The Legend of Sleepy Hollow facts for kids
Quick facts for kids "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" |
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Ichabod Crane pursued by the Headless Horseman, by F.O.C. Darley, 1849
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| Author | Washington Irving |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | The Sketch Book |
| Genre(s) | Children's Book Gothic horror |
| Published in | The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. |
| Media type | Hardback, paperback and online |
| Publication date | 1820 |
| Preceded by | "The Angler" |
| Followed by | "L'Envoy" |
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is a famous short story written by American author Washington Irving. It's part of his collection of stories called The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. Irving wrote this story while he was living in Birmingham, England. It was first published in 1820.
This story, along with Irving's "Rip Van Winkle", is one of the earliest American tales that is still very popular today. It's especially well-known around Halloween. This is because of a scary character called the Headless Horseman. People believe he is a soldier whose head was shot off by a cannonball during a battle. In 1949, Walt Disney made an animated movie based on the story. It was part of a larger film called The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad.
Contents
What Happens in the Story?
From the listless repose of the place, and the peculiar character of its inhabitants, who are descendants from the original Dutch settlers, this sequestered glen has long been known by name of Sleepy Hollow ... A drowsy, dreamy influence seems to hang over the land, and to pervade the very atmosphere.
—Washington Irving, "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow"
The story takes place in 1790. It is set in the countryside near a Dutch settlement called Tarry Town, which is now Tarrytown, New York. There's a hidden valley nearby known as Sleepy Hollow. This place is famous for its ghosts and a spooky feeling that affects everyone who lives there or visits.
Some people in Sleepy Hollow believe the town was bewitched a long time ago by early Dutch settlers. Others think the strange atmosphere comes from an old Native American chief. He was said to be a "wizard of his tribe" before Hendrik Hudson discovered the area. The people of Sleepy Hollow often experience strange things. They see visions, hear odd music, and voices "in the air." They love to share "local tales, haunted spots, and twilight superstitions."
The most famous ghost in Sleepy Hollow is the Headless Horseman. He is believed to be the restless ghost of a Hessian soldier. His head was supposedly shot off by a cannonball during a battle in the American Revolutionary War. Every night, he rides out looking for his lost head.
Who is Ichabod Crane?
The story is about Ichabod Crane, a very tall and thin schoolmaster from Connecticut. He is also extremely superstitious. While living in Sleepy Hollow, Ichabod makes himself useful to the families he stays with. He helps with farm work like making hay, fixing fences, caring for animals, and cutting wood.
Besides teaching, Ichabod also helps mothers take care of their young children. He is gentle and friendly. Women in the town like him because he is educated and loves to share all the local gossip. Ichabod strongly believes in witchcraft and ghosts. His time in Sleepy Hollow, a "spell-bound region," only makes his interest in strange things grow. He loves visiting the old Dutch wives to hear their "marvelous tales of ghosts and goblins" and stories about the Headless Horseman.
The Love Triangle and the Party
Ichabod Crane starts to compete with Abraham "Brom Bones" Van Brunt. Brom is the town's local hero and a bit of a troublemaker. They both want to win the heart of 18-year-old Katrina Van Tassel. She is the only child of a rich farmer named Baltus Van Tassel. Ichabod, who is an outsider, sees marrying Katrina as a way to get her family's great wealth.
Brom can't get Ichabod into a fight, so he plays tricks on the superstitious schoolmaster. The tension between Ichabod, Brom, and Katrina grows. One calm autumn night, Ichabod goes to a harvest party at the Van Tassels' home. He dances, eats a lot, and listens to ghost stories told by Brom and the other locals. But his real goal is to ask Katrina to marry him after everyone leaves. However, his plans fail, and Katrina turns him down.
The Headless Horseman Chase
After being rejected, Ichabod rides home on his horse, Gunpowder. He feels sad and defeated. He rides through the woods between the Van Tassel farm and the farmhouse where he is staying. As he passes several places said to be haunted, his imagination is filled with the ghost stories he heard at the party.
He nervously passes a lightning-struck tulip tree that is supposedly haunted. Then, at a swampy intersection, Ichabod meets a cloaked rider. He is unsettled by the rider's strange size and silence. To his horror, he discovers that his companion's head is not on his shoulders, but on his saddle!
Ichabod races for his life towards a bridge near the Old Dutch Burying Ground. The Hessian ghost is said to disappear in a flash of fire and brimstone before crossing this bridge. Ichabod desperately urges Gunpowder to go faster. Crane and Gunpowder manage to cross the bridge ahead of the ghost. But Ichabod looks back in terror. The monster rears its horse and throws its head right at him! The object hits Ichabod's head, sending him falling into the dust from his horse.
What Happened to Ichabod?
The next morning, Gunpowder is found eating grass at his master's gate. But Ichabod has vanished without a trace. Later, Katrina marries Brom Bones. Brom is said to look very knowing whenever the story of Ichabod is told. The only things left of the schoolmaster's flight are his hat, Gunpowder's trampled saddle, and a mysterious broken pumpkin.
The story leaves the true nature of the Headless Horseman and Ichabod's disappearance open to interpretation. It suggests that the Horseman was actually Brom in disguise. Brom was a very good rider and might have used a Jack-o'-lantern as a fake head. The story also hints that Ichabod survived his fall and immediately fled Sleepy Hollow in fear, never to return. He might have found success elsewhere.
However, the narrator also says that the old Dutch wives still believe Ichabod was "spirited away by supernatural means." A legend grows around his disappearance and sightings of his sad spirit.
Where Did the Story Come From?
Washington Irving wrote The Sketch Book while traveling in Europe. Parts of "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" might have come from European stories. Headless horsemen were common in Northern European tales. They appeared in German, Irish, Scandinavian, and British legends. For example, they were in Robert Burns's poem "Tam o' Shanter" (1790). These ghosts were often seen as bad omens for proud or arrogant people.
One important version of this folktale was from J. K. A. Musäus's German folktales called Volksmärchen der Deutschen (1783).
The American Revolution Connection
Irving wrote that the area around Tarrytown was very important during the American Revolutionary War. The British and American armies fought near it. This made the area full of raiders, outlaws, and different kinds of fighters.
After the Battle of White Plains in 1776, the American army left the area south of the Bronx River. The British army then occupied it. This left Westchester County as a dangerous "no-man's-land." Besides British soldiers, Hessian Jägers were also among the raiders. These Hessian soldiers were known for being excellent sharpshooters and horsemen.
The Headless Horseman might have been based on a real event. A headless body of a Jäger soldier was supposedly found in Sleepy Hollow after a fight. The Van Tassel family later buried him in an unmarked grave in the Old Dutch Burying Ground.
Real-Life Inspirations
In 1814, Irving met an army captain named Ichabod Crane in Sackets Harbor, New York. Irving was working for the New York Governor at the time. He might have used this captain's name for his character. The character of Ichabod Crane might also be based on Jesse Merwin. Merwin was a teacher at a schoolhouse in Kinderhook, where Irving stayed for several months in 1809.
The character of Katrina Van Tassel was also inspired by a real young woman. Washington Irving had stayed with her family for a short time. He asked for permission to use her name and loosely base the character on her. He told her family that he liked to name his characters after people he had met.
"The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" was the longest story in The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent.. Irving published this book in parts during 1819 and 1820, using the pen name "Geoffrey Crayon." This story, along with "Rip Van Winkle", is one of Irving's most famous and often studied works. Both stories are often put together in books. They are important examples of early American literature and Romanticism.
Irving's stories show how different cultures exist in regions. They also explore themes like new ideas versus old traditions. They show how supernatural events can happen in everyday life. And they look at the struggles of an outsider in a community where everyone is similar. These themes helped shape a unique American identity in the early 1800s.
How Has the Story Been Adapted?
The story of Sleepy Hollow has been told in many different ways over the years.
Movies Based on the Story
- The Headless Horseman (1922): This was a silent film starring Will Rogers as Ichabod Crane. It was filmed in New York's Hudson River Valley.
- The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949): This animated movie was made by Walt Disney Productions. Bing Crosby narrated it. This version is lighter and more family-friendly than the original story. The chase scene is longer, and it suggests the Horseman might truly be a ghost. It was later released on its own as The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.
- Sleepy Hollow (1999): Directed by Tim Burton, this film changes the story quite a bit. Ichabod Crane is a police officer from New York City investigating murders. The Horseman is used as a weapon. Brom Bones is shown as a more helpful character who tries to fight the Horseman.
- Sleepy Hollow High (2000): A horror film where high school students cleaning up a park find someone is taking the legend too far.
- The Smurfs: The Legend of Smurfy Hollow: A version of the story told by the Smurfs.
TV Shows Based on the Story
- Once Upon a Midnight Scary (1979): A TV special with three horror stories. One segment features René Auberjonois as Ichabod Crane.
- The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (1980): A TV movie starring Jeff Goldblum as Ichabod Crane. In this version, Crane doesn't believe in ghosts.
- Shelley Duvall's Tall Tales and Legends (1985): An episode called "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" stars Ed Begley Jr. as Ichabod.
- The Real Ghostbusters (1987): An episode called "The Headless Motorcyclist" features a descendant of Ichabod Crane haunted by a modern headless motorcyclist.
- Are You Afraid of the Dark? (1994): An episode called "The Tale of the Midnight Ride" is a sequel to the original story.
- Wishbone (1997): In the episode "Halloween Hound: The Legend of Creepy Collars," Wishbone imagines himself as Ichabod Crane.
- The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (1999): A Canadian-American TV film.
- The Night of the Headless Horseman (1999): An hour-long computer-animated TV special.
- The Hollow (2004): A TV film about a teenage descendant of Ichabod Crane.
- Charmed (2004): An episode called "The Legend of Sleepy Halliwell."
- Sleepy Hollow (2013): A crime/horror TV series. Ichabod Crane is a professor from the Revolutionary War who wakes up in the 21st century. He teams up with a police lieutenant to stop the Headless Horseman. The show ran for four seasons.
Music, Theatre, and Audio Adaptations
The story has also inspired many songs, stage plays, and audio recordings.
- Music: In Sleepy Hollow (1913) a piano suite, "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" (1958) by The Monotones, and "Sleepy Hollow" (2020) by Trippie Redd.
- Theatre: Sleepy Hollow (1948) a Broadway musical, Sleepy Hollow (2009) a musical that won an award, and Tarrytown (2018) a musical that won a "Best New Musical" award.
- Audio: Many famous actors have narrated audio versions of the story, including Bing Crosby, Boris Karloff, Glenn Close, and Tom Mison. There have also been radio adaptations and podcasts.
Comics
- Hollow (2022): A graphic novel based on the story.
Geographic Impact of the Story
The story has had a big impact on the real places it describes.
- Since 1996, the nonprofit Historic Hudson Valley holds "Legend Weekend" events before Halloween at the Philipsburg Manor House in Sleepy Hollow.
- In 1997, the village of North Tarrytown, New York, officially changed its name to Sleepy Hollow. Its high school sports teams are called "the Horsemen."
- In 2006, a large sculpture of the Headless Horseman chasing Ichabod Crane was placed along Route 9 in Sleepy Hollow/Tarrytown, New York.
Places Named After the Story
Many towns, neighborhoods, and even schools are named after "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" or its characters.
- Sleepy Hollow, New York: This is the actual setting of the story. You can still visit places mentioned in the tale, like the Old Dutch Church and the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery. Washington Irving is buried there, as are some of the real people who inspired the characters. Many street names in the village reflect the story, and the Headless Horseman is on the village seal and fire trucks.
- Sleepy Hollow, Illinois: Many street names here are from the tale, and the Headless Horseman image is on city landmarks.
- Sleepy Hollow, Marin County, California: This area has streets like Irving Drive, Legend Road, Ichabod Court, and Katrina Lane.
- Sleepy Hollow, Wyoming: This town has street names like Pumpkin Court, Gunpowder Street, and Ichabod Avenue. It also hosts an annual event called Sleepy Hollow Days.
- Neighborhoods: Many subdivisions across the U.S. are named "Sleepy Hollow." These include areas in Bethel, Connecticut, Roanoke, Virginia, Pearland, Texas, Falls Church, Virginia, Hampden Township, Pennsylvania, and Amarillo, Texas. These neighborhoods often have street names like Ichabod, Brom Bones, Katrina, and Horseman.
- Schools: The Ichabod Crane School District in Valatie, New York, has sports teams called "The Riders." Their logo shows Ichabod Crane on his horse. The Ichabod Crane Schoolhouse is in Kinderhook.
- Other Places: There's a Sleepy Hollow quick service restaurant at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom. There's also a Sleepy Hollow Rest Area in New South Wales, Australia.
Images for kids
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Will Rogers as Ichabod Crane in The Headless Horseman (1922)
See also
In Spanish: La leyenda de Sleepy Hollow para niños
