The story of the Jersey Devil when it was first told in the 1730s was of great interest only to a few people in a handful of sparsely settled communities in South Jersey. Now almost 300 years later, the story is of casual interest to millions of people throughout all of New Jersey. Thus, the Jersey Devil has undergone a transition from being a creature of folklore to a creature of popular culture. In becoming a household word known to millions, the Jersey Devil has lost some of his original surrounding awe and mystery. Here we shall neither mourn the loss of his mystique nor celebrate his popularity. Instead, we shall try to explain the change. To do so requires some understanding of the way in which a legend functions. By definition, a legend is a prose narrative that has been handed down orally from generation to generation. Its tellers regard it as true. For many years, the legend of the Jersey Devil functioned in just the way the definition suggests. Related from father to son and from mother to daughter, it helped to explain the otherwise inexplicable. The major change took place around the turn of the last century. The moment of change can be pinpointed with precision. In 1909, a number of Philadelphia newspapers picked up the story and reported a number of “sightings.” The quiet, mysterious, rural legend became a media event. The way in which the “sightings” were reported was significant. Sophisticated urban reporters did not report the story as straight news. Instead, the tone that they adopted was one of bemused and condescending feature story. Since that time, the story has re-surfaced from time to time in the media, usually being treated tongue-in-check.
About the presenterAngus Kress Gillespie
Angus Kress Gillespie received his B.A. in American Studies from Yale University and his Ph.D. in American Civilization from the University of Pennsylvania. At Rutgers University, he has taught courses on American Folklore, American Folklife, Folksong and Ballad, as well as the Folklore of Occupational and Regional Groups. Based on fieldwork, he has written a wide variety of articles on American regional cultures including Pennsylvania coal miners, Texas armadillo aficionados, and New Jersey cranberry growers.