South Jersey Legends Lore

From Piney Folklore to Legendary Figures of South Jersey's Past Author William Lewis presents fascinating tales, revealing legends and beloved lore from the heart of Southern New Jersey.

Presents legends and lore of the New Jersey Pine Barrens, an area occupying roughly one million acres.

No region in the nation has a richer heritage than the eight counties of South Jersey--Cape May, Salem, Cumberland, Atlantic, Gloucester, Camden, Burlington, and Ocean. In this book William McMahon has collected an assortment of little-known information and historical anecdotes about the people and places of this area. "Mr. McMahon offers a chronicle that is full of storms and fires, shipbuilding and shipwrecks, privateers and pirates, taverns and publick houses, Indians and Liberty Boys, boom towns and ghost towns, moonshining and medicine shows, stagecoach lines and railroads, spies and betrayals, and--botanically--cranberries, eelgrass, and poison love apples (tomatoes)."--New York Times Book Review

In the course of its extraordinary history, the Jersey Devil has been exorcised, shot, electrocuted, declared officially dead, and scoffed as foolishness--none of which has had any effect on it or the people who persist in seeing it!This mysterious creature is said to prowl the lonely sand trails and mist-shrouded marshes of the Pine Barrens, and emerge perioducally to rampage through the towns and cities of New Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania, leaving many communities in near-hysteria.The authors show that while a few appearances have been out-right fraud and others have likely been the result of mass hysteria, this creature has been seen by enough sane, sober, and responsible citizens to keep the possiblity of its existence alive and tantalizing.Over 50,000 in print

A fun look at unexplained phenomena in New Jersey, featuring information on ghost tours in the state.

Pull up a chair or gather round the campfire and get ready for 35 creepy tales of ghostly hauntings, eerie happenings, and other strange occurrences from times past. Set deep in the Pinelands and Ramapo Mountains, along the Atlantic coast, and in historic towns like Burlington and Springfield, the stories in this entertaining and compelling collection will have you looking over your shoulder again and again. New Jersey folklore traditions are kept alive in these expert retellings by master storyteller S. E. Schlosser and in artist Paul Hoffman's evocative illustrations. You'll meet ghosts and witches, hear things that go bump in the night, and feel an icy wind on the back of your neck on a warm summer evening. Whether read around the campfire on a dark and stormy night or from the backseat of the family van on the way to grandma's, this is a collection to treasure.

Was the Jersey Devil simply just early man's ignorance on display? When the early European settlers were exploring and settling New Jersey, did they misinterpret the natural fauna as something supernatural? Some of the beasts that roamed the wilderness may have toyed with the minds of the early settlers..especially at night.Speculation concerning his diet, habits and the many theories of what the Jersey Devil could be are explored.CHAPTERS:The Introduction: Pleased to meet youThe Legend 1735Various SightingsJersey Devil Highlights and OverviewThe Jersey Devil Post CardHoaxesManipulated Photos, Hoaxes and Confirmation BiasThe Jersey Devil Spotted?Photograph TrickeryThe Devil Goes to PAWalter EdgeWhat Could the Jersey Devil Be?Hybrid TheoryHammerhead Bat TheoryThe Sandhill Crane TheoryThe Red Kangaroo TheoryVance LarnerSpeculation of the Jersey Devil's DietThe Birth Defect, Feral Child TheoryThe Pterodactyl or Dinosaur TheoryDevil Tracks and PrintsThe Whitesbog PrintThe Devil's Footprints, February 1855 EnglandPolitics and the Possible Parents of the Jersey Devil?Relatives and SiblingsCharles SkinnerJersey Devil Experiences The Significance of the Crescent Holed Outhouse and the Jersey DevilA Brief Note on "THE SEARCH FOR THE JERSEY DEVIL" documentaryLaura Giglio Auditions as Mother LeedsDoes this Man have the Jersey Devil Skull?The Blue HoleThe Holy Holy Holy Altar of JudgmentJersey QuicksandAuthor's OpinionIn ConclusionThe Jersey Devil Poem by Linda ReddingtonThe Unholy ThirteenthReferencesSpecial ThanksAbout the AuthorFor Further InformationAxis Video/Pine Barren Films catalog

With fairies and dragons, witches and werewolves, the picturesque island of Jersey boasts legends as varied and powerful as any within the British Isles. From its golden beaches to its treacherous cliffs, Jersey is alive with mysterious stories as strange and fascinating as the beings that inhabit them. This unique anthology includes the most famous of Jersey's fables, such as the Hougue Bie Dragon, the Witches of Rocqueberg, and the demon of Bonne Nuit. It also contains original tales of ancient monsters such as the Vioge of Crack Ankle Lane, the Prince and Princess of Sorel Point and the Crooked Fairy. These spellbinding stories had almost been lost to the shadows of the past, but are brought to life here once more.