Post by Abraxas on May 16, 2011 12:32:51 GMT -5
There are many theories regarding the Jersey Devils origins and physical attributes, by far, the most popular of all these is the "Sand-hill crane" theory. After that, I would say that the next most popular would be the "legend theory" next would be the "undiscovered theory" and after that the "supernatural theory" the truth would seem to be between these. Many of the footprints that were discovered during "phenomenal week" would suggest the Sand-hill crane/undiscovered theory.
In other words many of the tracks which were discovered were probably from some type of animal. although it could be even more complex then that, perhaps (this is what I believe) that it was a combination of the so-called "snow-bird invasion" and the "undiscovered theory" the fact that many of the tracks were found in odd places, such as rooftops, window ledges, between spaces only inches wide; would tend to lead people to believe that it was the work of some supernatural and/or physical creature.
Its very unlikely that a creature 4 to 4 1/2 feet tall could perch on the branch of a tree or on a windowsill. How big were these windowsills? Eyewitnesses said that they saw the footprints on windowsills, but how could they tell they were really the tracks of an animal. Surly the feet of a creature this size would not leave very good prints on a two inch windowsill. Some people will insist that since the tracks were found in such odd places; it must be the work of a mystical creature.
COUGARS:
The cougar was once the premier predator of eastern woodlands. But hunted mercilessly as a threat to livestock and human life, cougars officially have not lived in New Jersey, or in most places east of the Mississippi River, since around 1900. Yet many New Jersey residents - from teachers to construction workers - continue to provide compelling, even chilling, accounts of encountering cougar-like animals.
State officials insist they've never had any hard evidence - carcasses, photos, videos, paw prints, or caches of bones of animals killed by big cats - to convince them either scenario is true. Officials said they have no actual knowledge that cougar-like cats have been released. If so, they would be too scattered to mate, officials argue. More likely, they said, people are mistaking large dogs, coyotes or bobcats for cougars. "It's very important that if we say something is here, that it be verified," state endangered species biologist Eric Stiles said. "I've met plenty of people in the Pine Barrens who claim to have seen the Jersey Devil, and would swear to it."
160 reports from people who claim to have seen big cats occurred over a 3 year period. A woman in Maurice River Township, Cumberland County, reported a big black cat in the woods near her home. Hamilton said he gave photos of large paw prints and deep scratches etched into tree trunks to state officials. Stiles and Valent said they never saw the photos. Waleski said the ranger took photographs of large paw prints, but that a wildlife official later told him not to raise a fuss because someone might try to kill the animal.
SAND-HILL CRANE:
There are some who believe that the jersey devil is nothing more then a sand-hill crane. this is a very popular belief, it is a theory which is held by the majority of people who have studied the phenomenon of the jersey devil. it would seem that even James F. McCloy and Ray, Jr. Miller who wrote the books "The Jersey Devil" (1979) and "The Phantom of the Pines" (1998) regard it as being a Sand-hill Crane, a tall bird with a nasty temperament and a chilling whoop for a voice. Through this opinion is scoffed at by those who believe in the actual existence of the Jersey Devil.
The Lowden family of Burlington, during "Phenomenal Week" 1909 awoke to find that tracks circled their home and they discovered a garbage can which had been presumably raided by the Jersey Devil for food. Amazingly, many of the tracks found in Burlington were not on the ground, but rather on rooftops, suggesting that the "Devil" had skipped from house to house without having touched the earth. (PROBABLY CRANE INCIDENT)
The fact that sand-hill cranes are usually seen in threes could explain how their could have been so many footprints made in a single night, as witnessed in the 1909 sightings.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS:
Sandhill Cranes range from 40" - 48" in height with a wingspan of 7 feet. The adult is slate gray, sometimes with a rusty appearance, the coloring depends on the food the birds have. There is a patch of red skin on the head of the bird.
Immature birds are all brown. Unlike herons, cranes fly with their necks extended and their legs trailing far behind. They can also be distinguished in flight by their slow downward wing beat, and quick flick, or flap, of the upstroke. The oldest Sandhill Crane is recorded at living 18 years and 6 months.
HABITS:
A very gregarious bird year-round. In the spring, during noting season, groups have been observed leaping, hopping and flapping their wings. Otherwise, they look fairly calm and prefer walking. they are commonly known to be seen in groups of three .
DIET:
Sandhill Cranes are opportunists, eating aquatic invertebrates, insects, worms, small mammals, young birds and eggs, seeds, grains, bulbs, berries, lichen and aquatic plants.
OTHER INTERESTING FACTS:
The red colored patch of skin on the sand-hill crane's forehead is reminiscent of many eyewitness accounts which describe either a red glow or red glowing eyes. The fact that the coloring of the sand-hill crane depends on the food that it eats gives some merit to my idea of a Jersey Devil whose colors change depending ion the season.
Sand-hill cranes are opportunists when it comes to their eating habits. Many people in dismissing the idea that the Jersey Devil is really a sand-hill crane fail to mention the fact this creature does indeed eat smaller animals.
SUPERNATURAL OR SPIRIT:
The folklore traditions of this native tribe hold that the Pine Barrens are a crossroads between the earthly realm and that of the supernatural; an area in which the veil separating the two worlds occasionally parts to allow men to journey into the unknown and for spirits to cross back into the mortal realm.
OTHER THEORIES:
Many theories abound as to what the Leeds Devil was. Many were proposed in seriousness and in jest. Some believed that it was a prehistoric creature trapped in a submerged limestone cave. With plenty of air and a constant supply of food (fish) life could continue, separated from the rest of the modern world. The caves could have been opened by seismic activity. The Grand Banks area is known for earthquakes - could one of these opened up the cave that held the Devil? Or could it be Mrs. Leeds 13th child? Was there really ever a Jersey Devil? According to Rutgers University Folklorist Angus Gillespie, no. Gillespie tells of the first written tale of the Devil, found in the diary of a woodsman named Vance Larner.
Stories of the beast Larner say gradually emerged into the Leeds Point myth. Why Leeds? The Leeds, like many early Pines settlers, had been around the area for ages, and many people carried the surname. It might have been easy to pick the Leeds name. The stories of the Devil haunting the woods might have also been devised to discourage federal agents from sweeping the area looking for contraband - something hard to sneak into New York or Philadelphia, but relatively easy in the Pines. It may also have been the perversion of a mothers warning to a disobedient child- “Don’t be out late or the Jersey Devil may get you!.”
In other words many of the tracks which were discovered were probably from some type of animal. although it could be even more complex then that, perhaps (this is what I believe) that it was a combination of the so-called "snow-bird invasion" and the "undiscovered theory" the fact that many of the tracks were found in odd places, such as rooftops, window ledges, between spaces only inches wide; would tend to lead people to believe that it was the work of some supernatural and/or physical creature.
Its very unlikely that a creature 4 to 4 1/2 feet tall could perch on the branch of a tree or on a windowsill. How big were these windowsills? Eyewitnesses said that they saw the footprints on windowsills, but how could they tell they were really the tracks of an animal. Surly the feet of a creature this size would not leave very good prints on a two inch windowsill. Some people will insist that since the tracks were found in such odd places; it must be the work of a mystical creature.
COUGARS:
The cougar was once the premier predator of eastern woodlands. But hunted mercilessly as a threat to livestock and human life, cougars officially have not lived in New Jersey, or in most places east of the Mississippi River, since around 1900. Yet many New Jersey residents - from teachers to construction workers - continue to provide compelling, even chilling, accounts of encountering cougar-like animals.
State officials insist they've never had any hard evidence - carcasses, photos, videos, paw prints, or caches of bones of animals killed by big cats - to convince them either scenario is true. Officials said they have no actual knowledge that cougar-like cats have been released. If so, they would be too scattered to mate, officials argue. More likely, they said, people are mistaking large dogs, coyotes or bobcats for cougars. "It's very important that if we say something is here, that it be verified," state endangered species biologist Eric Stiles said. "I've met plenty of people in the Pine Barrens who claim to have seen the Jersey Devil, and would swear to it."
160 reports from people who claim to have seen big cats occurred over a 3 year period. A woman in Maurice River Township, Cumberland County, reported a big black cat in the woods near her home. Hamilton said he gave photos of large paw prints and deep scratches etched into tree trunks to state officials. Stiles and Valent said they never saw the photos. Waleski said the ranger took photographs of large paw prints, but that a wildlife official later told him not to raise a fuss because someone might try to kill the animal.
SAND-HILL CRANE:
There are some who believe that the jersey devil is nothing more then a sand-hill crane. this is a very popular belief, it is a theory which is held by the majority of people who have studied the phenomenon of the jersey devil. it would seem that even James F. McCloy and Ray, Jr. Miller who wrote the books "The Jersey Devil" (1979) and "The Phantom of the Pines" (1998) regard it as being a Sand-hill Crane, a tall bird with a nasty temperament and a chilling whoop for a voice. Through this opinion is scoffed at by those who believe in the actual existence of the Jersey Devil.
The Lowden family of Burlington, during "Phenomenal Week" 1909 awoke to find that tracks circled their home and they discovered a garbage can which had been presumably raided by the Jersey Devil for food. Amazingly, many of the tracks found in Burlington were not on the ground, but rather on rooftops, suggesting that the "Devil" had skipped from house to house without having touched the earth. (PROBABLY CRANE INCIDENT)
The fact that sand-hill cranes are usually seen in threes could explain how their could have been so many footprints made in a single night, as witnessed in the 1909 sightings.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS:
Sandhill Cranes range from 40" - 48" in height with a wingspan of 7 feet. The adult is slate gray, sometimes with a rusty appearance, the coloring depends on the food the birds have. There is a patch of red skin on the head of the bird.
Immature birds are all brown. Unlike herons, cranes fly with their necks extended and their legs trailing far behind. They can also be distinguished in flight by their slow downward wing beat, and quick flick, or flap, of the upstroke. The oldest Sandhill Crane is recorded at living 18 years and 6 months.
HABITS:
A very gregarious bird year-round. In the spring, during noting season, groups have been observed leaping, hopping and flapping their wings. Otherwise, they look fairly calm and prefer walking. they are commonly known to be seen in groups of three .
DIET:
Sandhill Cranes are opportunists, eating aquatic invertebrates, insects, worms, small mammals, young birds and eggs, seeds, grains, bulbs, berries, lichen and aquatic plants.
OTHER INTERESTING FACTS:
The red colored patch of skin on the sand-hill crane's forehead is reminiscent of many eyewitness accounts which describe either a red glow or red glowing eyes. The fact that the coloring of the sand-hill crane depends on the food that it eats gives some merit to my idea of a Jersey Devil whose colors change depending ion the season.
Sand-hill cranes are opportunists when it comes to their eating habits. Many people in dismissing the idea that the Jersey Devil is really a sand-hill crane fail to mention the fact this creature does indeed eat smaller animals.
SUPERNATURAL OR SPIRIT:
The folklore traditions of this native tribe hold that the Pine Barrens are a crossroads between the earthly realm and that of the supernatural; an area in which the veil separating the two worlds occasionally parts to allow men to journey into the unknown and for spirits to cross back into the mortal realm.
OTHER THEORIES:
Many theories abound as to what the Leeds Devil was. Many were proposed in seriousness and in jest. Some believed that it was a prehistoric creature trapped in a submerged limestone cave. With plenty of air and a constant supply of food (fish) life could continue, separated from the rest of the modern world. The caves could have been opened by seismic activity. The Grand Banks area is known for earthquakes - could one of these opened up the cave that held the Devil? Or could it be Mrs. Leeds 13th child? Was there really ever a Jersey Devil? According to Rutgers University Folklorist Angus Gillespie, no. Gillespie tells of the first written tale of the Devil, found in the diary of a woodsman named Vance Larner.
Stories of the beast Larner say gradually emerged into the Leeds Point myth. Why Leeds? The Leeds, like many early Pines settlers, had been around the area for ages, and many people carried the surname. It might have been easy to pick the Leeds name. The stories of the Devil haunting the woods might have also been devised to discourage federal agents from sweeping the area looking for contraband - something hard to sneak into New York or Philadelphia, but relatively easy in the Pines. It may also have been the perversion of a mothers warning to a disobedient child- “Don’t be out late or the Jersey Devil may get you!.”