Chapter Jaggers of J by Brewer's Readers Handbook

Jack the Giant-Killer, a series of nursery tales to show the mastery of skill and wit over brute strength. Jack encounters various giants, but outwits them all. The following would illustrate the sort of combat: Suppose they came to a thick iron door, the giant would belabour it with his club hour after hour without effect; but Jack would apply a delicate key, and the door would open at once. This is not one of the stories, but will serve to illustrate the sundry contests. Jack was a “valiant Cornishman,” and his first exploit was to kill the giant Cormoran, by digging a deep pit which he filmed over with grass, etc. The giant fell into the pit, and Jack knocked him on the head with a hatchet. Jack after-wards obtained a coat of invisibility, a cap of knowledge, a resistless sword, and shoes of swiftness. Thus armed, he almost rid Wales of its giants.

Our Jack the Giant-killer is clearly the last modern transmutation of the old British legend told by Geoffrey of Monmouth, of Corineus the Trojan, the companion of the Trojan Brutus when he first settled in Britain.—Masson.

Jack-with-a-Lantern. This meteoric phenomenon, when seen on the ground or a little above it, is called by sundry names, as Brenning-drake, Burning candle, Corpse candles, Dank Will, Death-fires, Dick-a- Tuesday, Elf-fire, the Fair maid of Ireland, Friar’s lantern, Gillion-a-burnt-tail, Gyl Burnt-tail, Ignis fatuus, Jack-o’-lantern, Jack-with-a-lantern, Kit-o’-the-canstick, Kitty-wi’-a-wisp, Mad Crisp, Peg-a-lantern, Puck, Robin Goodfellow, Shot stars, Spittle of the stars, Star jelly, a Sylham lamp, a Walking fire, Wandering fires, Wandering wild-fire, Will-with-a-wisp.

(Those led astray by these “fool fires” are said to be Elf-led, Mab-led, or Puck-led.)

N.B.—When seen on the tips of the fingers, the hair of the head, mast-tops, and so on, the phenomenon is called Castor and Pollux (if double), Cuerpo Santo (Spanish), Corpusants, Dipsas, St. Elmo or Fires of St. Elmo (Spanish), St. Ermyn, Feu d’Hélène (French), Fire-drakes, Fuole or Looke Fuole, Haggs, Helen (if single), St. Helena, St. Helme’s fires, Leda’s twins, St. Peter and St. Nicholas (Italian) or Fires of St. Peter and St. Nicholas.

(The superstitions connected with these “fool-fires” are: That they are souls broken out from purgatory, come to earth to obtain prayers and masses for their deliverance; that they are the mucus sneezed from the nostrils of rheumatic planets; that they are ominous of death; that they indicate hid treasures; etc.)

Jack’s, a noted coffee-house, where London and country millers used to assemble to examine their purchases after the market was closed. It stood in the rear of old ’Change, London.

Jacks (The Two Genial), Jack Munden and Jack Dowton. Planché says, “They were never called anything else.” The former was Joseph Munden (1758–1832), and the latter William Dowton (1764–1851).—Planché Recollections, etc., i. 28.

Jackdaw of Rheims (The), one of the Ingoldsby legends (q.v.). It describes how a jackdaw stole a cardinal’s ring, and the cardinal laid a curse on the thief. The jackdaw soon became a most pitiable object; but ultimately the ring was found in the jackdaw’s nest; the curse was removed, the jackdaw recovered, left off his thievish tricks, became a most sanctimonious bird, and at death was canonized as “Jim Crow.” (See Rheims, etc.)

Jacob the Scourge of Grammar, Giles Jacob, master of Romsey, in South-amptonshire, brought up for an attorney. Author of a Law Dictionary, Lives and Characters of English Poets, etc. (1686–1744).

Jacob’s Ladder, a meteoric appearance resembling broad beams of light from heaven to earth. A somewhat similar phenomenon may be seen when the sun shines through the chink or hole of a closed shutter. The allusion is, of course, to the ladder which Jacob dreamt about (Gen. xxviii. 12).