In honor of The Forum’s departing Managing Editor moving to New Jersey, I would like to start my Urban Legends column off with the story of the Jersey Devil. Allegedly occupying a vast stretch of forest in southern New Jersey called the Pine Barrens, this beast is said to have the head of a horse, the wings of a bat, a serpentine tile, and hoofed feet.
There are arguably two principal origin myths for this creature. The first comes from the Native Americans who occupied the land prior to European settlement. The Lenni Lenape tribe believed the Jersey Devil to be a spirit which resided in the woods — they also strongly believed in leaving it alone. The European settlers, creators of the second origin story, thought the monster to be nothing less than a demon.
In 1735, Deborah Leeds was pregnant to her thirteenth child. After delivering her twelfth, Leeds allegedly swore that if she were to have another baby, it would be the devil himself. The dark, stormy night the thirteenth child was born supposedly saw this prophecy fulfilled. Although the baby was born in human form, it changed into a devilish beast, let out a horrifying scream, killed Leeds’s midwife, and flew out the chimney. It is whispered this is the very-same monster which haunts the denizens of New Jersey today.
Sightings of the Jersey Devil have been well documented and come from a wide variety of sources. Joseph Bonaparte, brother to Napoleon, is said to have witnessed the creature and pursued it around 1820. In 1909, a string of sightings caused extreme panic to overwhelm many residents in southern New Jersey. Ultimately, two mobs formed to try to hunt the beast down. After eluding capture, the Jersey Devil is said to have attacked and damaged a trolley car before flying away into the night. Several schools and businesses around the Pine Barrens closed out of fear. The last reported sighting of the Jersey Devil is documented as occurring on January 23, 2008 near Litchfield, Pennsylvania. The witness claimed to have seen the monster burst through the roof of his barn before disappearing.
For the more daring readers here at Valparaiso Law, or those looking to find a way to help pay off their student loans, there are several rewards available for the creature’s capture. At least $10,000 is being offered by several private residents in New Jersey to anyone bold enough to capture the creature alive. Additionally, the Philadelphia Zoo is rumored to be willing to pay $1,000,000 to anyone who manages to trap the Jersey Devil alive. I’m sure an eBay auction would also bring in a six-figure payout.
I suppose we can all sleep easy: Valparaiso is a way away from the east coast. But Sari, you need to watch out.
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