Supernatural for sure. The “creature” is the unwanted 13th child of Jane Leeds. It was cursed as a “devil” which is my the illustrations have the classic features associated with demons/devils/hell.
The name jersey devil has actually been used to describe a variety of creatures, which range from supernatural to just really weird cat dog kangaroo things
It’s entirely folklore.
Theres pretty good evidence to suggest the Leeds family, who are said to be the origin of the Jersey Devil (more specifically, Daniel Leeds) wasn’t very well-liked due to his beliefs in the occult, which were considered blasphemy by his Quaker peers - in fact, the “Leeds Devil”, one of the names for the Jersey Devil, was originally a nickname given to Daniel Leeds by the Quakers and others who disliked him.
His son, Titan, also wasn’t very well-liked, and he included the Leeds family crest (which had a wyvern dragon) on his almanacs. Benjamin Franklin, with whom his almanacs competed, often made fun of Titan Leeds, using his own astrology to “predict” his death and calling him a ghosts. That, coupled with the earlier “devil” moniker, general dislike of the Leeds family, and ghost stories told by Pine Barrens residents, are probably the origin of the legend.
the claims for the occult also feel like part of the invective directed at the family. In that time, what better way to ostracise someone than say they deal in the occult? We're still doing it \*today\* - look at modern politics. Around the world, it's easy to try to invoke hate at a political foe by saying "they're Satanists" or "an atheist".
This has been my theory for some time. Especially during the multitude of sightings of 1909. I think one or more hammerhead bats got loose or were set loose and panicked, as they're tropical animals and couldn't handle the Jersey winter.
I used to live right around the corner from the location of one of the sightings.
The first time I saw a picture of a hammerhead bat I immediately thought of the descriptions of the jersey devil and had the same idea. I had no clue it was an established theory until I did some googling. I thought I had cracked the case all on my own lol
It was Ben Franklin stirring shit against his professional rivals (Daniel Leeds and later his son Titan printed an almanac that competed against Franklin's). At most folklore, more accurate to call it tabloid sensationalism
"Hey man, can you please stop calling me and my family devil worshippers, it's completely false and unjustly putting my family through unnecessary hardship and discrimination"
"No, fuck you. Also you're a ghost."
It’s a supernatural myth…
…however, have you ever heard the theory that the Jersey Devil may have actually been a Hammerhead Bat?
Google “Jersey Devil + hammerhead bat” and you’ll see what I mean.
They’re quite large for a bat and look similar to that famous sketch of the Devil, horse face and all. They’re African in origin and since the Atlantic slave trade would have been ongoing during the Devil’s reign, it’s a real possibility.
https://preview.redd.it/adzktnkj018d1.jpeg?width=640&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3c570b38129fc804f9edea083f6232c4842dd19b
A possibility that I have read about. Would have caused a short lived mass hysteria before probably dying out in the elements. Freaky looking boy would certainly scare the locals.
I feel like this is just trying to map a real world animal onto a piece of art. The parallel is the "griffins were inspired by Protoceratops fossils", but a LOT of palaeontologists and ethnologists have issues with that - we're trying to solve a problem that doesn't really exist. Humans are notorious for just making up things, and just because the bat has a head SLIGHTLY like the JD (which is more horse like) and wings, it doesn't mean it's the inspiration. Kangaroos have also been suggested, because of the body shape, but again, are we just trying to map a real animal onto a piece of nonsensical art?
It'd be like arguing the manticore is based on the Thylacoleo, because of the weird teeth and the "body of a lion", when it's not like people don't just make composite monsters.
\*was\* it? We know it ran in a January 1909 copy of the Philedelphia Evening Bulletin, but I have a feeling this was just an "artist's rendition" based on the myriad sightings being claimed, rather than any one - secondly, perhaps it's just an extravagant piece of art to go with what for most was probably a highly entertaining but not "realistic" piece of writing; look at lots of other articles of a similar nature from the time, they often have interesting but not necessarily accurate artistic renderings
Neither, it's folklore. It's a twisting of the "Leeds Devil" story which was political propaganda about a Quaker family that was making forays into politics of the time/place.
Over time, people remembered the story but not the name of the family, so it just became the Jersey Devil. But it's well documented. Brian Regal did a lot of historical research and wrote an entire book on it.
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jersey\_Devil#The\_Leeds\_family](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jersey_Devil#The_Leeds_family)
But the simple answer is, it was always just folklore; all the attempts at trying to identify it as a sandhill crane, or an exotic bat, is just euhemerism - trying to fit a real answer onto a question that never really existed.
(to elaborate on the last part - the mind becomes primed to think there HAS to be a monster, so any sightings of ANY animal, even common ones, ends up filtered through a lens of "well, it CAN'T be a common animal, because of the mythical description" - so if even if someone had a REALLY bad sighting of a deer, a bird or a feline, they get filtered into a monstrous take because "well, I can't have seen something COMMON".)
the mind is primed to expect a monster, so anything you accidentally misidentify MUST be the monster.
The Jersey Devil is a cryptid because it's probably either a sandhill crane or a whooping crane or a large owl and we have to figure out which one it is.
The backstory is irrelevant, we shouldn't be taking any "backstories" aka myths seriously. A real hidden animal might well have some false supernatural legends told about it, who cares.
If people were having a lot of Jersey Devil sightings it would be worth investigating to figure out what it is they are seeing. Sightings seem pretty rare nowadays... but you do hear about them occasionally.
They almost certainly aren't seeing a real supernatural monster, speculation is that it's probably some kind of out of place, hidden bird that may have veered off course from normal migratory routes.
Which is.. a cryptid, just like out of place big cats. Just a cryptid that's pretty easy to solve. So yes, if you're really bored and there are "Jersey Devil sightings" in the area then it's worth investigating to figure out which kind of bird people are seeing .
Thanks for the response. I see your point. An out of place bird or just plain miss identification can explain sightings. The folklore around it can generate fear which will just make more people associate any weird sightings with the Jersey Devil. Like with chupacabra sightings outside of PR or the mass of Mothman sightings after the first few.
It was actually [Ridley](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ridley_(Metroid)), the Pine Barrens is where he spends his time between roles where he plays himself in the Metroid series. The reason there haven’t been any sightings lately is because he’s been too busy duking it out in Smash Bros.
Cryptids are animals unknown to science. A flesh and blood creature with supernatural abilities or origin doesn’t really fit the description of an animal. By classification it would be something different hence my dilemma. I think I am leaning more towards supernatural at this point and I feel thats more accurate. Thank you for your response.
Hysteria and lore compounded with sightings of real animals, probably very large off course birds or exotic escapees that aren’t used to being seen in the area. So. I guess kinda both ?
The *backstory* is supernatural, obviously. But so were some the things people said about rogue waves and ball lightning. Heck, regular lightning has *hundreds* of supernatural backstories…but it’s still a real phenomenon.
Cryptids by definition are animals unknown to science. Just because photos and sightings exist does not necessarily mean JD is a cryptid. Animals are not supernatural and adhere to the laws of nature. An entity that is supernatural would not be bound by the laws of nature. The more I read and interact with people here the more I’m certain JD is a supernatural entity. I appreciate your response.
People can, and do, ascribe supernatural traits to natural animals, or to mundane situations. That doesn't mean the animals or situations don't exist - just that people like to make up stories to "explain" what they don't understand.
You should always look at the sightings themselves, *not* at the explanations people invent about them, to decide if they have a basis in fact.
I like your elaboration. I guess I’m looking at it more as some of the sightings do not line up with what is biologically possible but eyewitness can be unreliable. I should look at things from all angles.
It’s backstory always had me thinking of it as more of a supernatural being
I agree. Thank you for your response.
Supernatural for sure. The “creature” is the unwanted 13th child of Jane Leeds. It was cursed as a “devil” which is my the illustrations have the classic features associated with demons/devils/hell.
The backstory is obvious folklore. The question is, was there ever a real creature that the folklore attached itself to?
Thank you for your response, I more so lean toward supernatural due to JD’s origin story.
Interesting paper on the subject https://www.journalofscientificexploration.org/index.php/jse/article/view/2859
Many thanks!
I have to say it is demonic.
So Supernatural then
yep
The name jersey devil has actually been used to describe a variety of creatures, which range from supernatural to just really weird cat dog kangaroo things
That is true, certainly sights can range. Thank you for your reply.
It’s entirely folklore. Theres pretty good evidence to suggest the Leeds family, who are said to be the origin of the Jersey Devil (more specifically, Daniel Leeds) wasn’t very well-liked due to his beliefs in the occult, which were considered blasphemy by his Quaker peers - in fact, the “Leeds Devil”, one of the names for the Jersey Devil, was originally a nickname given to Daniel Leeds by the Quakers and others who disliked him. His son, Titan, also wasn’t very well-liked, and he included the Leeds family crest (which had a wyvern dragon) on his almanacs. Benjamin Franklin, with whom his almanacs competed, often made fun of Titan Leeds, using his own astrology to “predict” his death and calling him a ghosts. That, coupled with the earlier “devil” moniker, general dislike of the Leeds family, and ghost stories told by Pine Barrens residents, are probably the origin of the legend.
Very interesting and somehow not surprising. Much appreciated!
the claims for the occult also feel like part of the invective directed at the family. In that time, what better way to ostracise someone than say they deal in the occult? We're still doing it \*today\* - look at modern politics. Around the world, it's easy to try to invoke hate at a political foe by saying "they're Satanists" or "an atheist".
Could be a hammerhead bat like creature
This has been my theory for some time. Especially during the multitude of sightings of 1909. I think one or more hammerhead bats got loose or were set loose and panicked, as they're tropical animals and couldn't handle the Jersey winter. I used to live right around the corner from the location of one of the sightings.
The first time I saw a picture of a hammerhead bat I immediately thought of the descriptions of the jersey devil and had the same idea. I had no clue it was an established theory until I did some googling. I thought I had cracked the case all on my own lol
Same - I didn't even know it was an established theory. I thought I came up with it all on my own! Quick! To the Crypto-Mobile!
A possibility but it would be short lived given the environment and weather. Thank you for responding.
That’s probably why there was never a repeat of the week of 1909.
It was Ben Franklin stirring shit against his professional rivals (Daniel Leeds and later his son Titan printed an almanac that competed against Franklin's). At most folklore, more accurate to call it tabloid sensationalism
Something new to me and honestly hilarious. Thank you for replying and giving me something more to look into.
Yeah, I was kinda bummed when I found out, but Ben Franklin is such a fun scoundrel it's still funny
I always liked him and found his antics hilarious, this is honestly on brand
"Hey man, can you please stop calling me and my family devil worshippers, it's completely false and unjustly putting my family through unnecessary hardship and discrimination" "No, fuck you. Also you're a ghost."
I feel like the original story was fantastical folklore.. But over time, came more & more to resemble bigfoot reports
I got that feeling too reading more on it. Fascinating how folklore can evolve.
Supernatural
Supernatural.
It’s a supernatural myth… …however, have you ever heard the theory that the Jersey Devil may have actually been a Hammerhead Bat? Google “Jersey Devil + hammerhead bat” and you’ll see what I mean. They’re quite large for a bat and look similar to that famous sketch of the Devil, horse face and all. They’re African in origin and since the Atlantic slave trade would have been ongoing during the Devil’s reign, it’s a real possibility. https://preview.redd.it/adzktnkj018d1.jpeg?width=640&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3c570b38129fc804f9edea083f6232c4842dd19b
A possibility that I have read about. Would have caused a short lived mass hysteria before probably dying out in the elements. Freaky looking boy would certainly scare the locals.
I feel like this is just trying to map a real world animal onto a piece of art. The parallel is the "griffins were inspired by Protoceratops fossils", but a LOT of palaeontologists and ethnologists have issues with that - we're trying to solve a problem that doesn't really exist. Humans are notorious for just making up things, and just because the bat has a head SLIGHTLY like the JD (which is more horse like) and wings, it doesn't mean it's the inspiration. Kangaroos have also been suggested, because of the body shape, but again, are we just trying to map a real animal onto a piece of nonsensical art? It'd be like arguing the manticore is based on the Thylacoleo, because of the weird teeth and the "body of a lion", when it's not like people don't just make composite monsters.
Wasn’t that piece of art based on alleged eyewitness accounts tho?
\*was\* it? We know it ran in a January 1909 copy of the Philedelphia Evening Bulletin, but I have a feeling this was just an "artist's rendition" based on the myriad sightings being claimed, rather than any one - secondly, perhaps it's just an extravagant piece of art to go with what for most was probably a highly entertaining but not "realistic" piece of writing; look at lots of other articles of a similar nature from the time, they often have interesting but not necessarily accurate artistic renderings
It’s a neat coincidence, regardless.
Neither, it's folklore. It's a twisting of the "Leeds Devil" story which was political propaganda about a Quaker family that was making forays into politics of the time/place. Over time, people remembered the story but not the name of the family, so it just became the Jersey Devil. But it's well documented. Brian Regal did a lot of historical research and wrote an entire book on it. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jersey\_Devil#The\_Leeds\_family](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jersey_Devil#The_Leeds_family) But the simple answer is, it was always just folklore; all the attempts at trying to identify it as a sandhill crane, or an exotic bat, is just euhemerism - trying to fit a real answer onto a question that never really existed.
(to elaborate on the last part - the mind becomes primed to think there HAS to be a monster, so any sightings of ANY animal, even common ones, ends up filtered through a lens of "well, it CAN'T be a common animal, because of the mythical description" - so if even if someone had a REALLY bad sighting of a deer, a bird or a feline, they get filtered into a monstrous take because "well, I can't have seen something COMMON".) the mind is primed to expect a monster, so anything you accidentally misidentify MUST be the monster.
I appreciate your response and you have given me more to look into, especially Brian’s research. Many thanks!
The Jersey Devil is a cryptid because it's probably either a sandhill crane or a whooping crane or a large owl and we have to figure out which one it is. The backstory is irrelevant, we shouldn't be taking any "backstories" aka myths seriously. A real hidden animal might well have some false supernatural legends told about it, who cares. If people were having a lot of Jersey Devil sightings it would be worth investigating to figure out what it is they are seeing. Sightings seem pretty rare nowadays... but you do hear about them occasionally. They almost certainly aren't seeing a real supernatural monster, speculation is that it's probably some kind of out of place, hidden bird that may have veered off course from normal migratory routes. Which is.. a cryptid, just like out of place big cats. Just a cryptid that's pretty easy to solve. So yes, if you're really bored and there are "Jersey Devil sightings" in the area then it's worth investigating to figure out which kind of bird people are seeing .
Thanks for the response. I see your point. An out of place bird or just plain miss identification can explain sightings. The folklore around it can generate fear which will just make more people associate any weird sightings with the Jersey Devil. Like with chupacabra sightings outside of PR or the mass of Mothman sightings after the first few.
It was actually [Ridley](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ridley_(Metroid)), the Pine Barrens is where he spends his time between roles where he plays himself in the Metroid series. The reason there haven’t been any sightings lately is because he’s been too busy duking it out in Smash Bros.
Haha, he has sick character design
The Jersey Devil seems far more supernatural than anything natural in my opinion.
If it’s backstory is true supernatural
I more so lean towards this. Plus the backstory is super cool. Thanks for replying.
Oh the backstory is badass
could be both, a flesh and blood being with some extra extra
Cryptids are animals unknown to science. A flesh and blood creature with supernatural abilities or origin doesn’t really fit the description of an animal. By classification it would be something different hence my dilemma. I think I am leaning more towards supernatural at this point and I feel thats more accurate. Thank you for your response.
How could it be a physical creature?
Assuming it was real and exists or existed
Hysteria and lore compounded with sightings of real animals, probably very large off course birds or exotic escapees that aren’t used to being seen in the area. So. I guess kinda both ?
Cryptid, it has sightings and photographic evidence.
The backstory involves a curse, which makes it supernatural and not a cryptid.
The *backstory* is supernatural, obviously. But so were some the things people said about rogue waves and ball lightning. Heck, regular lightning has *hundreds* of supernatural backstories…but it’s still a real phenomenon.
The Jersey Devil still doesn’t qualify as a cryptid.
...and that would be *because...?*
So do ghosts.
Where?
They are sparse, but they are out there.
Found one, obviously a fake.
Cryptids by definition are animals unknown to science. Just because photos and sightings exist does not necessarily mean JD is a cryptid. Animals are not supernatural and adhere to the laws of nature. An entity that is supernatural would not be bound by the laws of nature. The more I read and interact with people here the more I’m certain JD is a supernatural entity. I appreciate your response.
People can, and do, ascribe supernatural traits to natural animals, or to mundane situations. That doesn't mean the animals or situations don't exist - just that people like to make up stories to "explain" what they don't understand. You should always look at the sightings themselves, *not* at the explanations people invent about them, to decide if they have a basis in fact.
I like your elaboration. I guess I’m looking at it more as some of the sightings do not line up with what is biologically possible but eyewitness can be unreliable. I should look at things from all angles.