In Victorian London, a persistent rumour spread of a murderer who could leap between the city’s alleyways to avoid detection. Newspapers called him spring-heeled jack—one of the first ever urban legends. 

He wasn’t real, but the fears that inspired him were. Fears of rapidly changing urban spaces and the upheavals of industrialization.  

This week, we’re bringing you stories about similar mythical monsters—and what they reflect about the societies that create them.

Featuring stories by Joseph Sadlier, Milla Richardson, Azka Taruna, and Louis Murdoch.