Jack Tales and Their Role in Appalachian Communities
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STkbAfg_evo
Angelica Rivera
Final Project
December 5, 2018
Due to my interest in historical literature, I wanted to explore specific genre in Appalachia that has fascinated me before with different cultures. Folklore can change to accommodate the area and has been around in different civilizations for centuries. In my college career I have explored different versions of folklore, specifically Native American trickster tales. I was thrilled to discover that Appalachia have their own version called Jack Tales.
Jack Tales originated from Ireland where they were passed down from generation to generation as a form of “communal memory” however, due to its dependence of oral telling rather than using a written form, the documentation of these tales at this point is scattered. These tales are known to evolve based on the storyteller and the area or community that it is being presented to. So no matter what, even if it is the same tale, it will never be told in the exact same way. Around the 1800s, when a greater level of migration occured the Jack Tales migrated along and settled in the Appalachian region. Of course there is some change to how Jack Tales were presented due to its change in environment. According to Jack in Ireland and Appalachia: The International Tale at Home and Abroad by Emily Kader, American Scottish Irish people had a more ambiguous culture since it was influenced by many other European countries so their influence on the Jack Tales goes unnoticed since it was quickly adopted and transformed into Appalachian culture. The stories of Jack can vary dramatically, but most follow the same model: a mischievous boy named Jack who is usually described as poor goes on an adventure to seek fortune. The main question being explored is what roles do these stories fulfill in Appalachian communities? In the book Jack in Two Worlds, written to explore the various folktales in North America along with their story tellers, Carl Lindahl expresses that Jack Tales are used as a form of inexpensive entertainment which is why they are popular in lower income communities. Other sources, such as an academic article about Marshall Ward who was a very popular storyteller, shows that these stories have a more social value. These stories were meant to be an opportunity to gather and create higher solidarity in communities. The reason these stories have survived generations and centuries is due to the storytellers that are unlike the average storytellers. Most have been admired for their expression and dedication and usually are described as performers. These performers being present is a driving force for communities to gather and be entertained. Later on, these same people will tell their children and then their children. These stories continue because they hold value in community experience. In more current times, it is unclear how present Jack Tales still are, but I did find a public announcement for a reading of a Jack Tale in a small town so it does seem like there are still trying to make Jack Tales a prominent feature in the lives of people in Appalachia.
It is unclear what the future for Jack Tales will be since most community traditions like these in other areas tend to fade away with time and evolution. I think due to recent efforts to have performers recorded and the actual tales published in collections Jack Tales will live on, but will be different because of how they are presented which is to be expected.
Chase, Richard. The Jack Tales: Folk Tales from the Southern Appalachians. Houghton Mifflin, 1971.
KADER, EMILY. “Jack in Ireland and Appalachia: The International Tale at Home and Abroad.” The Irish Review (1986-), no. 44, 2012, pp. 42–59. JSTOR, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/23350174.
Renner, Craig J. “America’s Jack .” World & I, vol. 13, no. 9, Sept. 98AD. Military & Government Collection, eds.b.ebscohost.com/eds/detail/detail?vid=1&sid=15f02b32–8e1c-43c7-be69–9294cbb71756@pdc-v-sessmgr03&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmUmc2NvcGU9c2l0ZQ==#AN=1002799&db=mth.
Stephenson, Jane Baucom. “Marshall Ward: Master Teller of Jack Tales.” Appalachian Heritage, vol. 14, no. 2, 1986, pp. 52–55., doi:10.1353/aph.1986.0064.
Writer, Staff. “‘Jack Tales’ storytelling event scheduled for Sunday, July 10.” Sylva Herald & Ruralite, The (NC), sec. News, 6 July 2016. NewsBank, infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&docref=news/15DF9AE827E155D8. Accessed 4 Dec. 2018.
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