Creepy Myths about NJ by Rebecca Greenberg

For the past few weeks, our class has been studying and reading myths. I saw it only fit to research some interesting legends and myths about good old New Jersey.

The dictionary definition of a myth is- A myth is a legendary or a traditional story that usually concerns an event, or a hero, with or without using factual or real explanations, particularly one concerning with demigods or deities, and describes some rites, practices and natural phenomenon.

However based on the following stories, I think everyone can come to their own individual terms on what a myth really is.

The Myth of the New Jersey Devil
     A storm was raging that night in 1735, when Mother Leeds was brought to bed in childbirth. The room was full of woman folk gathered to help her, more out of curiosity than good will. They had all heard the rumors that Mother Leeds was involved in witchcraft, and had sworn she would give birth to a devil.  
Tension mounted when at last the baby arrived.  It was a relief (and to some a disappointment), when the baby was born completely normal.  But a few moments later, before their terrified eyes, the child began to change. The room erupted with screams as the child grew at an enormous rate, becoming taller than a man and changing into a beast which resembled a dragon, with a head like a horse, a snake-like body and bat's wings.
As soon as it was full-grown, the monster began beating all the woman (including his mother) with its thick, forked tail. With a harsh cry, it flew through the chimney and vanished into the storm.
The Monster of Leeds, or the Jersey Devil as he was later called, still haunts the pines of New Jersey, wrecking havoc upon farmer's crops and livestock, poisoning pools and creeks, and appearing on the New Jersey shore just before a ship wreck

Legends of the Blue Hole
One of the most storied sites in all of southern New Jersey is a mysterious body of water known as the Blue Hole.  Located deep in the Pine Barrens of Winslow, on the border of Camden and Gloucester Counties, this small but legendary pool is said to not only be bottomless, but also a frequent pit stop of the Jersey Devil.
Though its icy blue-tinged water might seem inviting, especially on a hot summer day, locals warn their children to stay away from the Blue Hole and to never go swimming there.  Tales of unexplained whirlpools which suck down hapless swimmers have long been part of the Hole’s lore.  Some who have been lucky enough to escape its clutches have claimed that they actually felt something, perhaps the Jersey Devil himself, pulling them down into the chilly depths.

For more interesting NJ myths and legends, click the link below!

http://weirdnj.com/