J is for Jersey Devil

Most-Wanted Monsters is thrilled to be one of more than 1500 blogs taking part in the 2012 A -Z Blogging Challenge - 26 opportunities to help you survive a paranormal apocalypse. Don't let our epic monster limericks fool you - the lore we share about the beasties featured in each daily post could literally save your life. Know them before they GET you!

Jersey Devil

In southern New Jersey, amid the Barren pine

There lives a monster, been there since 1909

Bat-like wings, a horrible screech

This famous cryptid ain't no peach

But stay clear of Jersey and you should be fine

On a dark and stormy night (no really!), more than 3,000 years ago in New Jersey, Mother Leeds gave birth to her thirteenth child - a deformed, winged monster said to have climbed out of her womb, up the chimney and into the beautiful Pine Barrens forest.

The line between legend and superstition is sometimes blurred, but for the people of New Jersey, the local “devil” is deeply rooted in history. More than 2,000 sightings of this infamous cryptid have been reported since 1909, including the 10 encounters published in the New York Times – in 2008. That’s not ancient history, folks.

Though there are fewer pictures of the creature than other popular international cryptids, the New Jersey Devil has made the pop culture rounds, landing roles in shows like the X-Files and Extreme Ghosthunters. Bruce Springsteen devoted an entire song to it, and the monster even lent its name to the National Hockey League. 

The beastie may not be good luck for the local livestock, but the New Jersey Devils boast a Stanley Cup hat trick – 1995, 2000 and 2003. 

SURVIVAL TIP: Get out of Dodge, er, Jersey.

Are you afraid of the New Jersey Devil? Or hey, how about them Devils - are you rooting for them in the 2012 playoffs? Tell us in the comments below and you could win an e-copy of SPIRITED, an anthology of 13 haunting stories.

And then, why not head over to some of the other blogs on the A-Z Blogging Challenge.