Spring man is a hero, a villain, a superhero, a savior, a threat, a warning to children, a warning to occupying forces, a specter, a monster, a protector, a global phenomenon, an embodiment of a distinctly Czech spirit of resistance, a figure of folklore, a figure from science fiction, an Icarus, a Robin Hood, a Golem, a Batman; pastoral, industrial, urban, and post-modern. Through a deep reading of a vast array of primary sources and with a thorough yet highly accessible presentation of legend scholarship and theory, Petr Janecek has provided this nimble study of the elusive Spring Man, in what will be a model for future work.

Ian Brodie, Cape Breton University

This exemplary study will interest researchers working on analogous urban phantom legends and folk cultural figures and would be a great addition to courses or units on folk legends or Slavic folklore.

Journal of American Folklore