Blog 1: Jersey Devil

 

Growing up in Jersey, I hadn't heard much about the Jersey devil until I moved to Stockton and became face to face with the South Jersey Pine Barrens. The most common version of the legend says that in 1735, a woman known as "Mother Leeds" gave birth to her 13th child (a number commonly associated with bad luck) in the Barrens. Frustrated by the burden of so many children, she supposedly cursed the baby, crying out that it would be a “devil”. Some say the baby grew hooves, bat-like wings, a goat’s head, a forked tail, and clawed hands, vanishing into the woods. In January 18-25, 1909, a widespread panic swept across New Jersey, Philadelphia, and Delaware as hundreds of people reported sightings of the Jersey Devil. Newspaper stories fueled the frenzy, with accounts ranging from the creature's footprints found in the snow to alleged attacks on public transit and even law enforcement officers shooting at it. This dramatic week of sightings solidified the creature's place in local folklore. This is a clear example that connects to the latest mass hysteria lesson on how quickly things can get out of hand and plague the minds of many.