Last night brought the first deep frost of the year. With the morning sun, our surroundings shone with an ethereal beauty. Jack Frost had been busy overnight.

Jack Frost has an unclear history. There are numerous stories of his origin, but all agree that he brings the frost and ice of winter. In some he is also responsible for colouring the leaves in autumn. The term ‘jack’ was once used similarly to ‘lad’. ‘Jack the Lad’ was used for a brash young man, a bit of a show-off. A jackanapes was a mischievous, impudent rascal. Jack o’ lanterns were lights flickering over a bog, perhaps to mislead travellers. So, Jack Frost’s name would seem appropriate to the stories told of him.

Although drawn in the shape of a person, the character is always ‘other-worldly’, fairy-like, elvish or a sprite. There are frequent crossovers to other personifications of winter such as Old Man Winter.

The earliest printed reference to Jack Frost is a brief mention in a 1734 leaflet called Round About Our Coal Fire, or Christmas Entertainments.2 The author describes the winter season as “when Jack Frost commonly takes us by the Nose”.

In stories, poems and pictures, his age can be young or old, and his character ranges from fun, through mischievous, to being a prankster and occasionally darker and more mysterious. His portrayal is not generally one of kindness.

The 1875 poem 'Little Jack Frost. A Rhyme for Flossie', by Charles Sangster (3) creates a vivid picture of Jack Frost:

‘Nobody saw him, still he was there.
Nose-biting, prank-playing, everywhere,
All through the houses, out in the street,
Capering wildly through storm and sleet.’

The undated poem 'The Frost' by Hannah Gould (1789-1865) (4) takes him one step further, when, in the last verse, frozen fruit and shattered crockery and glass are seen as revenge.

‘But he did one thing that was hardly fair;
He peeped in the cupboard, and finding there
That all had forgotten for him to prepare –
“Now just to set them a-thinking,
I’ll bite this basket of fruit,” said he,
“This costly pitcher I’ll burst in three,
And glass of water they’ve left for me
Shall ‘tchich!’ to tell them I’m drinking.”’

In the short stories of Jack Frost and Betty Snow; with other tales for wintry nights and rainy days, by John M. Chanter et al. of 1858, (5) Jack Frost and his wife are portrayed as even more impulsive spirits who freeze everything and even kill.

I’m hoping that this year, Jack Frost concentrates on his artwork!

References

1. Maxfield Parrish (1936) Jack Frost. Magazine cover for Collier’s.

2. Anonymous (Earlier editions) (1734) Round About Our Coal Fire, or Christmas Entertainments.

3. Charles Sangster (1875) Little Jack Frost. A Rhyme for Flossie.

4. Hannah Gould (undated) The Frost.

5. John M. Chanter et al. (1858) Jack Frost and Betty Snow; with other tales for wintry nights and rainy days.

6. Margaret Tarrant (1927) Jack Frost illustration from 'The Weather Fairies'.