Pérák is an urban legend of Prague, later envisioned as a superheroic character.
Pérák is very similar to the more-famous Spring-heeled Jack, as well as Le Loyon and the Mad Gasser of Mattoon.
Pérák, also known as Springer or Spring Man, (deriving from the Czech word "péro" meaning “spring") was a humanoid entity reported in the Czechoslovakian city of Prague during the German occupation of Czechoslovakia in the midst of World War II.
At first, Pérák was seen by the populace as a menacing, almost demonic figure to be feared. Early versions of the story have the mysterious apparition scaring or chasing and terrorizing innocent people, and even killing or raping citizens, and people began to avoid going out at night or refusing to go to work night shifts at the weapons factories to the extent that it even had a negative impact on the Nazi arms production output. However, this image as a sinister and diabolical boogieman quickly changed. Word began to spread that Pérák was starting to turn his attention on the German occupying forces, sabotaging their equipment and leaping from the shadows to slit their throats before bounding away. (mysteriousuniverse.org)
Pérák is very similar to the more-famous Spring-heeled Jack, as well as Le Loyon and the Mad Gasser of Mattoon.
Appearance[]
The being was usually depicted as a somewhat spectral man dressed all in black and wearing a strange mask with shiny red eyes. Most notably, this stranger was said to have the astounding ability to make superhuman leaps of extraordinary magnitude.
Possible Explanations[]
There are several explanations as to what the creature could be. Theories include:
- A human prankster
- Extraterrestrial
- A hoax
Notable Encounters[]
There are no notable encounters that we can find.
Trivia[]
- It was rumored that he seemed to be impervious to bullets when fired upon by the Nazis, with some accounts even describing German bullets ricocheting off of him to hit other soldiers, and he was always able to use his amazing jumping abilities to easily evade pursuit. (mysteriousuniverse.org)
- George Zenaty, an authority on the policing of Prague during World War II, has stated:
- "...in 1940-1942 none of our police precincts in Prague informed us in their daily reports of the existence of a ‘Spring Man’. This does not mean that such rumours might not have circulated; however, it would have been impossible to include [them] in the reports without tangible proof."
- A contemporary and perhaps associated rumor concerned a "Razor Blade Man" who was said to slash at victims with razors attached to his fingers.