The Jersey Devil, Leed’s point, New Jersey
By Andrew Hagerty
A long time fascination with the Jersey devil drives today’s story at NightWatch Paranormal. Although we do not get into crypto zoology much, I grew up in the Philly area. This weee beastie is in my blood. Lets start at the beginning.
A storm was raging that night in 1735, when Mother Leeds was brought to bed in childbirth. The room was full of woman folk gathered to help her, more out of curiosity than good will. They had all heard the rumors that Mother Leeds was involved in witchcraft, and had sworn she would give birth to a devil.
Tension mounted when at last the baby arrived. It was a relief (and to some a disappointment), when the baby was born completely normal. But a few moments later, before their terrified eyes, the child began to change. The room erupted with screams as the child grew at an enormous rate, becoming taller than a man and changing into a beast which resembled a dragon, with a head like a horse, a snake-like body and bat's wings.
As soon as it was full-grown, the monster began beating all the woman (including his mother) with its thick, forked tail. With a harsh cry, it flew
through the chimney and vanished into the storm.
The Monster of Leeds, or the Jersey Devil as he was later called, still haunts the pines of New Jersey, wrecking havoc upon farmer's crops and
livestock, poisoning pools and creeks, and appearing on the New Jersey shore just before a ship wreck.
This is a common tale told of the Jersey Devil, however An earlier legends date back to Native American folklore. The Lenni Lenape tribes called the area around Pine Barrens "Popuessing", meaning "place of the dragon".
Swedish explorers later named it "Drake Kill", "drake" being a Swedish word for dragon, and "kil" meaning channel or arm of the sea (river, stream, etc.)
Whatever it’s origins it has been sighted by many people over many years. These sightings are way too numerous to list here, so we will touch on only a few. One of the more famous of these was Napoleon Bonaparte’s older brother, Joseph, who saw it in 1820 near Bordentown. Commodore Stephen Decatur fired a cannonball through the Jersey Devil in the early 1800s at Hanover Iron Works in Hanover. Legend has it the gaping hole did not effect the Jersey Devil, which flew casually away.
During a week in January, 1909. Over 1,000 people in New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, and Pennsylvania saw the Devil. Due to this outbreak, local schools and factories were closed.
Fort Dix either right before or just after World War II, a soldier was on guard duty. He and another sentry saw something white jumping from the top of one vehicle to another. It was seen by numerous people that night and slashed tents and so on. A week later the whole camp lined up and walked into the woods in a line because the whole camp had sighted it this time.
This is just a small taste of the Jersey Devil lore and phenomenon that is out there. Belive in him or not. Just remember to keep a sharp lookout when and if you are over in the Pine Barrens. Who know what, or whom, you will see.
A storm was raging that night in 1735, when Mother Leeds was brought to bed in childbirth. The room was full of woman folk gathered to help her, more out of curiosity than good will. They had all heard the rumors that Mother Leeds was involved in witchcraft, and had sworn she would give birth to a devil.
Tension mounted when at last the baby arrived. It was a relief (and to some a disappointment), when the baby was born completely normal. But a few moments later, before their terrified eyes, the child began to change. The room erupted with screams as the child grew at an enormous rate, becoming taller than a man and changing into a beast which resembled a dragon, with a head like a horse, a snake-like body and bat's wings.
As soon as it was full-grown, the monster began beating all the woman (including his mother) with its thick, forked tail. With a harsh cry, it flew
through the chimney and vanished into the storm.
The Monster of Leeds, or the Jersey Devil as he was later called, still haunts the pines of New Jersey, wrecking havoc upon farmer's crops and
livestock, poisoning pools and creeks, and appearing on the New Jersey shore just before a ship wreck.
This is a common tale told of the Jersey Devil, however An earlier legends date back to Native American folklore. The Lenni Lenape tribes called the area around Pine Barrens "Popuessing", meaning "place of the dragon".
Swedish explorers later named it "Drake Kill", "drake" being a Swedish word for dragon, and "kil" meaning channel or arm of the sea (river, stream, etc.)
Whatever it’s origins it has been sighted by many people over many years. These sightings are way too numerous to list here, so we will touch on only a few. One of the more famous of these was Napoleon Bonaparte’s older brother, Joseph, who saw it in 1820 near Bordentown. Commodore Stephen Decatur fired a cannonball through the Jersey Devil in the early 1800s at Hanover Iron Works in Hanover. Legend has it the gaping hole did not effect the Jersey Devil, which flew casually away.
During a week in January, 1909. Over 1,000 people in New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, and Pennsylvania saw the Devil. Due to this outbreak, local schools and factories were closed.
Fort Dix either right before or just after World War II, a soldier was on guard duty. He and another sentry saw something white jumping from the top of one vehicle to another. It was seen by numerous people that night and slashed tents and so on. A week later the whole camp lined up and walked into the woods in a line because the whole camp had sighted it this time.
This is just a small taste of the Jersey Devil lore and phenomenon that is out there. Belive in him or not. Just remember to keep a sharp lookout when and if you are over in the Pine Barrens. Who know what, or whom, you will see.
