The Jersey Devil

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Location: Pine Barrens, New Jersey, United States of America
Dates Active: 1600s to Present
Category: Cryptids, Curses, Demons, Evil Spirits, Monsters
Cause: Possible cryptid, cursed child or demon
Status: Ongoing
Entry ID: 022424A-00070

Summery: 

A legendary creature has been haunting the Pine Barrens in southern New Jersey for the past 300 years... or perhaps longer.

In Depth:

Ask anyone who lives around the Pine Barrens if there is anything strange living in those woods, and you'd probably get the answer of the Jersey Devil. This winged creature is described as having cloven hooves, bat wings, a horse-like head, horns, a forked tail, small forearms with claws and red eyes. There are some that claim the creature cannot be killed. It is sometimes referred to as the Leeds Devil, thanks in part to its association with the Leeds family in local folklore.

That folklore states that sometime in 1735 a woman named Jane Leeds, who is usually referred to as 'Mother Leeds,' supposedly gave birth to the Jersey Devil after proclaiming that her 13th child would "be the devil." When the baby did arrive it appeared normal at first, but soon transformed into a hideous creature and attacked the Leeds family before flying up the chimney and disappearing into the night. The story has many variations, with some stating that Mother Leeds was a witch, or that the father of the child was the Devil himself, or both, and that priests were called in to try to exorcise the demon creature before or after its escape from the Leeds home.

However, some believe that the Jersey Devil is not the monster-demon child of the Leeds family at all, but a spirit that had occupied the Pine Barrens long before. The Lenapi Indians, a Native-American tribe that lived in the area long before colonists arrived in the area from Europe, believe that it is actually an ancient spirit known as M'Sing, which would sometimes appear as a creature with a deer-like head and body combined with leathery wings.

Many reports of sightings have happened over the years, especially in the early 1900s, as well a numerous hoaxes have been perpetrated claiming to have captured or seen evidence of the Jersey Devil. This trend even continues to this day, to the point where many are afraid to enter the Pine Barrens because of the fear of encountering the monster.

The Jersey Devil in Media:

  • The Secret History of the Jersey Devil, book by Brian Regal & Frank J. Esposito
  • The Jersey Devil (First aired March 1, 2021)
  • Expedition X, Season 2, Episode 5 "Devil in the Forest" (First aired December 9, 2020)
  • Freak Encounters, Season 1, Episode 14 "Jersey Devil" (First aired August 21, 2011)
  • Lost Tapes, Season 2, Episode 7 "Jersey Devil" (First aired November 3, 2009)

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Last Updated: March 30, 2024

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