The Jersey Devil: Origins

One of the oldest legends describing the origin of the Jersey Devil and his influence traces all the way back to the forming of the United States. The Pilgrims who fled England in search of religious freedom ended up setting up small settlements along the east coast of North America. These small camps grew into communities, towns and then later cities and states. These early communities were tight-knit and very religious.

There were many hardships to overcome trying to start a new country from scratch, but the will of the people was strong and determined. Most relied on their faith for strength to weather the odds and move their society forward. There were many however, who did not want the American experiment to succeed. Great Britain was the most well-known adversary to the United States and the Revolutionary War would be fought brutally. The colonists won, which lead to the formation of the United States.

Legend states that the devil Lucifer was also strongly against the success of America. He did not want people to be free. Lucifer did not want to see the formation of a free land where people could pursue their dreams and acquire land and wealth and become successful. Since the Devil was unable to walk the Earth he would send emissaries to do his bidding.

He sent one of his most powerful demons to what is now southern New Jersey. This demon’s name was Ki Numore, and his strength was his ability to read people in a way no-one else could. Ki was able to see into the core-being of a person and see who they truly were. He would use this knowledge to corrupt people and lead them to self-sabotage.

His default form was a mixture of goat, man and bird. The Demon could disguise himself to one unknowing person at a time. If someone else saw him or the person realized who he really was he would change back to his original form and quickly disappear.

The demon eventually earned the name the “Jersey Devil” because of his resemblance to Lucifer.