Page 98 - Encyclopedia of the Unusual and Unexplained Vol. 3

78 Mysterious Creatures

In his book Eros and Evil, R. E. L. Masters M Delving Deeper
remarked on the scant amount of records from Fodor, Nandor. Between Two Worlds. New York:
the Inquisition concerning the experiences of Paperback Library, 1967.
men who succumbed to seductive succubi in ———. The Haunted Mind: A Psychoanalyst Looks at
contrast to the enormous number of recorded the Supernatural. New York: New American
instances in which women yielded to the sex- Library, 1968.
ual attentions of the incubi. Such lack of Mack, Carol K., and Dinah Mack. A Field Guide to
reports did not imply that succubi were less Demons, Fairies, Fallen Angels, and Other Subver-
seductive than incubi, but rested on the belief sive Spirits. New York: Henry Holt, 1998.
of the inquisitors and clergy of the day that Masters, R. E. L. Eros and Evil. New York: Julian
women were “naturally inclined to vice…and Press, 1962.
would always put up defenses more feeble than Spence, Lewis. An Encyclopedia of Occultism. New
those offered by males.” Hyde Park, N.Y.: University Books, 1960.

Jersey Devil
INCUBI fashion temporary bodies out of water Some witnesses say that the Jersey Devil that
haunts the Pine Barrens in southeastern New
vapor or gases. Jersey is a cross between a goat and a dog with
cloven hoofs and the head of a collie. Others
swear that it has a horse’s head with the body
The incubus could prove to be a jealous of a kangaroo. Most of the people who have
lover. In April 1533, according to old sighted the creature mention a long tail, and
church records, an incubus became enraged nearly all of the witnesses agree that the thing
when he discovered his human mistress in has wings. But it doesn’t really fly as much as
the arms of the son of the tavernkeeper at it hops and glides.
Schilttach, near Freiburg. In his furious state Whatever the Jersey Devil is, people have
of mind, the incubus not only set the tavern been sighting it in the rural area in South Jersey
ablaze, but he burned the entire village to since 1735, which, according to local legend, is
the ground. the year that it was born. Rather than some
Church authorities dealt with the problem monstrous animal that was somehow spawned
of how a spirit could develop a corporeal body in the one million acres of pines that still
by advancing such theories as these: incubi remain some distance from the state’s cities and
fashion temporary bodies out of water vapor or refineries, the Jersey Devil has at least a semi-
gases; they have no actual physical bodies, but human origin. It seems that there was a promi-
they possess the power to create an illusion of nent family in South Jersey whose patriarch
corporeality; they inhabit recently deceased demanded a large number of heirs to carry on
corpses and animate them for the purpose of the Leeds name to future generations. While
sexual intercourse with the living; they actual- that might have been well and good for Mr.
ly have material bodies that they can manipu- Leeds, when she learned that she was about to
late into any shape they desire. bear her thirteenth child, Mrs. Leeds decided
Father Montague Summers theorized that that she had enough. She had grown tired of
such demons as the incubi might be com- being continually pregnant to satisfy her hus-
posed of that same substance known as ecto- band’s ego. In a fit of rage, it is said that she
plasm from which the spirits of the dead draw cursed the unborn child within her and cried
their temporary body during materialization out that she would rather bear the devil’s child
seances with mediums. He reasoned that than give birth to another Leeds for posterity.
such psychic drainage could occur if a frus- Visualizing the image of Satan, Mrs. Leeds
trated young person encouraged the atten- decreed that she wished the child to be born
tions of an evil entity by fantasizing about with claws and fangs, fierce and wild as some
erotic materials. vicious beast. The old legend said that Mrs.

The Gale Enc y clopedia of the Unusu al and Unexplained