Small Town Monsters presents Bloodlines: The Jersey Devil Curse

Deep in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey lurks one of the best-known urban legends in the US, and a new documentary promises to take a deep dive into the story of the Jersey Devil. You may think you know the back-story of the infamous creature, but Bloodlines: The Jersey Devil Curse will take us back thousands of years into its strange history.

Along with the likes of the infamous Mothman, Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster, this devilish creature is talked about a lot. But how much do we really know about it?

Sometimes referred to as the Leeds Devil, the Jersey Devil is usually described as having horns, wings, hooves and a forked tail, and is said to move very fast and to emit a high-pitched screech.

Popular folklore has it that the creature was born to Jane Leeds, who was unhappy to find that she was pregnant with her 13th child. She cursed the unborn baby, saying it would be “the devil.” Immediately after the seemingly normal child was born, it grew bat wings, a forked tail, hooves and a goat’s head, and flew up the chimney and out into the pines.

Here’s a fun fact I found on the Pinelands Preservation Alliance website: As of 1938, the Jersey Devil is the only designated state demon in the country.

The Jersey Devil does not stick strictly to the Pine Barrens, it often wanders throughout Southern New Jersey, and at one time a $100,000 reward was offered for its capture (dead or alive).

Sightings of the Jersey Devil go back as far as the late 1700s, and now Small Town Monsters, the film makers who brought us The Mothman of Point Pleasant are ready to deliver their signature mix of horror, documentary and narrative to give us the full story.

Small Town Monsters founder Seth Breedlove referred to the Jersey Devil as “One of those classic, gothic, American tales that we’ve been wanting to tackle for years”, and he and his team are proud to be able to finally present their take on the story.

Bloodlines: The Jersey Devil Curse will be available on streaming platforms, including Amazon Prime Video, iTunes, Vudu and FandangoNOW beginning on November 15th.

Are you familiar with the story of the Jersey Devil? Do you believe it exists? Give us your point of view in the comments section.