.
SLIPPITY SLAP! Spring heeled jack is on that jumpy rock again.
Hey Emily! I know you usually cover monsters in those who harm humans. But I was wondering if you could put selkies on your list? I studied them for a play and was fascinated by them ever since. Especially the difference between female selkies and male selkies.
I remember reading about this for the first time as a kid and being absolutely terrified.
I read about Spring Heeled Jack in a small supernatural book when I was a kid. I didn't see him mentioned again until he showed up in the Jackie Chan cartoon.
An hour long Lindsay vid AND a Monstrum Episode!? Be still my beating 💗
For those who want an interesting version of this story, read Mark Hodder's "The Strange Affair of Spring-Heeled Jack," the first of a set of adventures featuring Sir Richard Francis Burton and Algernon Swinburne.
Aaand I see that she mentions it. I really should let this thing finish before commenting....
I am deeply shocked that no one has made a movie based on this character yet!
In a BBC production of Primeval (not to be confused with that crocodile movie) a velociraptor gets sent back in time into Victorian London. The velociraptor is Spring-healed Jack. Oh My! 😱
This may actually be my favorite episode yet.
Spring heeled Jack be like -
.
.
*PARKOUR*
One of my favorite figures of urban legend. Thanks for a video on him!
Dr z is so beautiful... Makes me enjoy the interesting stories even more
Great job, Dr. Z! SHJ is one of the most fascinating tales to come out of the last century and earlier
I believe that I saw Mr. Springheels Jack when I was living in southern Missouri. I was sitting at my computer one night around midnight or so and looking out my front window, I saw a dark shape standing at the end of my neighbors driveway.
At first I thought it was my next door neighbor, but why would he be standing motionless at the end of his driveway? Suddenly two bright red lights, about where the eyes of the figure would be, flashed and then as if in slow motion, he rose up into the air and out of my sight. I didn't sleep that night because of the vision of that "thing" going through my mind!
That Mark Hodder book about Spring Heeled Jack is absolutely insane, but so much fun!
Did you know that there's similar stories to spring heeled jack in the US? It even reached news articles for a bit before fading into black. But many assumed this monster moved to America during the industrial area as a local legend. I forgot where I heard this but it's documented somewhere.
How do you guys not have a mil yet, I’ve been amazed on how far you’ve gotten.
I love all the cultural diversity you have in your videos! I'd love to see some from Māori culture like a Taniwha! Keep up the great content
i remember reading about spring heeled jack back n the 70's great episode! :D
Slippity-slap, I'm Spring-heeled Jack! And away, I go!
Underrated
Ahhh I remember Jack. My twin and I found a really old myths and legend book in the cupboard of our house and it had EVERYTHING. Giant ostriches, detailed reports of full sized Easter island statues, hollow moon and earth theories etc. I really miss it.
In his book 1932 book Ghosts of London, Elliot O'Donnell gives an entire chapter to spring heel jack. I'm surprised you missed the most bizarre element of this. groups of men hunted for Jack to stop him. in 1865 Francis Smith turned himself in to police for shooting a man in the street late one night because he thought it was jack. He was found guilty of murder but the courts themselves recognizing this had been caused by the hysteria and the man's obvious penitence, at once petitioned the Crown for mercy, which was granted.
Would love to see you guys cover the Thunderbird since it shows up in the myths of so many different groups across North America.
Could this be the motivation for Jack The Ripper, as you hinted at? He DID grow up with this Legend all around him! Hhhmmm
Dr Zarqa since spring heel jack is an underrated legend that deserves to be on the big screen and be just as famous as Dracula and Frankenstein
he stole my cloak and he also stole my fish and started slapping me with it. i hate that guy.
Dr. Emily is a massive asset to this channel. Such a great host
Wears a mask....
Able to climb walls.....
Hides in darkness.....
Scares women....
..... it's Batman, it's Fricken Batman.
The blue fire-breathing monster part?
@Everett Bateman Set in the Gotham by Gaslight universe. I would read that
@@someone-my1ug well people did think batman wasn't actually human
HELL YES IT'S BATMAN
*harrasses women
First heard of Spring-heeled Jack on radio show Coast to Coast at midnight. English guest of George Nori had a number of stories, but none were better than Spring-heeled Jack.
We don’t have to worry about Jack anymore Jacob sorted him out !!
I would love to see a Monstrum video on The Incredible Hulk. The idea of a heroic monster always fascinated me
Love this video! Such an interesting legend 🌲
Once again, you've covered an entity I've heard of, but provided free facts and insights. The first urban legend? Yes, that title makes sense.
I was introduced to Spring Heeled Hack with Monster in My Pocket
First time I heard about Spring-heeled Jack was in a Reader's digest book about supernatural stuff that has scared the crap out of me even till this day.
So wait, the thing in Jackie Chan Adventures was a real urban legend
Mark Hodders novel Spring heeled Jack is a really good read (as are his other Burton and Swinburne books)
puts a whole new twist of the legend.
There was a character called Spring-Heeled Jack in the Skulduggery Pleasant books, but I had no idea that it was a character that already existed, I though Derek Landy made him up
Ditto.
this my favorite youtube channel so far monsters and folklore nice job