Fairy Tale Lore from Around the World - Jack and the Beanstalk

Fairy tales are wonderful things, aren't they? Adorable stories of children learning valuable life lessons while encountering cute critters who sing and evil women offering tempting treats to innocent souls. But fairy tales weren't always so movie-like with bright songs and happily never afters. They really were rather grim, even before the brothers stepped in.

This year for Halloween, I'm looking at fairy tales from around the world and attempting to see where their tales originally spun themselves into the local lore. After asking around for people's favorite tales, I decided on the interestingly delightful Jack and the Beanstalk.

Jack and the Beanstalk

Possible Origins

Jack and the Beanstalk isn't a tale I have picked up recently, truth be told, last time I thought of it was when I watched "Once Upon a Time" but in my defense, Captain Hook was fiiiiinnnnneeeeeee af, oh wait, we aren't mocking my viewing habits here, Jack. Beans. Got it.

Side note: do you think the magic beans were actually coffee beans? Because they are magical in my book...

Jack isn't a Grimm's tale, he's not even German! Ich meine es ernst! ("I'm serious!" per Google Translate.) Jack is, in fact, English and part of the Jack stories about a stock hero character named Jack. Ironically, the Grimms have a similar character named Hans and I often wonder who Hans was and what his deal really was. Think he is related to Nick Burkhardt? I watch too much TV...

Jack and the Beanstalk was first printed in 1734 as "The Story of Jack Spriggins and the Enchanted Bean" by J. Roberts in the second edition of Round About Our Coal-Fire. Later, "The History of Jack and the Bean Stalk" was written by Benjamin Tabart in 1807. The iconic "Fie, foh, and fum, I smell the blood of a British man" was part of Shakespeare's King Lear in 1606 and is similar to a phrase from "Jack the Giant Killer" which was based on a chapbook circa 1711. Jack really didn't like giants, did he?

The most interesting thing about this tale's origins is how freaking old they are! The original tale known as "The Boy Steals Ogre's Treasure" might be as old as 4500 BC to 2500 BC. What the eff??? That is insane! And due to its age, I, of course, think of David and Goliath and have to wonder in my best Paula Cole singing voice "Where have all the giants gone?" Did Jack really kill them all?

Similar Tales (and Pop Culture)

As mentioned above "Jack the Giant Killer" and "The Boys Steals Ogre's Treasure" are both similar tales, though "Giant Killer" is less so. I tried to find a solid source for you to read each telling, but as with Red Riding Hood, finding a true source on a tale as old as time, so to speak, is hard. Basically impossible. 😂 There is a version included in Andrew Lang's The Red Fairy Book (where I found "The True History of Little Goldenhood" mentioned in my "Little Red Riding Hood" post) and I'm including it below.

There are a million references to the story in pop culture and you can catch plays of it in most schools, I would think. I saw a play version in school, but not at my school, we went to the local university, I still remember the giant's legs. But I'm sure there are other schools still rolling around looking for real magic beans.

On TV, Jim once played a prank on Dwight involving magic beans. Abbott and Costello did their own comedic film version. As mentioned above, there was a version of it in Once Upon a Time that I saw, but also a second version of Jack after they rebooted or whatever and after I stopped watching, who apparently was also Hansel, a witch hunter, which falls in line with our next fairy tale, but that's for, oh a few hours of my time, nothing for your time, away. In fact, you can read it here.

The (Folk) Lore

I've linked each story below so you can explore them and pick your favorite. Tell me in the comments, on Twitter, Discord, or any of my socials (links also below), even if it's a version not listed here because maybe, I'll read that version next.

The Story of Jack Spriggins and the Enchanted Bean by J. Roberts
Jack and the Beanstalk by Andrew Lang
Jack the Giant Killer by Percival Leigh
Thirteenth (this is an Italian version of the "The Boy Steals Ogre's Treasure" tale)
Abbott and Costello's Jack and the Beanstalk

Lily's Thoughts

This was a fun one for me because even though I am familiar with the story of Jack and the Beanstalk, I'm not as familiar with it as I am other stories that I have read a million times over. I really love that this story's origins date back so far (4500 BC!!! That's insane!) because it shows how vital fairy tales are to our history as humans. We will always need stories to tell before bed whether they are warnings about why we don't talk to strangers or why we don't climb stalks that aren't meant for us, and this proves we've always needed them.

The Legend of the Siren of the French Broad River

The Legend of the Siren of the French Broad River Alluring Cherokee Cryptid or Just a Bunch of Babble? Location: Asheville, North Carolina Both a well-known and seemingly obscure legend, the Siren of the French Broad River is considered a Cherokee legend and has been making the rounds with non-Cherokee locals since 1845. Watch my research process and wrap-up videos here. The Lore Along the French Broad River, just east of Asheville, NC, weary male travelers have reported hearing a beautiful song and seeing a woman beckoning them from the water. If they are not careful, they fall into her arms and are pulled under the waters of the river, never to be seen again. In some tellings, the man falls victim immediately while in others, the siren visits him in his dreams over the course of 3 nights before luring him into the icy waters of the river. Aleksandra Waliszewska . 2011. Gouache on paper. First Written Telling William Gilmore Simms was the first to publish the story of the siren, ...

Lily's Lore and Legends

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