A Devil in the Pines

By far, the most famous N.J. urban legend is that of the elusive “Jersey Devil”. It’s so iconic that the creature serves as both the mascot and namesake of our professional hockey team. The most popular version of the story goes like this: in 1735, a woman named Mrs. Leeds got pregnant for the 13th time. The Leeds’  were burdened with poverty, as Mr. Leeds was an irresponsible alcoholic and they had 12 additional mouths to feed. So on one fateful night she cried, “Let the child be a devil” and paid no mind to that promise, until nine months later. On a dark and stormy night, Mrs. Leeds went into labour, giving birth to what appeared to be a normal child. However, it soon changed. Horns grew from the child’s head and it sprouted leathery wings and claws. The thing morphed until it looked more demon than human. Finally it let out a bone chilling cry. It is said that the devil turned on its own mother, leaving the Leeds house awash with blood.  Biting and clawing, it savagely attacked the midwives and others in attendance, before breaking through a window and escaping into the gloom of the pines. In the heart of the Pine Barrens, the Devil lurks, stalking those souls brave enough to enter. And it is hungry. 

The Jersey Devil has been spotted numerous times over the past three centuries. The most notable sighting was an alleged rampage in 1909. Livestock were found dead and the  strange hoof-like footprints in the snow could only mean one thing: the beast had come to hunt. It terrorized the Delaware Valley, Camden, and Bristol, P.A. before the Camden fire department drove it back to the wilderness. Fast forward to over 100 years  later and the Devil is a Jersey celebrity. We’ve got Devil themed clothes, sports teams, plushies-you name it! He’s more akin to a mascot than a fearsome beast on the prowl. However, some, whether they be unfortunate  campers or conspiracy theorists, still believe in the terror of the pines. Most report a scream, followed by the feeling of being watched. Almost like a shark circling its prey, this creature would follow them. Oftentimes they might catch a glimpse of its leathery bat wings and spiny tail. However, these are often more tall tales than anything else. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to verify any claims of devil sightings, though I will leave one below:

We were driving to a camp ground in the Pine Barrens and had left a little late. It was November so the sun set early. I looked out the window and everything was pitch black. As we drove under a light pole, I saw something that looked like a dead animal (possibly a deer?). The strange thing is, it was missing a head. I told Mom about this, but she said that roadkill looks that way sometimes. Anyway, when I got to the campground, it was very cold and dark. We couldn’t get a fire going yet, so my friends and I decided to explore the site. We walked up a small trail to see some of the other cabins. That’s when I heard the noise. It sounded like an ambulance siren, but was much louder and more continuous. It couldn’t have been from one of the other sites since they were further away. Then, we heard a rustling sound in the bushes. We left, assuming that it was just a squirrel, but down the trail I noticed some tracks that hadn’t been there before. Thank God our fire was up by then. - Real experience I had camping in 2017