The Jersey Devil

Before this class I had of heard of the Jersey Devil but never really knew exactly what it was supposed to be. My cousin had taken me to a spot in North Jersey where the Jersey devil had reportedly frequented. Although, the spot was eerie we ended up not seeing anything just how I predicted. But now after learning more in this class I feel like less of a skeptic about the jersey devil. To me, the background story seems far fetched even though it is entertaining. The odds of a woman giving birth to a creature with a horse like head and wings like a bat that allowed it to fly out of the chimney seemed unlikely. However, recreated "images" of the jersey devil sparked my attention. Although, the make up of the jersey devil seems like a mystical creature it really intrigued me. Tons of people in my home state really believed in the Jersey Devil which made me think about it in a different way. Perhaps the Jersey devil in itself wasn't real but the energy behind it was. I did some of my own research and some of the accounts of the jersey devil were very farfetched. To me this proved the creature did not exist but the fear behind it did. Perhaps there was an explanation for what the people had been really seeing. This made me think of the Chupacabras we read about that people feared in Puerto Rico. For years people swore that this mysterious creature was responsible for the killing of farm animals. Scientists later discovered that they were not actually chupacabras but abused Xolo dogs. That is what I think of the Jersey Devil, it is not actually the mystical creature, but another animal in disguise that is tricking people.

Post #1: The Jersey Devil

        Although I am not a Jersey native, when I had moved to the East Coast the mention of the Jersey Devil was something I heard very often. The New Jersey Air National Guard in Egg Harbor, NJ has the Jersey Devil as their mascot. I found that appropriate considering how close to the Pine Barrens the base was to one another. Growing up in California we had similar phenomena like the Santa Ana winds and how they are said to presume earthquakes as well as allowing dissatisfied wives to undergo mayhem. Those two might not be very similar but it was something that either residence in each state would somewhat fear. Not once have I ever considered hiking in the Pine Barrens if a beast like the Jersey Devil were to attack me but learning more about the history of its origin, honestly induced more fear in me. Approaching this from a more scientific perspective, I can say this is a legend that has been continued on only because of it’s infamy and during the time, people were less educated and the media was able to sell this kind of fear. It may also allow a way to blame things and phenomena for happening just like some people like to use the unexplainable for things that are hard to solve or are just too hard to face. 

Post #2 - How I Learned About the Jersey Devil

When I was a child, I grew up in Clementon, NJ, your normal Camden County suburb. Behind my house, there was a large batch of woods I used to play in with my siblings and neighborhood friends. Around age 8, my dad took me to an even larger set of woods about a half hour away, which I later learned to be the Pine Barrens. I expressed interest in playing in this new set of unexplored woods, and Dad pulled over and stopped the car. He looked me dead in the eyes and told me a different tale than that told to me by this class's slideshow.

"These woods are haunted by a monster, with the head of a deer, body of a horse, but standing on its rear legs like a human. This creature takes young children like you and possess you, turning you into lure to bring your friends to it. There's been tales of whole groups of children being found inside out, and others simply dry skeletons within a single day of them being gone missing. This is not a place you want to play in!"

For the next few months, I deeply believed this tale, and refused to play games like hide and seek in the woods, even back home where the Jersey Devil shouldn't be. Now I know the Jersey Devil just to be a local legend, but back then, it seemed real enough to keep me from straying far from home. This tale shows how legends that mostly spread by word of mouth can change drastically in an effort to scare younger children into acting good. As a whole, I now go with a more "see it to believe it" mindset rather than just believing what I hear the first time around. 

Just your normal drive through the Pine Barrens... nothing to see here...

The Devil Went Down To Jersey

Growing up, my best friend believed in the Jersey Devil. Truth be told, I'm fairly sure he still does. As my friend is a pretty stable guy otherwise, I'd have to say that this unrational belief in a mythical creature really shows the power that this type of folklore has.

What makes intelligent, rational people believe in the existence of these types of beings?

After doing a bit of research on the subject, I found that all of the "evidence" of the existance of the Jersey Devil is sketchy at best. Belief in this creature stems from various stories of a devil child being born to a woman somewhere in New Jersey. The location of the supposed birth varies from story to story. In many versions of the story, a woman (often named Mrs. Leeds) wished that her next child would be a devil out of frustration and simply got her wish. Other versions claim that Mrs. Leeds was a witch, and that the child's father was a demon, or the Devil himself.

Supposed sightings of the Jersey Devil are just as unbelievable. Over the last two to three hundred years, people have attributed the Jersey Devil to animal mutilations, property damage, and hoof prints. There has never been any real, substantial evidence suggesting the existance of this creature. If that is the case, then the question still stands: Why do people believe?

The Jersey Devil falls into a category of "crytpids" (from the Greek "krypto," which means "hide"). A cryptid is a creature that is thought by some to exist, but whose existance is deemed highly unlikely. Other popular cryptids include the Yeti, Unicorns, and the Loch Ness Monster. Go ahead and read that last sentence again. The Jersey Devil falls into the same category as Unicorns.

Some psychologists have suggested that the belief in demonic creatures has to do with our desire to externalize our problems. Beliefs in things like the Jersey Devil allow us to create an external force that is the embodiment of the things they represent. In this case, something like the Jersey Devil would represent fear, cruelty, and evil. Additionally, people who tend to look for supernatural explanations to things are obviously drawn to these types of beliefs. Then, of course, there are gullible people, who will believe the "evidence" provided for the Jersey Devil's existance. Whatever the reason, since the existence of the Jersey Devil can't necessarily be disproven, people will continue to believe the tales. As strange as it seems, if human history is any indication, this type of myth and folklore will always be a part of our society.

Sources:

The Psychology Of Belief in Demons

The Jersey Devil

The Devil, You Say

Jersey Devil

After living in New Jersey for my entire life, I felt that researching a little bit about the Jersey Devil would be appropriate. As with the Loch-Ness Monster and Bigfoot, the Jersey Devil is a cryptid. This means that there are beliefs in its existence, but not scientific proof to justify the claims. Also with these other cryptids are multiple accusations of the run-ins with the Jersey Devil as well as multiple different descriptions of this interesting creature.
The Jersey Devil is believed to have been born in Leeds Point, New Jersey between the years of 1735 and 1857. However, many other stories of the Jersey Devil’s existence state that it was born in other parts of the state. All of the stories seem to have unrealistic stories of the birth that would make anyone question if this is real. How is it possible for a human to reproduce a horse-like creature with wings? Or, how can a devil and a witch (both which are paranormal creatures) create something like this? With there being only one “Jersey Devil” in existence, it is difficult to believe that all of the different accusations and descriptions of this creature are for the same being.
Since there is no definite answer as to whether or not the Jersey Devil indeed exists, there is also debate over whether or not it is “alive” or “dead.” If this devil is dead, how come people have been unable to confirm its existence? If it is alive, how has it managed to survive for over 200 years? Many people are skeptical about the Jersey Devil and feel that it is just a hoax along with Bigfoot and the Loch-Ness monster. So, do you believe in the Jersey Devil?

http://www.elktownship.com/myth.html
http://www.examiner.com/creationism-in-pittsburgh/what-is-a-cryptid