Cryptozoology has always fascinated me, though always in a carnival sideshow kind of way. When I was a kid, however, I struggled deeply with the fear of the unknown, and specifically a fear that the Jersey Devil was waiting in the pines of Jersey somewhere to pick me up and do God only knows what. On top of this, my parents loved taking the whole family camping, whether it was in New Jersey or not it didn't stop my imagination from taking hold and giving me a sleepless night in my tent. But, with the benefit of having more or less an adult mind, I've found the Jersey Devil to be an integral part of New Jersey's local flavor. Everyone knows about the Jersey Devil, and a surprising amount of people may actually think it's real. Many people I would argue want it to be real. It's another mark of who is a local and who isn't. To that end a lot of America’s cryptids (I’m thinking Mothman sorts of local legends) are just our desire for the magical to still be present in the world, even if we know it's not there.
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When I was 10 I remember seeing the story of the Jersey Devil on the show Lost tapes and it had me scared for months, thinking that any time I would look into the darkness if the pines i would feel i was being watched. It was a really interesting and scary story.
ReplyDeleteI found it interesting how when you explained that when you were a little kid you used to be scared and had a fear of the Jersey Devil. Because I actually had that same fear when I was younger and I used to be afraid of going out in the dark at night.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that the Jersey Devil has developed a life of it's own in the sense that it has developed cultural sway. I always like to say that the Devil has become a sort of mascot for South Jersey. He kinda represents a rebellious spirit that meshs with the culture of the Pine Barrens.
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