Jersey Devil

The Jersey Devil is a legendary creature said to live in the Pine Barrens, a large forest in southern New Jersey, USA. It is a cryptid, meaning an animal that people report but that has never been proven to exist. It is also called the Leeds Devil.

It is usually described as a flying creature that walks on two legs, with a horse- or goat-like head, bat-like wings, horns, small clawed arms, hooves and a forked tail. People say it screams in a high, scary voice. The legend became so popular that New Jersey's hockey team, the New Jersey Devils, took its name from it.

The story of Mother Leeds

The best-known story says that in 1735 a woman named Mother Leeds, who already had twelve children, found she was expecting a thirteenth. In frustration she cried, "Let the child be the devil!" The baby was born normally, but at once grew wings, a tail and claws, and flew out through the chimney into the pines. Other versions say the mother was a witch, or tell the tale in different places and years.

Legend versus evidence

The tale is folklore. Different tellings disagree on the date, the place and even the mother's name, and one version is set at a different town altogether. Accounts of the creature are reports and stories, not proof, and no such animal has been found. What is certain is that the story is a lasting part of South Jersey and Philadelphia culture, and it is kept alive today through books, local stories and sports.

On the globe

The toy globe marks the Jersey Devil in the Pine Barrens of southern New Jersey. Zoom in to find the forest where the legend lives.