Something Niche.blogspot.com presents....
Trippy Tales from the Backyard
The Jersey Devil
Welcome, Young and Young-At-Heart Explorers, to another new show on Something Niche; Trippy Tales from the Backyard! Launching just in time for Spooky Season, this show will explore some of the strangest, scariest, and most curious urban legends across the world, with a particular focus on the United States. Be they unknown cryptids, horrific hauntings, or random unexplained phenomena, these stories will explore the mostly untapped supernatural side of the 50 U.S. states and beyond!
And what better way to start this series than a look at one of my home sweet home of New Jersey's most famous urban legends; the illusive and terrifying Jersey Devil! No, I'm not talking about the hockey team, even though they did take their name from the creature, but more on that later!
Ever since the Colonial Times, The Jersey Devil has loomed a mysterious shadow over the Garden State with its horrific visage and tantalizing legend. Many sightings have been reported of this mysterious creature in a strange, wooded area of Southern New Jersey, seemingly separate from the outside world, known as The Pine Barrens.
And with a mysterious legend like this, it's no wonder a small, but dedicated group of cryptid hunters have come from all over in order to investigate the origins of this unknown beast; or if it's even real or just a case of mistaken identity! I myself grew up surrounded by tales of this terrifying legend, particularly during the Halloween Season! During my college days, I even dedicated a whole video project on the legend, which will also serve as a source for this article.
So, gather around the campfire, my friends, and make prepare to have chills roll down your spine, as we share a Trippy Tale from The Backyard!
From Bad Beginnings...
The Tale of the Jersey Devil begins in 1735, with the Leeds family of colonial New Jersey. The mother of the family had become pregnant with her 13th child and grew frustrated over the growing number of mouths to feed in the family. Filled with sorrow and fear, Mother Leeds swore that her 13th child would be a "devil". After this, it is believed that a curse was placed on the 13th child, either by Mother Leeds herself via witchcraft, or from outside forces (the exact details vary from telling to telling).
Eventually, when the night came, Mother Leeds gave birth to her 13th child, who was initially born normally. However, something suddenly went very wrong. What exactly went wrong differs depending on who you ask. Some say that almost immediately after it was born, Mother Leeds' 13th child underwent a hideous transformation. It grew horns, hooves, claws, a pair of leathery wings, and sprouted dark fur all over before growing tall and slaughtering its family before escaping up the chimney into the wild. Others say that these features developed over time during the baby's first few weeks of life, and that the 13th child was kept locked up from the world in either the family's basement or attic, before eventually breaking out.
However, regardless of the exact details, from there, anybody unfortunate (or, depending on how you look at it, lucky) enough to be caught out in the Pine Barrens at the wrong time have shared their own disturbing tales about the Jersey Devil. Reports have described him as a bipedal being with wings on its back and having a kangaroo-like body with the head and hooves of a goat (as we just covered); not too different from media depictions of Satan himself. Some even believe that he may even be the result of a demonic curse from Old Scratch himself!
It has also been said that The Jersey Devil's presence will often be heralded by a loud shriek piercing the night air, presumably that of the creature itself...or even a past victim of it sending a warning from beyond the grave! Also, watch out for cloven footprints on the ground. If you see them, the Jersey Devil is close by...and it seems he doesn't want to play fair.
Sinister sightings
But...that's only what a lot of the rumors say. A lot of people will say that the Jersey Devil may actually be a rather benign soul who just wants to be left alone...or even just be a crazy old wives' tale made to scare people over the campfire.
However, there have been plenty of well-documented sightings that point towards its existence being 100% true. Sightings go back a long time and can be found all over the state of New Jersey. One notable sighting came in 1905 at Atlantic City's Absecon Lighthouse, where a lighthouse keeper claimed to have opened fire at a creature matching the Jersey Devil's description one night, only for it to fly away unharmed.
Many notable historical figures have also claimed to have come in contact with the beast. Commodore Stephen Decauter was one of the first to have seen it, firing a cannonball at it only for it to- once again-fly away unscathed. Joseph Bonaparte, brother of Napoleon Bonaparte, claims to have wandered upon the creature while on his estate in Bordertown one cold afternoon. It gave him a mean look before flying away.
Some of the darkest reports of the creature have even come about as omens of war and famine. It has been reported that the Jersey Devil was sighted just before the outbreak of the Mexican-American War in 1846, and again just before the Imperial Japanese military attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941, an event that initiated America's entry into World War 2.
Most recently, a man named Dave Black claims to have snapped a photo of the creature (one that is pictured above) near a golf course in the small town of Little Egg Harbor, which also just so happens to be where I grew up!
However, perhaps no other instance has been immortalized in the public conscience than the January of 1909. That was when a long series of Jersey Devil Sightings took place, not only across New Jersey, but even in the nearby states of Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland! Multiple accounts of unusual footprints were found in the snow. One woman claimed that the Jersey Devil attacked her dog. A social club in Camden was said to have been attacked by the beast. The Philadelphia Zoo even sent out a reward to catch the beast alive. Things eventually got so bad, that everything from schools to factories were shuttered out of fear of the beast!
Of course, even with all of the evidence, nobody has been able to truly pinpoint if any of it is actually genuine or if it's all just part of an elaborate hoax.
Some people simply believe that the so-called Jersey Devil may simply just be a misidentified flying animal, perhaps the osprey, a bird that can be found at multiple locations in the New Jersey area, or some kind of heron or vulture or other large bird native to the Pine Barrens. Those who have heard the Jersey Devil's cry may have misidentified another animal, such as a fox or Barn Owl, who make very similar screaming and shrieking noises.
Several online forums have also compared the Jersey Devil's physical appearance to that of the Hammer-Headed Bat, a type of large fruit bat. And you can definitely draw a few comparisons between the two with the picture above. However, this particular theory has a few noticeable holes. Perhaps the most damning being the fact that this particular breed is native to Africa. Unless theses bats can somehow fly thousands of miles across the ocean, you're more likely to see a Hammer-Headed Bat in a zoo than in the Pine Barrens if you're in New Jersey!
However, some theories about the true origins of the Jersey Devil have stemmed from historical documents that imply it may have merely been a hoax used for propaganda and slander. Many New Jersey historians have traced the Leeds family back to the real-life Daniel Leeds, a British Quaker who became known for sharing a few less-than-flattering opinions on the community, believing that they were motivated purely by money rather than faith. He published a lot of these views in an Almanac that was quickly derided as being linked to the "occult" by the Quakers in apparent retaliation. It didn't help that each copy was adorned with the Leeds' family crest, which just so happened to depict a creature that resembled a goat-like demon.
One particular rumor about the Leeds family and their connection to the supposed Jersey Devil happened to be started by none other than Benjamin Franklin; a man who was not only among America's Founding Fathers, but was also basically America's answer to the likes of Leonardo Da Vinci and Nikola Tesla, creating many notable inventions that would go on to be used worldwide, such as the lightning rod and table-chair. However, not everything about Ben Franklin was admirable, as he was also notoriously competitive with business rivals, especially through his own almanac, which he published under the pseudonym "Poor Richard". On several occasions, he would often reinforce a lot of these rumors through this almanac, something that surely created tension between both of the families.
Multiple other rumors pertaining to the true identity of the Jersey Devil may have also come about due to unfortunate stereotypes of the time. Some people claim that the Jersey Devil may have simply been an otherwise normal child who may have had some form of birth defect, such as down syndrome, which wasn't looked upon very favorably at the time due to a lack of knowledge surrounding it.
A few others also believe that the Legend of The Jersey Devil may have been created as a metaphor to the multiple dangerous criminals and societal outcasts that peppered the Pine Barrens during its glory days. Several highwaymen would often operate in the Pine Barrens. Several runaway slaves also took refuge there, and a few moonshiners also set up operations. Many of these individuals often received the less than flattering nickname of "Pineys" by the upper classes of the time.
Pine Barrens Pride
However, whether or not the Jersey Devil is simply a hoax or is 100% real, there is definitely one thing about its legend that is certainly true; The Legacy it has left on the Culture of New Jersey!
Indeed, in spite of its seemingly demonic origins and stomach-churning backstory, the Jersey Devil has ironically become as important to New Jersey's legacy as the Boardwalks and the Turnpikes that pepper the Garden State's moist soil. Predictably, this becomes especially noticeable during Spooky Season, where there have been many roadside seasonal attractions that have incorporated some part of the legend into their narratives.
One haunted attraction that I regularly attended was located in my hometown: The Haunted Seaport! Here, the Tuckerton Historical Society would team up with local high school drama students to decorate the grounds of a preserved fishing village normally used for history tours and turn it into a large, makeshift haunted playground. And yes, at several points the Jersey Devil would be one of the characters who could be found roaming the boardwalks.
I also remember the Jersey Devil appearing quite frequently at several haunted hayrides, including one that was located not far from the actual Pine Barrens that operated briefly in the mid 2000s called "The Jersey Devil Haunted Hayride". Sadly, the hayride hasn't operated for years, which is a shame as every actor on this particular hayride seemed to have given it their all, often having funny quips to share with the audience in addition to the usual jump scares.
There have even been plenty of small businesses that have adopted the name of the Jersey Devil as a way to stand out and entice locals with New Jersey's cultural identity. One shop in Historic Smithville-"The Underground"-sells a lot of Jersey Devil merchandise, and a small bar and grille called "JDs" can also be found in a nearby plaza. The City of Cape May has a dog boarding house known as "Jersey Devil Doggie Daycare" and even has the clever slogan of "Drop off your devil and pick up an angel!"
Several of New Jersey's most important landmarks have also contained nods to the Jersey Devil. Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson Township, for instance has a Jersey Devil Coaster, which also holds several notable trivia facts, such as being the Northeast U.S.' first-ever single-rail coaster. Actor Patrick Wilson-star of horror hits such as the Insidious and Conjuring franchises-even recorded a video of himself riding the coaster!
The Jersey Devil has also been admired by some of New Jersey's most notable celebs, including Rock and Roll legend Bruce Springsteen, who in 2008, wrote a ballad about the legend dubbed "A Night With the Jersey Devil".
Of course, perhaps the Jersey Devil's Highest honor in his home state comes in the form of New Jersey's NHL team-the East Rutherford Based-New Jersey Devils. A team that originally started life on the other end of the country as the Colorado Rockies, they moved to the Garden State in the 1990s and have managed to win three different Stanley Cups!
But its not just the cultural identity of New Jersey that the Jersey Devil has latched its legacy onto. No, as while the 13th Child of Mother Leeds may not have experienced the same level of worldwide recognition as the Loch Ness Monster or other notable cryptids, the Jersey Devil has managed to become well-equipped in popular culture with several guest spots in some of the most notable franchises in history.
On the printed page, in addition to having novels such as Robert Dunbar's The Pines written about it, the Jersey Devil also seems to be quite a comic book geek, having appeared in titles such as Hack/Slash and Fables. It's even managed to enter the Marvel Universe, where he crossed paths with the Fantastic Four!
The Jersey Devil also seems to be quite the gamer as well. The cryptid has managed to book many guest spots in multiple franchise installments, including as a summonable ally in both Scribblenauts: Unlimited and Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers, as an encounterable enemy in both Fallout 76 and Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia, and serving as the inspiration for an obscure PS1 platformer, simply titled Jersey Devil.
However, perhaps its most favorite form of popular culture seems to be the realm of television. In addition to the legend being featured on documentary shows like Destination Truth, the Jersey Devil has made guest appearances in multiple supernatural tv dramas, including The X-Files, Supernatural, Sleepy Hollow, and What We Do in the Shadows. It's also had a large presence in the cartoon world as well, having made appearance in shows such as Downtown, American Dragon: Jake Long, and The Secret Saturdays.
Finally, when it comes to movies, the Jersey Devil has had a rather limited story, with very little films being made about the legend, and the ones that do get made often being relegated to the bargain bin. One such notable example is 2002's 13 Child: Legend of the Jersey Devil, a low-budget creature feature that features a notable cast that includes Tobey McGuire's Uncle Ben, Cliff Robertson, and Robert Guillame of The Lion King fame. The image above actual comes from promotional material for the film. Sadly, this particular film was not looked upon fondly by many critics, and its actually not a perfect representation of the Jersey Devil. The film's story notably takes very noticeable creative liberties with the legend, such as trading in the creature's ability to fly for an ability to shapeshift. It also reimagines the cryptid's origins by making it a descendant of a Native American Shaman, whereas most tellings of the legend usually have nothing to do with the Native Americans. However, the film is still something of a guilty pleasure of mine, mostly on account of it being filmed in actual New Jersey Historical Sites that I've actually visited in the past, primarily Batsto Village near the Wharton State Forest, where I spent a couple school outings at during my childhood.
However, one other notable film that involves the Jersey Devil that is arguably of higher quality comes in the form of one of the earliest found footage horror films. Debuting a whole year before The Blair Witch Project popularized the subgenre, The Last Broadcast focuses on the host of a cable access tv program who travel to the Pine Barrens in order to find proof of the creature. However, things take a grisly turn that involves a rising body count and a race for survival. In addition to being one of the first mainstream found footage hits, the film also holds the achievement of being the first theatrically released film to be shot on consumer-grade electronic equipment, only being shot on a paltry $900 and grossing over $4 Million during a brief, but admirable, theatrical run. Pretty impressive for a film I probably could've made myself!
Some Things in this world you just can't explain
So, in the end, while we can't say for sure that the Jersey Devil itself is truly real or not, we can say that the Jersey Devil's legacy and impact on the culture of New Jersey and beyond is definitely real!
While he may not have reached the level of recognition as Bigfoot or The Lock Ness Monster, the 13th Child of Mother Leeds has definitely carved out a little niche for itself, inspiring everything from hocky teams to low-budget spook fests. And it has managed to amass a large presence among the cryptid community.
But above all else, Southern New Jersey can definitely thank the legend of The Jersey Devil for putting it on maps all over the world. Again, not as many cryptozoologists know of The Jersey Devil compared to other cryptids-especially those outside the United States-but as the age of the Internet continues, more and more people seem to have come upon the tale of the Phantom of The Pines year after year. So that may not last much longer!
And I myself personally can thank this legend for changing my life as I've grown from a boy to a man. All the legends of this creature I heard growing up paved the way for my current curiosity for the world of the unknown and spooky, essentially turning me into a paranormal fanatic as I've grown older.
But what about you? Are you a fellow New Jerseyan who grew up with the legend of The Jersey Devil? Did you grow up somewhere else in the United States and learned about its legend later in life? Are you a foreigner who's only just discovered the tale through the Digital Age? Are you curious to learn more about the creature after hearing my crazy story? And above all else, do you believe in the possibility that it may be real? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!
Also, be sure to check out this video from my college days where I did even more research on the Jersey Devil not mentioned here: A Devil of a Mystery Final Cut 344645592
And with that, This Trippy Tale from the Backyard, has been finished, and this meeting, adjourned!
Sources:
Comments
Post a Comment
Share Your Thoughts!