What is the New Jersey Devil myth? Surprising poll results emerge amid recent survey

The Jersey Devil is a legendary creature said to inhabit the forests of the Pine Barrens in South Jersey. It was recently the focus of a Fairleigh Dickinson University Poll which was released on October 27, 2023. The poll found that roughly 16% of New Jersey residents think the Jersey Devil is real. It is worth noting that the sample size of the survey was relatively low at 813 respondents.

As per New Jersey Globe, the poll also found that many New Jersey civilians are likely to believe in the paranormal. This includes 44% of those surveyed who said ghosts are “somewhat” or “very” likely real. However, researchers claimed that the results showed that the Jersey Devil has gone from being a regional legend to being “adopted by the state as a whole” according to NJ.com.

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16% of poll-voter residents say the New Jersey Devil myth might be real

As mentioned earlier, a poll was published by Farleigh Dickinson University on October 27, 2023, four days before Halloween. The poll showed that 16% of the residents of New Jersey said that they believed that the mythical Jersey Devil might be real. It also showed that 44% of the people believed that some places might be haunted by ghosts.

The legend of the mythical creature in New Jersey reportedly dates back to 1735 when Jane "Mother" Leeds was pregnant with her 13th child. Old and destitute, she cursed her misfortune before allegedly yelling out:

"Let it be the devil’s child!"

When the baby was born, it was reportedly normal and healthy but as people in the room watched in horror, it soon transformed into a monster. The monster allegedly had a kangaroo-like body, with the head of either a horse or a goat, bat wings, and a forked tail, according to Terrifying Myths.

The creature flew up and out the chimney and has haunted the Pine Barrens ever since. This monster is often associated with various spooky occurrences and sightings.

Nearly 58% of New Jersey residents said that the New Jersey Devil is not at all likely to be true, while another 18% decided it’s not very likely to be true. Meanwhile, 10% of the respondents chose to say that it’s somewhat likely to be true, and 6% believed that it is very likely to be true, as per Asbury Park Press.

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The poll director talks about the expansion of the legend

According to NJ.com Dan Cassino, the poll director said that nearly every part of the US had its own "regional monsters" beliefs about which persist even in the 21st century.

"The Jersey Devil may have started off as a regional cryptid. But at this point, he’s been adopted by the state as a whole," Cassino added.

According to the New Jersey Globe, younger locals of the Jersey area are more likely than older ones to think that the creature could possibly be real. However, those who live close to the Pine Barrens are less likely to believe the legend than those who come from other parts of the state.

Cassino also added that ghosts are one area where partisanship didn't matter. This meant that there was no discernable difference between the beliefs of the Democrats and Republicans when it came to the supernatural. The poll director also talked about ghosts and skeptics.

"Not believing in Bigfoot or the Jersey Devil doesn’t mean giving up on all paranormal beliefs. There are lots of otherwise skeptical and scientific people who say that they’ve seen a ghost," he said.

As per NJ. com, most respondents between 18 and 30 (54%) were on board with the possibility that ghosts haunt some places. Meanwhile, more than two-thirds of New Jersey natives aged 65 and older (68%) dismissed the notion.

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It is still unclear if the creature known as the Jersey Devil is real or not.