Patheos

BuddhistCatholicContemplativeEvangelicalGeneral ChristianHinduJewishLatter-day SaintMuslimNew VisionsProgressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Patheos

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos Patheos on Facebook Patheos on YouTube

Away with the Witch!

Real monsters at Halloween

Last updated on: October 26, 2018 at 3:06 pm   by Lyn Thurman

Real monsters at Halloween 2018-10-26T15:06:30+01:00 Lyn Thurman

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Spring Heeled Jack

All Hallows Eve is upon us
A time for tales that scare and fright.
Not all monsters are fiction,
Some very real, dark creatures stalk the night.

This first story is special,
For I know the area intimately,
It’s where my family lived, worked and died,
South London in Clapham and Battersea.

In 1837 a new terror hit the streets,
Spring Heeled Jack was his name,
No one knew what he was,
But much fear he was to blame.

I’m not sure what’s scarier,
Jack’s red eyes or his claws,
He had the ability to jump high effortlessly,
Over walls 9-feet or more.

Mary Stevens was on her way home,
Along Lavender Hill one October night,
When from a dark alley way,
Jack jumped out and gave her a fright.

He grabbed her arms to hold her still,
Keeping her in a tight embrace.
He ripped her costume feather boas with his claws,
Then kissed her on the face.

In terror Mary screamed,
Spring Heeled Jack ran away,
Gone but not for long,
He was seen the very next day.

Jack didn’t grab another girl,
He jumped in front of a carriage,
The coachman swerved but hit a building,
Doing himself some serious damage.

Jack roared with laughter,
And fled in a single bound over a nine-foot wall.
Jack was spotted many times all over Britain,
The last being 1904 in Liverpool.

Let’s leave behind the gloom of London,
Grab your broom, we’re off for a ride.
We’re heading to the Caribbean,
October 1995.

In the town of Canovanas in Puerto Rico,
We find Luis Guadaloupe distraught and shaken,
For he’d just seen a terrible creature,
A demon if he wasn’t mistaken.

The day started for Luis just as normal,
All was going well,
Until he caught sight of a monster,
Which gave off a Sulphur-like smell.

Bounding about like a kangaroo,
The ugly creature was about four-foot high,
Its skin was a greyish colour,
Which could change in a blink of its red eye.

This wasn’t the first sighting of the creature,
It had been seen many times before.
One unlucky police officer saw it,
The shock made him fall unconscious to the floor.

Other troubles had been plaguing the island,
Livestock kept ending up deceased,
Poor animals killed and their blood drained,
At the hands of an unknown beast.

Before too long the beast had a name,
Chupacabra it was called,
Some thought it a devil and others a wild dog,
Regardless, it didn’t stop animals being mauled.

To make this tale even stranger,
UFOs were seen all over the place,
Strange lights and crafts were sighted,
Could Chupacabra come from outer space?

The monster is still about today in Puerto Rico,
But it’s ventured further to Mexico and the US of A,
So keep your animals locked up tight,
And put your wards up to keep the Chupacabra at bay.

Musings

halloween

monsters

About Lyn Thurman

Lyn Thurman is a witch and priestess on the south coast of England. She's the author of The Inner Goddess Revolution and Goddess Rising, and the creator of the Sea Whispers oracle. When she's not writing, she is breathing magic into business through Biz-Witchery (or obsessing over vegan cakes). You can read more about the author here.

Previous Post



October 19, 2018

Samhain Ritual to the Unknown Ancestors

Next Post



November 2, 2018 Pagan Remains on Bonfire Night


Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Musings Paganism Reviews Wicca Witchcraft

Select a Month December 2020 November 2020 August 2020 May 2020 April 2020 February 2020 January 2020 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018


Follow Us!

Follow Us on Facebook Follow Us on Twitter



TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who said, "Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit"?

Select your answer to see how you score.

James Paul Peter Jesus

Related posts from Away with the Witch!

Pagan

Yuletide 2020: The Cosmic Dance of Saturn &...

Away with the Witch!

Pagan

How to Create Your Own Oracle or Tarot...

Away with the Witch!

Pagan

Working With Your House Spirit

Away with the Witch!

Pagan

Changing Tides of Practice in the Covid-19 Pandemic

Away with the Witch!

TRENDING AT PATHEOS Pagan

What do the Gods Look Like?

I was recently chatting with someone on Instagram. She asked me what...

My Blogging Style

While there are many people who share their results, the end of...

The Odyssey

On July 23, I saw Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey which is Homer’s...

Work in progress

As I write this two big events have just finished up. One...

Restoring the Watershed of Divine Love

Perhaps cooperation is not something we manufacture through legislation, ideology, or moral...

Pray Like A UU

Many UUs don’t pray because of bad experiences in a previous religion,...

view all Pagan blogs

Patheos on Facebook Patheos on YouTube

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Copyright 2008-2026, Patheos. All rights reserved.

Subscription Support Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In

Follow Patheos Patheos on Facebook Patheos on YouTube