Jack Tales in Oral Tradition

Have you heard of Jack and the Beanstalk?  Jack the Giant Killer?  These are Jack tales. These familiar stories are just a few of many stories about a character named Jack.  These folktales are popular in England and also in Appalachian folklore.  They are usually about a boy who is foolish at times.  He can also be clever, tricky, lazy kind, and heroic.  In England the stories often have nobility as the leaders, such as a King or Lord who gives Jack a job to do.  In the Appalachian versions the leader is usually a sheriff or rich man.  In England, Jack sometimes uses magic to help him out of trouble.  In Appalachian stories Jack is more likely to think things through, and use tricks or cleverness to save the day. Of course, sometimes he is just lucky!

Jack tales are a collection of stories that have been told for many years.  They are an oral tradition, meaning that they are not from a single author that wrote them down.  They are never told the same way twice, even by the same storyteller.  The main ideas in these stories stay the same, but the details change based on the time period, the culture of the storyteller and the audience.  Not necessarily for children, these stories have some mature themes. Jack tales include dysfunctional families, abusive employers, thieves and cheats.  They also are cautionary tales meant to keep children in line.  Oral storytelling was for the everyone, old and young.

Jack Tales are separate stories with some of the same characters, episodes all about the life of the boy called Jack.  In some of the stories he is a child, and in some he is a young man seeking his fortune. Some of the early written stories, from as far back as the 15th century, were written in rhyme.  Many short rhymes also center on Jack.  To name a few, Jack Sprat, Jack and Jill, Jack be Nimble, and Little Jack Horner.

I have drawn on this rich collection of Jack Tales for my novel for young readers, Parted Clouds.  There are some familiar elements from Jack Tales: giants, trickery, and seeking a fortune.  There is also a hero's journey, a quest, and mortal danger.  This is a story for today's readers that feels familiar but fresh.  Because Jack Tales are never told the same way twice.