Washington Irving’s “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” is a classic work of fiction that almost every schoolchild knows. It tells the story of school teacher Ichabod Crane. On his way home from a party, he sees the headless horseman of Sleepy Hollow. After the encounter, townsfolk found Ichabod’s hat and horse, but there was no sign of old Ichabod.
Videos by InspireMore
There are differing versions of what became of Ichabod. The most popular is that he ran away after losing in love. The story leaves the ending open to the imagination. There are suggestions that the frightening horseman was another suitor, Brom Van Brunt, who later married Lady Katrina. The legend is rooted in several true stories but is entirely fiction. But the story of the headless horseman lives on.
The legend remains as a headless horseman recently rode through the town. The innovative costume is so realistic that the rider indeed appears headless. He guides his horse around cars along the town’s main road.
Sleepy Hollow is a village in Mount Pleasant, New York. Irving used the setting to create the background for his tale. There was a United States Army officer named Ichabod Bennet Crane (July 18, 1787 — October 5, 1857). Many believe that Irving named his character after the Army Colonel.
The headless horseman portion of the story has roots in the tale of a Hessian artillery soldier. He lost his head near White Plains, NY, to American forces during the Revolutionary War. The soldier dies on All Hallow’s Eve, a perfect way for Irving to create the villain in his fictional work. The best scary stories always have some basis in truth. It makes them believable.
Please share if this made you smile.
You can find the source of this story’s featured image here.
Want to be happier in just 5 minutes a day? Sign up for Morning Smile and join over 455,000+ people who start each day with good news.
