Post by Abraxas on May 16, 2011 12:36:34 GMT -5
According to tradition the Jersey Devil was largely responsible for committing various acts of trickery and prankish feats. Some of the more aggressive acts included, raiding crops, causing milk to sour or preventing cows from given forth their milk. Most of the devils actions seem to revolve around screaming in the night. By far the most common activity associated with the Jersey Devil is the leaving of footprints.
According to myths told by people in the Jobstown/Wrightstown section of Burlington county, campers; knowing the Jersey Devil's feeding habits would leave their shoes outside their tents at night so that the Jersey Devil would know that their were humans in the tent, not plants.
Without a doubt the most unsubstantiated activities associated with the traditional Jersey Devil are the various accounts of it harming human beings,this is due no doubt to one of the early alternate accounts of the Jersey Devil's birth. It has been maintained by some that the Jersey Devil attacked its mother and family directly after its birth, this would seem to conflict with later stories of the devils activities. Not to mention the fact the descriptions of the Jersey Devil in many of those stories do not hold well with what we know about the creatures general temperament and physicality.
Though they Jersey Devil is not known for attacking human beings, there have been instances where humans have acted aggressively towards it. Fire fighters in West Collingswood allegedly turned their fire hoses on the Jersey Devil, knocking it from a rooftop. The attack prompted the creature to charge the firemen headfirst, before spreading its wings and taking flight. In the resulting hysteria, reports filtered in from all over the region of more footprints being discovered and many stepped forward to testify that they had chased the creature off by throwing stones at it or by frightening it with loud noises.
1. Descriptions of a big creature which does not fit the classic description of the Jersey Devil, in association with animals killed (2 accounts)
2. Description of small creature which does fit the classic description of the Jersey Devil, in association with animal killings (1 account)
One particular account says that a man found his pet dog dead, this person believed it to be the work of the Jersey Devil. Strangely, even though there were chicken coops near the place of attack there was no mention of any tampering of these coops. Is this fact important? I believe it to be, if the Jersey Devil is an animal of some type then why would it have stopped with a crummy little meal like a puppy. The puppy was not said to have been severely mutilated, predatory animals do not kill for pleasure.
3. Accounts of livestock being killed but no description of the culprit (12 accounts)
4. Incidents where livestock was not killed, but with description of big creature which does not fit the classic description of the Jersey Devil (25 accounts)
One of these accounts came from a woman named Geraldine Witt, of Pens Groove. another account comes from a couple from Whitesville NJ, in 1959. A third encounter comes from an egg truck driver in 1956.
5. Another took place in Tom's River NJ, IN 1975. Two other accounts come from a Medford woman in 1950 and an anonymous eyewitness from the 1920's.
6. Another story of a large dog-like creature was taken from Jack Wisemen, of new Gretna NJ. Billy Dunnkosky of Freehold NJ claims to have seen a strange gorilla-like creature.
7. Alise Haley's tales of the Jersey Devil, which were told to her by her father, also seems far fetched. One of her recollections tells of howe her father had stated that he saw a strange beam of light gliding over head, the light was accompanied by a buzzing sound. people claimed it was the work of the Jersey Devil.
8. Another one of her fathers stories tells of how he had come into contact with a unusual horse-like creature, he claims that it was about ten times bigger then the average horse. a horse is about five feet tall, that would make the creature about 35 feet tall, very unlikely.
None of these accounts mention a large creature killing animals, although many of them do suggest a creature with aggressive tendencies.
9. No accounts of livestock or animals being killed, but many descriptions of small creature which does fit the classic description of the Jersey Devil (33 accounts)
Five of these accounts say nothing about the creatures size, the account told by Bessie Carr Losasso seems too far fetched.
NOTE: none of these accounts mention the creature doing harm to animals, with the exception of the Riverside, NJ incident which took place on 1/20, 1909.
10. Sightings which do not match either creature (4 accounts)
One account is taken from Phantom of the Pines.
11. Descriptions of a big creature which fits the classic description of the Jersey Devil (6 accounts)
12. No description of a creature and no animals killed (13 accounts)
13. Accounts of a large creature with no description (1 account)
According to myths told by people in the Jobstown/Wrightstown section of Burlington county, campers; knowing the Jersey Devil's feeding habits would leave their shoes outside their tents at night so that the Jersey Devil would know that their were humans in the tent, not plants.
Without a doubt the most unsubstantiated activities associated with the traditional Jersey Devil are the various accounts of it harming human beings,this is due no doubt to one of the early alternate accounts of the Jersey Devil's birth. It has been maintained by some that the Jersey Devil attacked its mother and family directly after its birth, this would seem to conflict with later stories of the devils activities. Not to mention the fact the descriptions of the Jersey Devil in many of those stories do not hold well with what we know about the creatures general temperament and physicality.
Though they Jersey Devil is not known for attacking human beings, there have been instances where humans have acted aggressively towards it. Fire fighters in West Collingswood allegedly turned their fire hoses on the Jersey Devil, knocking it from a rooftop. The attack prompted the creature to charge the firemen headfirst, before spreading its wings and taking flight. In the resulting hysteria, reports filtered in from all over the region of more footprints being discovered and many stepped forward to testify that they had chased the creature off by throwing stones at it or by frightening it with loud noises.
1. Descriptions of a big creature which does not fit the classic description of the Jersey Devil, in association with animals killed (2 accounts)
2. Description of small creature which does fit the classic description of the Jersey Devil, in association with animal killings (1 account)
One particular account says that a man found his pet dog dead, this person believed it to be the work of the Jersey Devil. Strangely, even though there were chicken coops near the place of attack there was no mention of any tampering of these coops. Is this fact important? I believe it to be, if the Jersey Devil is an animal of some type then why would it have stopped with a crummy little meal like a puppy. The puppy was not said to have been severely mutilated, predatory animals do not kill for pleasure.
3. Accounts of livestock being killed but no description of the culprit (12 accounts)
4. Incidents where livestock was not killed, but with description of big creature which does not fit the classic description of the Jersey Devil (25 accounts)
One of these accounts came from a woman named Geraldine Witt, of Pens Groove. another account comes from a couple from Whitesville NJ, in 1959. A third encounter comes from an egg truck driver in 1956.
5. Another took place in Tom's River NJ, IN 1975. Two other accounts come from a Medford woman in 1950 and an anonymous eyewitness from the 1920's.
6. Another story of a large dog-like creature was taken from Jack Wisemen, of new Gretna NJ. Billy Dunnkosky of Freehold NJ claims to have seen a strange gorilla-like creature.
7. Alise Haley's tales of the Jersey Devil, which were told to her by her father, also seems far fetched. One of her recollections tells of howe her father had stated that he saw a strange beam of light gliding over head, the light was accompanied by a buzzing sound. people claimed it was the work of the Jersey Devil.
8. Another one of her fathers stories tells of how he had come into contact with a unusual horse-like creature, he claims that it was about ten times bigger then the average horse. a horse is about five feet tall, that would make the creature about 35 feet tall, very unlikely.
None of these accounts mention a large creature killing animals, although many of them do suggest a creature with aggressive tendencies.
9. No accounts of livestock or animals being killed, but many descriptions of small creature which does fit the classic description of the Jersey Devil (33 accounts)
Five of these accounts say nothing about the creatures size, the account told by Bessie Carr Losasso seems too far fetched.
NOTE: none of these accounts mention the creature doing harm to animals, with the exception of the Riverside, NJ incident which took place on 1/20, 1909.
10. Sightings which do not match either creature (4 accounts)
One account is taken from Phantom of the Pines.
11. Descriptions of a big creature which fits the classic description of the Jersey Devil (6 accounts)
12. No description of a creature and no animals killed (13 accounts)
13. Accounts of a large creature with no description (1 account)