The Moorestown Library recently hosted a discussion about South Jersey folklore by writer Tony DiGerolamo, who discussed the history and tales of Mother Leeds’ 13th child, also known as the Jersey Devil.
“The Jersey Devil is New Jersey’s official state demon,” DiGerolamo explained in his presentation, ‘Spooky Talk: How to Hunt the Jersey Devil.’ The basic story goes … in 1730-something, a woman named Leeds – Mother Leeds we called her – was the 13th child in her family, and she had 13 children. As Mother Leeds gave birth to her last child, she cried out, ‘Curse this child. Let the Devil take it.’
“Thus, the Jersey Devil was born,” DiGerolamo added, “a horrible monster who ate his family, flew out the chimney and has been haunting the Pine Barrens ever since. That’s the basic story, but there are many variations.”
Another is that Mother Leeds’ 13th child eventually turned into a devil, so she let it into the backyard to live. Every morning, it would come out and perch on the fence, and Mother Leeds would feed it until she died. Eventually, the servants were to feed the devil, but they were so afraid, they shooed it away and sent it screaming into the woods, according to legend.
“There’s a scream associated with the Jersey Devil,” DiGerolamo noted. “And the scream is the Jersey Devil missing its long-lost mother.”
The Jersey Devil is described as a kangaroo-like creature with the face of a horse; the head of a dog; bat-like wings; horns; and a tail, according to the Pinelands Preservation Alliance. Its presence is said to have been seen and felt by people in at least 50 towns when it emerges from its lair in the Pinelands and wanders throughout South Jersey, sometimes intriguing, sometimes terrorizing residents.
Reports of the Jersey Devil’s death have proved inconclusive, and even the scientific community can’t explain its existence.
DiGerolamo is a screenwriter, novelist, comic-book writer, game designer and comedian. He’s best known for his work on “The Simpsons” and “Bart Simpson” comic books and his novella series, “The Pineys,” is about a family in the Pine Barrens that has been hunting the Jersey Devil’s kin for more than 250 years.
The premise is that in 1732, Mother Leeds was a witch who opened the portals of Hell and flooded the Pine Barrens with devils. This did not go unnoticed by the nearby villagers of Abe’s Hat, a New Jersey town. A group of hunters formed a secret society to hunt down the devils, send them back to the darkness and close the portals forever.
“With that basic premise, I’m able to tell the stories and tie it into devils or ghosts or pirates,” DiGerolamo pointed out. ” … That’s sort of how I unfold. I like a lot of action, fun and excitement.”
For more information on “The Pineys,” visit www.thepineys.com.
