When we think about legendary monsters, names like Abominable Snowman, Sasquatch and Loch Ness monster jump to mind, but these stories usually deal with sightings and not where the creature came from.

When you mention the Jersey Devil, many people can repeat his origin as Mrs. Leeds’ 13th child and her uttered curse. Some can even tell you the year and the location of his birth.

While many accept the traditional version without question, Brian Regal presented a paper to the Interdisciplinary…