"The study of folklore touches on every dimension of the human experience and artistic expression" (Sims and Stephens 27). This quote quite accurately sums up the tale of the Jersey Devil. The Devil has cultural roots that stem all the way back to the Lenape people, which is who the land of Jersey belongs to (Click here to learn more about The Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape Tribe). The story of the Devil has been passed down through oral tradition. Communication about the legend exists esoterically (between groups such as 'Devil Hunters') and exoterically as a wildly popular cryptid. The Devil has even become the center of a ritualistic rite of passage for hundreds of teenagers, marked by their first hunt of the Devil within the Pine Barrens. The Devil holds a great deal of cultural significance to the people of Jersey and is an excellent example of public folklore. At it's roots, the Devil was born out of a fear and mistrust of a new and progressive model of life. Carl Lindhal claims that legends are often born out of people placing their fear and uncertainties into a tangible entity, alleviating the weight of the fear (Lindhal). This is precisely what sparked the legend of the infamous Devil. However, today, the Devil is a cherished part of Jersey history and identity. In fact, the Devil has even made its way into official historical accounts of Jersey with Joseph Bonaparte (Veit). " |
The belief structures of the ancient world were not different in kind from our own world, such that the study of ancient monsters if folklore/mythology while the contemporary cryptic is modern science, mainstream or otherwise. Both periods felt the need to populate their worlds with exotic animals - even while many know better - and both have done so. There are a variety of explanations for this need, but it is at least clear that in the classical period, the zoology of the hidden and unconfirmed reflected anxiety about how vast and frightening the world was." (Dendle 193)