Eps 1: The hidden woods podcast, ep 1 the jersey devil
In the first episode of "The Hidden Woods" podcast, the hosts introduce the legend of the Jersey Devil. The story began in the 18th century when a woman named Mother Leeds had given birth to her 13th child. According to the legend, the baby transformed into a creature with hooves, wings, and a forked tail, and flew out of the room, disappearing into the Pine Barrens of New Jersey. There have been numerous sightings and stories of the Jersey Devil in the years since, and the hosts discuss some of these accounts, as well as theories about what the creature could be. Some believe it is a cryptid, while others suggest it may have been a type of owl or bat. Despite the skepticism from some, the hosts acknowledge that the legend of the Jersey Devil continues to fascinate and captivate people to this day.
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Host
Justin Horton
Podcast Content
The story goes that in 1735, a woman named Mother Leeds found herself pregnant for the 13th time. Exasperated and cursing the child in her womb, she gave birth to a creature of pure evil. The creature had the head of a horse, the wings of a bat, the body of a kangaroo, and the tail of a serpent. The creature let out a blood-curdling scream before flying up the chimney, never to be seen again.
In the years that followed, sightings of the Jersey Devil became more and more frequent. Farmers claimed their livestock was being slaughtered, and strange tracks were found in the woods. People living near the Pine Barrens reported seeing a creature they described as a winged devil flying over their homes at night.
Over time, the legend of the Jersey Devil grew, and it became a common topic of conversation throughout the region. The creature became so feared that even Napoleon Bonaparte's brother Joseph Bonaparte, who had taken up residence in Bordentown in 1816, claimed to have witnessed the Jersey Devil flying over his estate.
Despite numerous sightings, the Jersey Devil has never been captured, and the legend lives on to this day. Some people believe that the creature is simply a myth, while others believe that it is a real animal that has managed to evade capture.
Over the years, there have been several attempts to capture the Jersey Devil. In 1909, a group of hunters from Philadelphia searched the Pine Barrens for several days and claimed to have killed the creature. However, when they returned to the city, they discovered that the creature they had killed was actually a large bird.
In the years that followed, numerous hoaxes and pranks were carried out in an attempt to perpetuate the legend of the Jersey Devil. In the 1930s, a man named Norman Jeffries claimed to have captured the Jersey Devil and put it on display in a traveling circus. However, when people came to see the creature, they found that it was nothing more than a kangaroo with artificial wings attached to its back.
Despite the many attempts to capture or debunk the legend of the Jersey Devil, the creature remains one of the most fascinating and terrifying legends in American folklore. The Pine Barrens of southern New Jersey continue to be shrouded in mystery, and many people believe that the Jersey Devil still lurks within those woods.
That concludes today's episode of The Hidden Woods Podcast. We hope you enjoyed learning about the legend of the Jersey Devil and the mysteries of the Pine Barrens. Join us next time as we explore another fascinating and mysterious forest.