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The Birth of the Jersey Devil

October 20, 2026 · 48 min

Show notes

In my last spooky episode for October, I look at the widely spread legend of a creature roaming the New Jersey Pine Barrens. The Jersey Devil is said to a monstrosity, with a horse's head and bat wings, borne of a witch and now preying upon the unwary traveler through the woods. Where did this legend come from? Finding its birth will take us from the early 20th century back to the colonial era, and along the way we'll meet monster hunters, hoaxers, astrologers, schismatic Quakers, and Ben Franklin!

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Some music in this episode was licensed under a Blue Dot Sessions blanket license at the time of publication. Tracks include Olivia Wraith, Illa Villardo, Cherry Heath, The Cornice, Jadie Grange, Borough, Preston and Carle, An Unknown Visitor, Cover Letter, and Minister Creek.

Additional music, including Remedy for Melancholy, is by Kai Engel, licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY 4.0)


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