Box devil
A box Teufel , also Springteufel or crate Devil is a child's toy, which from the outside looks like a box with a hand crank. If you turn it, it plays a melody (often Pop! Goes the Weasel ). At the end of the melody the box pops open and a figure - usually a clown - on a spring spring pops out. In the English-speaking world, toys are usually referred to as jack-in-the-box .
Origin of the toy
There are several theories about the origin of the box devil.
One is that it was modeled on the 13th century English prelate Sir John Schorne, who is often depicted holding a boot with a devil in it. In popular belief he had once caught a devil with a boot to the village of North Marston in Buckinghamshire to protect.
Another theory goes back to the American businessman and politician Peter Patterson and paints a somewhat darker picture of history. According to this, the model of the box devil is not a clown or a devil, but in truth they are runaway slaves ( jacks , as they are called in slang ). The first Jack-in-the-Box was a living runaway slave who was locked in a wooden box, which should please children playing.
An English toy manufacturer, reminiscent of his childhood games, began making and selling the box devils for the first time. The first devil was a cute black man on a pen. The box devils quickly became a popular New Year gift. Gradually the black men were replaced by clowns.
Influences on culture
The box devil has made a wide impact, particularly on British and US cultures.
- The toy was the inspiration for the name of the American fast food chain Jack in the Box , which has a box clown as its mascot .
- A composition by Erik Satie is called Jack in the box (1899).
- In the Astro City comic series , a character is named Jack in the Box .
- In the 1950s , the most popular toy made by Mattel was the box devil.
- Box devils appear in some horror films , but there mostly as a creepy element. B. in Chucky 2 - The killer doll is back , for which the original advertising slogan was: "Sorry Jack, Chucky's back!" ("Sorry Jack, Chucky is back!")
- A box devil named Charly appears as a guard in the Christmas film Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer .
- In the computer game Alone in the Dark is a character named appear eyed Jack ( One Eyed Jack ), a box of pirate.
- The death metal band Jack Slater celebrates the fate of a box devil in their song Jack in the Box from the album Metzgore .
- The American rap and hip-hop duo Insane Clown Posse released several albums between 1992 and 1997, on the covers of which you can see evil box devils.
- In the animated series American Dad , the Jack-in-the-Box man appears, who is a person with a round doll head.
- In DC Comics Batman , the box devil is a popular toy of the super villain Joker . Often this box devil is a bomb that detonates or is filled with poison gas when the devil leaps out.
- Der Springteufel is also the name of a German TV thriller from 1974 starring Dieter Hallervorden .
- In Five Nights at Freddy's 2 , a box devil is referred to as "The Puppet". With a jump scream he can create a game over as long as the player does not open his jukebox.
- In the American television series Supernatural , the title of the 19th episode of season 14 is "Jack in the Box".
- In the computer game League of Legends there is a champion (Shaco) who can set up jumping devils as traps with the skill "Jack In The Box".
- In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban , Parvati's boggart turns into a snake, whereupon Parvati casts a spell on him into a box devil. In front of Harry, the box devil turns into a dementor.
