The Jersey Devil is a mythical creature that lives in the Pine Barrens, a forested area south of the American state of New Jersey. Bullets and cannonballs don’t seem to bother him and many say he is immortal. The Jersey Devil is so popular in the United States that several films have been made about him.
Appearance
The Jersey Devil is one of the few creatures in cryptozoology for which eyewitness accounts are so diverse. Apparently no one agrees on what the Jersey Devil actually looks like. Some say it is a sheep-like creature with wings and hooves. Others say he has the head of a ram with horns, with one short and one long leg. And still others talk about the face of a horse, wide wings, and hind legs like those of a crane.
Although descriptions of the Jersey Devil may vary, one thing is certain: thousands of people have seen a terrifying creature that they cannot explain and that has terrified them.
Legend
There are also several versions of the origin of the Jersey Devil.
In the most famous story, pregnant Mowas Leeds couldn’t handle the pain of childbirth and begged the devil to take her baby. At that moment the child turned into a monster that flew out through the chimney of the room.
In variations on this, Mowas Leeds was a witch who hid the monster in the cellar. It is also said that the creature lived in a plant (the Agent Orange) whose existence has not yet been proven.
Legend has it that the birthplace of the Jersey Devil was Leeds Point (now Atlantic County). There are again many disagreements about the date of birth: 1735, 1778, 1850, 1855 and 1857.
Apparitions
The Jersey Devil has been sighted so often that it is impossible to list all its appearances. Although the devil is still seen today, most sightings occurred in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. January 1909 in particular turned out to be special. In just one month, thousands of residents from more than 30 communities in and around the Delaware Valley were able to catch a glimpse of the creature.
Several people say they injured the animal and said it had no effect. At one point a cannonball is said to have left a gaping wound, but the monster flew away as if nothing had happened. A few days later the Jersey Devil was seen again. Many are convinced that the creature is immortal.
The most famous eyewitness was Joseph Banaparte, Napoleon’s brother.
Declaration
The Jersey Devil is said to be an undiscovered bird species. The Pine Barrens is a difficult to access area, of which not everything is known. This bird species may even be extinct. There are many snakes in the area whose bite is fatal.
However, many Americans remain convinced that the Jersey Devil is real.
Looking for the Jersey Devil yourself
If you want to look for the Jersey Devil yourself, start with a visit to Shrouds House in Leeds Point (Atlantic County). This is the house where Mowas Leeds is said to have given birth to this mythical creature.
To get to the ruins of this stone house , take the Garden State Parkway south. Then take Route 9 towards Smithville and turn left on Route 561. Shrouds House is located a few miles further on the right side of the road. There are no direction indicators.
Movies about the Jersey Devil
Satan’s Playground
- Year: 2005
- Director: Dante Tomaselli
- Actors: Felissa Rose, Ellen Sandweiss, Danny Lopez
- Story: A family has a car breakdown in the woods of New Jersey. They fall prey not only to Mrs. Leeds and her psychopathic children, but also to an invisible monster that roams the woods.
The Jersey Devil
- Year: 2005
- Director: Dan DeLuca
- Actors: Dan DeLuca, David Brown, Natalie Marie Hughes
- Story: Josephine Leeds is cursed by the villagers of Shroud’s Point for being the widow of a con man. As her children starve one by one, she uses their remains to feed herself and the rest of her brood. When she becomes pregnant again, she asks the devil to take her baby’s soul so that the child can take revenge on the residents of Shroud’s Point.
The 13th Child: Legend of the Jersey Devil
- Year: 2003
- Director: Steven Stockage
- Actors: Cliff Robertson, Lesley-Anne Down, Robert Guillaume
- Story: An Indian shaman transforms his thirteenth son into half-man, half-demon in order to behead English soldiers during the American Revolution. Two centuries later, a beautiful detective is sent to drive the devilish creature from the woods of New Jersey.
The Last Broadcast: The True Legend of the Jersey Devil
- Year: 1998
- Director: Stefan Avalos & Lance Weiler
- Actors: David Beard, Stefan Avalos, Lance Weiler
- Story: In The Last Broadcast, a TV crew decides to solve the mystery of the Jersey Devil live. Armed with cameras, they head into the Pine Barrens. That night, three of the four men are gruesomely killed. This film was probably one of the sources of inspiration for The Blairwitch Project.