In 1837 & 1838, horror was afoot on the streets of Victorian London. A strange and terrible entity stalked the lanes: Spring-Heeled Jack, a bizarre fiend who spewed flame, leapt huge distances, and stalked women and children, tearing at his victim's clothes and flesh with claws of iron. A terror that would return, time and again, for almost two centuries.
Is he a phantom, an alien monster, a vengeful aristocrat, a psychopathic sex attacker... or something even more insidious? Martin and Mike explore the facts and folklore of Spring-heeled Jack, the Victorian boogeyman who refuses to die.
Website: talkingtilldawn.com
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This episode contains discussion of sexual assault, which some listeners may find distressing.
Samaritans support network (UK): 116 123
Distress & Lifeline (USA): 1800 273 8255
Further reading/sources:
Spring-heeled Jack, To Victorian Bugaboo From Suburban Ghost, by Mike Dash (pdf)
The Legend of Spring-heeled Jack: Victorian Urban Folklore and Popular Cultures, by Karl Bell
The Mystery of Spring-Heeled Jack: From Victorian Legend to Steampunk Hero, by John Matthews
