this post was submitted on 10 Sep 2023
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I live in New Jersey. Most people know it for the sopranos or even just the turnpike, but in the south of the state there’s a huge pine forest called the pine barrens. The Lenape that originally lived in New Jersey spoke of a spirit in the forest known as M’Sing, a deer like creature with leathery wings.
After New Jersey was colonized, a legend came out of a family that lived in the barrens in the 18th century, the Leeds. Mother Leeds, upon finding out she was pregnant for a 13th time, cursed the child. It is said she gave birth during a terrible storm. When the child was delivered, it transformed into a creature, not unlike what the Lenape described. It quickly took off out of the chimney and disappeared in the forest. Since then, people spot the “Jersey Devil” throughout the state, but especially around the pine barrens. Personally, everything I hear the thing is harmless, but creepy.
I'm from new jersey too but the northern part(Sussex county). Most of the stuff I heard was more weird things than actual folklore.
For example there was the toilet in the woods. Off of rt 23 if you pull over at a specific spot in the middle of no where, walk about 1/2 a mile into the woods there was a toilet. No outhouse or Porta potty. Just a toilet out in the woods. Weird thing is it had to be connected to a water source and sewer because it worked, you could flush it and everything.
There was also the pyramids off Clinton road. Just square based pyramids made of brick in the woods, no idea why they are there or what there purpose is/was. There was also stories of kkk on Clinton road so if you saw a car with a headlight out and you flashed your lights to alert them they would chase you and run you off the road(pretty sure this was just stupid highschoolers being bored and assholes).
Reading Weird New Jersey growing up was a trip. Full of stories like yours
Yup, I used to love that magazine. There's also the stuffed bears on the telephone poles. Again on rt 23 there is I think about a 5 mile long stretch with stuffed teddy bears on the top of all the telephone poles. Snow, thunderstorms whatever causes them to fall in a day or two they are put back.
Once a car ran into one of the poles, they had to replace the pole and 2days later there was a new teddy bear on top of the pole.