New Jersey’s oldest, most enduring, and important pieces of folklore is the tale of the infamous Jersey Devil. For about three hundred years now, Jerseyans have told the tales of this mythical beast that stalks the Pine Barrens and terrorizes local residents. For example the devil would chase people out of their homes and killed others. People moved many times.
Legend has it that in 1735, a Pines resident known as Mother Leeds found herself pregnant for the 13th time, but this time to a demon called “The Jersey Devil.” In the 18th and 19th centuries the
Jersey devil was spotted sporadically throughout the Pine Barrens region. The most infamous of these incidents occurred during the week of january 16 through 23, 1909. Over the years the legend of the Leeds Devil grew, occasionally even overstepping the boundaries of its rural Pine Barrens haunt to terrorize local towns and cities.
The mysterious footprints all over and under fences, throughout fields and backyards, and across rooftops of houses. They were reported in the large cities of Camden and Philadelphia. Panic immediately began to spread, and passes formed in more than one town. Fear and intrigue grew even greater when it was reported that the bloodhounds refused to follow the unidentified creature’s trail in Hammonton.
Mills in the Pine Barrens were forced to close when …show more content…
Seeing the creature is supposed to foretell disaster. For example, shipwrecks. Although no sighting of the Jersey Devil has ever resulted in harm to a person. Some sightings have involved attacks on livestock and dogs, including dogs that are found mysteriously mauled to death. However, almost every sighting story ends with "and then it fled into the night." In fact, in early sightings, many people reached instinctively for a weapon to attack the Jersey Devil, which fortunately seems to have escaped both injury and
Legend has it that in 1735, a Pines resident known as Mother Leeds found herself pregnant for the 13th time, but this time to a demon called “The Jersey Devil.” In the 18th and 19th centuries the
Jersey devil was spotted sporadically throughout the Pine Barrens region. The most infamous of these incidents occurred during the week of january 16 through 23, 1909. Over the years the legend of the Leeds Devil grew, occasionally even overstepping the boundaries of its rural Pine Barrens haunt to terrorize local towns and cities.
The mysterious footprints all over and under fences, throughout fields and backyards, and across rooftops of houses. They were reported in the large cities of Camden and Philadelphia. Panic immediately began to spread, and passes formed in more than one town. Fear and intrigue grew even greater when it was reported that the bloodhounds refused to follow the unidentified creature’s trail in Hammonton.
Mills in the Pine Barrens were forced to close when …show more content…
Seeing the creature is supposed to foretell disaster. For example, shipwrecks. Although no sighting of the Jersey Devil has ever resulted in harm to a person. Some sightings have involved attacks on livestock and dogs, including dogs that are found mysteriously mauled to death. However, almost every sighting story ends with "and then it fled into the night." In fact, in early sightings, many people reached instinctively for a weapon to attack the Jersey Devil, which fortunately seems to have escaped both injury and