"The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" is a gothic story by American author

Washington Irving Washington Irving (April 3, 1783 – November 28, 1859) was an American short-story writer, essayist, biographer, historian, and diplomat of the early 19th century. He is best known for his short stories "Rip Van Winkle" (1819) and " The Legen ...

, contained in his collection of 34 essays and short stories titled ''

The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. ''The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent.'', commonly referred to as ''The Sketch Book'', is a collection of 34 essays and short stories written by the American author Washington Irving. It was published serially throughout 1819 and 1820. The co ...

'' Written while Irving was living abroad in

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the West ...

, England. "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" was first published in 1820. Along with Irving's companion piece " Rip Van Winkle", "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" is among the earliest examples of American fiction with enduring popularity, especially during

Halloween Halloween or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve) is a celebration observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Saints' Day. It begins the observanc ...

because of a character known as the Headless Horseman believed to be a

Hessian soldier Hessians ( or ) were German soldiers who served as auxiliaries to the British Army during the American Revolutionary War. The term is an American synecdoche for all Germans who fought on the British side, since 65% came from the German states ...

who was decapitated by a cannonball in battle. In 1949, the second film adaptation was produced by

Walt Disney Walter Elias Disney (; December 5, 1901December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the American animation industry, he introduced several developments in the production of cartoons. As a film p ...

as one of two segments in the package film ''

The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad ''The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad'' is a 1949 American animated anthology film produced by Walt Disney Productions, released by RKO Radio Pictures and directed by Clyde Geronimi, Jack Kinney and James Algar with Ben Sharpsteen as production ...

''.

Plot

The story is set in 1790 in the countryside around the Dutch settlement of Tarry Town (historical

Tarrytown, New York Tarrytown is a village in the town of Greenburgh in Westchester County, New York. It is located on the eastern bank of the Hudson River, approximately north of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, and is served by a stop on the Metro-North ...

), in a secluded

glen A glen is a valley, typically one that is long and bounded by gently sloped concave sides, unlike a ravine, which is deep and bounded by steep slopes. Whittow defines it as a "Scottish term for a deep valley in the Highlands" that is "narrower ...

known as Sleepy Hollow. Sleepy Hollow is renowned for its ghosts and the haunting atmosphere that pervades the imaginations of its inhabitants and visitors. Some residents say this town was bewitched during the early days of the Dutch settlement, while others claim that the mysterious atmosphere was caused by an old Native American chief, the "wizard of his tribe ... before the country was discovered by Master

Hendrik Hudson Henry Hudson ( 1565 – disappeared 23 June 1611) was an English sea explorer and navigator during the early 17th century, best known for his explorations of present-day Canada and parts of the northeastern United States. In 1607 and 16 ...

." Residents of the town are seemingly subjected to various supernatural and mysterious occurrences. They are subjected to trance-like visions and frequented by strange sights, music, and voices "in the air." The inhabitants of Sleepy Hollow are fascinated by the "local tales, haunted spots, and twilight superstitions" on account of the mysterious occurrences and haunting atmosphere. The most infamous spectre in the Hollow, and the "commander-in-chief of all the powers of the air," is the

Headless Horseman The Headless Horseman is a mythical figure who has appeared in folklore around the world since the Middle Ages. The figure is traditionally depicted as a rider upon horseback who is missing his head. Description Depending on the legend, the Hor ...

. He is supposedly the

restless ghost In mythology and folklore, a vengeful ghost or vengeful spirit is said to be the spirit of a dead person who returns from the afterlife to seek revenge for a cruel, unnatural or unjust death. In certain cultures where funeral and burial or crema ...

of a Hessian trooper whose head had been shot off by a stray cannonball during "some nameless battle" of the

Revolution In political science, a revolution (Latin: ''revolutio'', "a turn around") is a fundamental and relatively sudden change in political power and political organization which occurs when the population revolts against the government, typically due ...

, and who "rides forth to the scene of battle in nightly quest of his head". The "Legend" relates the tale of

Ichabod Crane Ichabod Crane is a fictional character and the protagonist in Washington Irving's short story "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow." Crane is portrayed, in the original work, as well as in most adaptations, as a tall, lanky individual with a scarecro ...

, a lean, lanky and extremely superstitious schoolmaster from Connecticut. Throughout his stay at Sleepy Hollow, Crane is able to make himself both "useful and agreeable" to the families that he lodges with. He occasionally assists with light farm work, helping to make hay, mend fences, caring for numerous farm animals, and cutting firewood. Besides his more dominant role as the Schoolmaster, Ichabod Crane also assists the various mothers of the town by helping to take care of their young children, taking on a more "gentle and ingratiating" role. Crane is also quite popular among the women of the town for his education and his talent for "carrying the whole budget of local gossip," which makes him a welcomed sight within female circles. As a firm believer in witchcraft and the like, Crane has an unequaled "appetite for the marvelous," which is only increased by his stay in "the spell-bound region" of Sleepy Hollow. A source of "fearful pleasure" for Crane is to visit the Old Dutch wives and listen to their "marvelous tales of ghosts and goblins," haunted locations, and the tales of the Headless Horseman, or the "Galloping Hessian of the Hollow, as they sometimes called him." Throughout the story, Ichabod Crane competes with Abraham "Brom Bones" Van Brunt, the town rowdy and local hero, for the hand of 18-year-old Katrina Van Tassel, the daughter and sole child of wealthy farmer Baltus Van Tassel. Ichabod Crane, an outsider, sees marriage to Katrina as a means of procuring Van Tassel's extravagant wealth. Brom, unable to force Ichabod into a physical showdown to settle things, plays a series of pranks on the superstitious schoolmaster. The tension among the three continues for some time, and is soon brought to a head. On a placid autumn night, the ambitious Crane attends a harvest party at the Van Tassels' homestead. He dances, partakes in the feast, and listens to ghostly legends told by Brom and the locals, but his true aim is to propose to Katrina after the guests leave. His intentions, however, are ill-fated, as he fails to secure Katrina's hand. Following his rejected suit, Ichabod rides home on his temperamental plough horse named Gunpowder, "heavy-hearted and crestfallen" through the woods between Van Tassel's farmstead and the farmhouse in Sleepy Hollow where he is quartered at the time. As he passes several purportedly haunted spots, his active imagination is engorged by the

ghost stories A ghost story is any piece of fiction, or drama, that includes a ghost, or simply takes as a premise the possibility of ghosts or characters' belief in them."Ghost Stories" in Margaret Drabble (ed.), ''Oxford Companion to English Literature''. ...

told at Baltus' harvest party. After nervously passing a lightning-stricken

tulip tree ''Liriodendron'' () is a genus of two species of characteristically large trees, deciduous over most of their populations, in the magnolia family (Magnoliaceae). These trees are widely known by the common name tulip tree or tuliptree for their ...

purportedly haunted by the ghost of British spy Major André, Ichabod encounters a cloaked rider at an intersection in a menacing swamp. Unsettled by his fellow traveller's eerie size and silence, the teacher is horrified to discover that his companion's head is not on his shoulders, but on his saddle. In a frenzied race to the bridge adjacent to the Old Dutch Burying Ground, where the Hessian is said to "vanish, according to rule, in a flash of fire and brimstone" before crossing it, Ichabod rides for his life, desperately goading Gunpowder down the Hollow. However, while Crane and Gunpowder are able to cross the bridge ahead of the ghoul, Ichabod turns back in horror to see the monster rear his horse and hurl his severed head directly at him with a fierce motion. The schoolmaster attempts to dodge, but is too late; the missile strikes his head and sends him tumbling headlong into the dust from his horse. The next morning, Gunpowder is found eating the grass at his master's gate, but Ichabod has mysteriously disappeared from the area, leaving Katrina to later marry Brom Bones, who was said "to look exceedingly knowing whenever the story of Ichabod was related". Indeed, the only relics of the schoolmaster's flight are his discarded hat, Gunpowder's trampled saddle, and a mysterious shattered pumpkin. Although the true nature of both the Headless Horseman and Ichabod's disappearance that night are left open to interpretation, the story implies that the Horseman was really Brom (an extremely agile rider) in disguise, using a

Jack-o'-lantern A jack-o'-lantern (or jack o'lantern) is a carved lantern, most commonly made from a pumpkin or a root vegetable such as a rutabaga or turnip. Jack-o'-lanterns are associated with the Halloween holiday. Its name comes from the reported phenomen ...

as a false head, and suggests that Crane survived the fall from Gunpowder and immediately fled Sleepy Hollow in horror, never to return but to prosper elsewhere, or was killed by Brom (which may be unlikely, since Brom was said to have "more mischief than ill-will in his composition"). Irving's narrator concludes the story, however, by stating that the old Dutch wives continue to promote the belief that Ichabod was "spirited away by supernatural means", and a legend develops around his disappearance and sightings of his melancholy spirit. In a Postscript (sometimes unused in certain editions), the narrator states the circumstances in which he heard the story from an old gentleman "at a Corporation meeting at the ancient city of

Manhattoe Manhattoe/Manhattoes is a term describing a place and, mistakenly, a people. The location was the very southern tip of the Manhattan island during the time of the Dutch colonization of the Americas at what became New Amsterdam there. The people w ...

s", who didn't "believe one-half of it imself"

Background

Irving wrote ''The Sketch Book'' during a tour of Europe, and parts of the tale may also be traced to European origins. Headless horsemen were staples of

Northern Europe The northern region of Europe has several definitions. A restrictive definition may describe Northern Europe as being roughly north of the southern coast of the Baltic Sea, which is about 54th parallel north, 54°N, or may be based on other g ...

storytelling, featuring in German, Irish (e.g., Dullahan), Scandinavian (e.g., the Wild Hunt), and British legends, and were included in Robert Burns's Scots poem " Tam o' Shanter" (1790) and Bürger's ''Der Wilde Jäger'', translated as ''The Wild Huntsman'' (1796). Usually viewed as omens of ill fortune for those who chose to disregard their apparitions, these specters found their victims in proud, scheming persons and characters with hubris and arrogance. One particularly influential rendition of this folktale was the last of the "" () from

J. K. A. Musäus ''J. The Jewish News of Northern California'', formerly known as ''Jweekly'', is a weekly print newspaper in Northern California, with its online edition updated daily. It is owned and operated by San Francisco Jewish Community Publications In ...

's literary retellings of German folktales (1783). During the height of the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

, Irving writes that the country surrounding Tarrytown "was one of those highly-favored places which abound with chronicle and great men. The British and American line had run near it during the war; it had, therefore, been the scene of marauding, and infested with refugees, cow-boys, and all kinds of border chivalry." After the Battle of White Plains in October 1776, the country south of the Bronx River was abandoned by the

Continental Army The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies (the Thirteen Colonies) in the Revolutionary-era United States. It was formed by the Second Continental Congress after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, and was establis ...

and occupied by the British. The Americans were fortified north of

Peekskill Peekskill is a city in northwestern Westchester County, New York, United States, from New York City. Established as a village in 1816, it was incorporated as a city in 1940. It lies on a bay along the east side of the Hudson River, across fr ...

, leaving

Westchester County Westchester County is located in the U.S. state of New York. It is the seventh most populous county in the State of New York and the most populous north of New York City. According to the 2020 United States Census, the county had a population o ...

a 30-mile stretch of scorched and desolated no-man's-land, vulnerable to outlaws, raiders, and vigilantes. Besides droves of Loyalist rangers and British light infantry, Hessian Jägers—renowned sharpshooters and horsemen—were among the raiders who often skirmished with Patriot militias. The Headless Horseman, said to be a decapitated Hessian soldier, may have indeed been based loosely on the discovery of just such a Jäger's headless corpse found in Sleepy Hollow after a violent skirmish, and later buried by the Van Tassel family, in an unmarked grave in the Old Dutch Burying Ground. The dénouement of the fictional tale is set at the bridge over the

Pocantico River The Pocantico River is a tributary of the Hudson River in western central Westchester County, New York, United States. It rises from Echo Lake, in the town of New Castle south of the hamlet of Millwood, and flows generally southwest past Briarc ...

in the area of the Old Dutch Church and Burying Ground in Sleepy Hollow. According to another hypothesis, the figure of the "headless rider" Irving could have been drawn from German literature, and more precisely from the Chronicle of

Szprotawa Szprotawa (german: Sprottau) is a town in western Poland, in Żagań County, Lubusz Voivodeship. It has 11,820 inhabitants (2019). History The region was part of Poland after the emergence of the Piast monarchy in the 10th century. The first me ...

by J.G. Kreis written in the first half of the 19th century. In the nineteenth century, the police counselor Kreis noted that in the eighteenth / twentieth century the inhabitants of this city were afraid to move after dusk on ''Hospitalstrasse'' (now Sądowa Street) due to the headless rider apparition seen there. In support of the hypothesis, according to information taken from the work by Z.Sinko entitled ''Polish Reception of Washington Irving's Work: Between Enlightenment and Romanticism'' from 1988,

Walter Scott Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832), was a Scottish novelist, poet, playwright and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European and Scottish literature, notably the novels ''Ivanhoe'', ''Rob Roy (n ...

encouraged Irving to learn German to be able to read stories, ballads and legends in their native language. Irving, while he was an '' aide-de-camp'' to New York Governor

Daniel D. Tompkins Daniel D. Tompkins (June 21, 1774 – June 11, 1825) was an American politician. He was the fifth governor of New York from 1807 to 1817, and the sixth vice president of the United States from 1817 to 1825. Born in Scarsdale, New York, Tompkins ...

, met an army captain named

in Sackets Harbor, New York during an inspection tour of fortifications in 1814. Irving may have patterned the character in "The Legend" after Jesse Merwin, who taught at the local schoolhouse in Kinderhook, further north along the

Hudson River The Hudson River is a river that flows from north to south primarily through eastern New York. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York and flows southward through the Hudson Valley to the New York Harbor between N ...

, where Irving spent several months in 1809. The inspiration for the character of Katrina Van Tassel was based on an actual young woman by that name. Washington Irving had stayed with her family for a short time and asked permission to use her name and loosely base the character on her. He told her and her family, he liked to give his characters the names of people he had met. Ichabod crane

The story was the longest one published as part of ''

'' (commonly referred to as ''The Sketch Book''), which Irving issued serially throughout 1819 and 1820, using the pseudonym "Geoffrey Crayon". With " Rip Van Winkle", "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" is one of Irving's most anthologized, studied, and adapted sketches. Both stories are often paired together in books and other representations, and both are included in surveys of early

American literature American literature is literature written or produced in the United States of America and in the colonies that preceded it. The American literary tradition thus is part of the broader tradition of English-language literature, but also inc ...

and

Romanticism Romanticism (also known as the Romantic movement or Romantic era) was an artistic, literary, musical, and intellectual movement that originated in Europe towards the end of the 18th century, and in most areas was at its peak in the approximate ...

. Irving's depictions of regional culture and his themes of progress versus tradition,

supernatural Supernatural refers to phenomena or entities that are beyond the laws of nature. The term is derived from Medieval Latin , from Latin (above, beyond, or outside of) + (nature) Though the corollary term "nature", has had multiple meanings si ...

intervention in the commonplace, and the plight of the individual outsider in a homogeneous community permeate both stories and helped to develop a unique sense of American cultural and existential selfhood during the early 19th century.

Adaptations

Film

* ''

The Headless Horseman The Headless Horseman is a fictional character that appears in many venues. Headless Horseman may also refer to: * Headless Horseman ("Legend of Sleepy Hollow"), a character in the 1820 short story "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" by Washington Irv ...

'' (1922), a silent film directed by Edward Venturini and starring

Will Rogers William Penn Adair Rogers (November 4, 1879 – August 15, 1935) was an American vaudeville performer, actor, and humorous social commentator. He was born as a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, in the Indian Territory (now part of Oklahoma ...

as Ichabod Crane. It was filmed on location in New York's Hudson River Valley. * ''

'' (1949), an animated adaptation directed by James Algar, Clyde Geronimi, and Jack Kinney, produced by

Walt Disney Productions The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...

, and narrated by

Bing Crosby Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, musician and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwide. He was a ...

. This version is more lighthearted and family-friendly than Irving's original story and most other adaptations, while the climactic chase is more extended than in the original story, and the possibility is stressed that the visually impressive Horseman is in fact a ghost rather than a human in disguise. It was rereleased individually in 1958 as ''The Legend of Sleepy Hollow''. * '' Sleepy Hollow'' (1999), a feature film adaption directed by

Tim Burton Timothy Walter Burton (born August 25, 1958) is an American filmmaker and animator. He is known for his gothic fantasy and horror films such as ''Beetlejuice'' (1988), ''Edward Scissorhands'' (1990), ''The Nightmare Before Christmas'' (1993), ...

which takes many liberties with the plot and characters, changing Crane from the local schoolmaster into a police constable sent from New York City to investigate recent murders, and the Horseman is used as a weapon against the local landowners. In the film, Brom Bones is portrayed as a more sympathetic character who, while antagonistic in the beginning, redeems himself as he engages in futile combat against the Horseman to help Crane escape. * ''

Sleepy Hollow High Sleepy Hollow High may refer to: Schools * Sleepy Hollow High School (Canada) * Sleepy Hollow High School (New York) {{Disambiguation ...

'' (2000), a direct-to-video horror film shot in Maryland, in which a group of misbehaving high school students are sent to the Sleepy Hollow Park Grounds to clean up vandalism and graffiti. They soon realize that someone is taking the original legend too far. * '' The Smurfs: The Legend of Smurfy Hollow'' retelling of the story by

the Smurfs ''The Smurfs'' (french: Les Schtroumpfs; nl, De Smurfen) is a Belgian comic franchise centered on a fictional colony of small, blue, humanoid creatures who live in mushroom-shaped houses in the forest. ''The Smurfs'' was first created and in ...

Television

* The 1979 CBS After School Special ''Once Upon a Midnight Scary'', a three-story horror anthology of live-action shorts, narrated by Vincent Price, features a Sleepy Hollow segment with Rene Auberjonois as Ichabod Crane. The special itself was nominated for three Daytime Emmy Awards, winning for both Outstanding Children's Anthology/Dramatic Programming and Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography for a Children's Anthology/Dramatic Program, and a nomination for Auberjonois' performance as Crane. * ''

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" is a gothic story by American author Washington Irving, contained in his collection of 34 essays and short stories titled ''The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent.'' Written while Irving was living abroad in Birm ...

'' (1980), a television film directed by Henning Schellerup and filmed in Utah, starring

Jeff Goldblum Jeffrey Lynn Goldblum (; born October 22, 1952) is an American actor and musician. He has starred in some of the highest-grossing films of his era, such as ''Jurassic Park'' (1993) and '' Independence Day'' (1996), as well as their sequels. ...

, Meg Foster, and

Dick Butkus Richard Marvin Butkus (born December 9, 1942) is an American former professional football player, sports commentator, and actor. He played football as a middle linebacker for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL) from 1965 to ...

as Brom Bones. Executive producer Charles Sellier was nominated for an

Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

for his work on the movie. Crane is depicted as a skeptic regarding ghosts and the supernatural. * "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" (1985), the premiere episode of '' Shelley Duvall's Tall Tales and Legends'' series, stars

Ed Begley Jr. Edward James Begley Jr. (born September 16, 1949) is an American actor and environmental activist. Begley has appeared in hundreds of films, television shows, and stage performances. He played Dr. Victor Ehrlich on the television series ''St. E ...

as Ichabod Crane,

Beverly D'Angelo Beverly Heather D'Angelo (born November 15, 1951) is an American actress who starred as Ellen Griswold in the ''National Lampoon's Vacation'' films (1983–2015). She has appeared in over 60 films and was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for h ...

as Katrina,

Tim Thomerson Joseph Timothy "Tim" Thomerson (born April 8, 1946) is an American actor and comedian. He is best known for his role as Jack Deth in the ''Trancers'' film series and for his work in numerous low-budget features and for his comedic television r ...

as Brom, and Charles Durning as Doffue Van Tassel, who is also the narrator. * "The Headless Motorcyclist", a 1987 episode of ''

The Real Ghostbusters ''The Real Ghostbusters'' is an American animated television series, a spin-off/sequel of the 1984 comedy film ''Ghostbusters''. The series ran from September 13, 1986, to October 5, 1991, and was produced by Columbia Pictures Television and DI ...

'' animated series about a descendent of Ichabod Crane being haunted by the same spirit who has adapted to the times by appearing as a headless punk motorcyclist. * "The Tale of the Midnight Ride", a 1994 episode of the

Nickelodeon Nickelodeon (often shortened to Nick) is an American pay television television channel, channel which launched on April 1, 1979, as the first cable channel for children. It is run by Paramount Global through its List of assets owned by Param ...

series '' Are You Afraid of the Dark?'', serves as a sequel to the original story. A boy named Ian Matthews moves to Sleepy Hollow, where he develops a crush on a girl named Katie. On Halloween night, they see the ghost of Ichabod Crane and send him over the bridge that the Headless Horseman cannot cross, unintentionally prompting the Horseman to pursue them instead of Crane. * In the 1997 ''

Wishbone Wishbone commonly refers to: * Furcula, a fork-shaped bone in birds and some dinosaurs Wishbone may also refer to: * Wish-Bone, an American salad dressing and condiment company * Wishbone formation, a type of offense in American football * Wish ...

'' episode "Halloween Hound: The Legend of Creepy Collars", Wishbone imagines himself as Ichabod Crane and reenacts the story in his imagination when his owner goes on a Halloween night scavenger hunt with two schoolmates, but is scared off by the Headless Horseman. * ''The Legend of Sleepy Hollow'' (1999), a Canadian-American television film directed by

Pierre Gang Pierre Gang is a Canadian film and television director, best known for his 1996 feature film '' Sous-sol''"From the basement to the top: Sous-Sol wins Quebec director international acclaim". ''Montreal Gazette'', June 1, 1996. and the television mi ...

and starring Brent Carver and

Rachelle Lefevre Rachelle Marie Lefèvre (, ; born February 1, 1979) is a Canadian actress. She has starred in the television series ''Big Wolf on Campus'' and had recurring roles in ''What About Brian'', ''Boston Legal'', and '' Swingtown''. She played the vamp ...

. The production was nominated for three

Gemini Awards The Gemini Awards were awards given by the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television between 1986–2011 to recognize the achievements of Canada's television industry. The Gemini Awards are analogous to the Emmy Awards given in the United States a ...

: Best Actor (Carver), Best Original Music Score, and Best Production Design. * ''The Night of the Headless Horseman'' (1999), an hour-long computer-animated TV special using motion capture. * '' The Hollow'' (2004), an

ABC Family The American cable television, cable and satellite television network that is now known as Freeform (TV channel), Freeform was originally launched as the CBN Satellite Service on April 29, 1977, and has gone through several different owners (and s ...

television film starring Kevin Zegers and

Kaley Cuoco Kaley Christine Cuoco ( ; born November 30, 1985) is an American actress. After a series of supporting film and television roles in the late 1990s, she landed her breakthrough role as Bridget Hennessy on the ABC sitcom ''8 Simple Rules'' (2002 ...

, and focusing on a teenage descendant of Ichabod Crane. * "

The Legend of Sleepy Halliwell The sixth season of ''Charmed'', an American supernatural drama television series created by Constance M. Burge, originally aired in the United States on The WB from September 28, 2003 through May 16, 2004. Airing on Sundays at 8:00 pm. Paramount ...

" (2004), an episode of the TV show ''

Charmed ''Charmed'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by Constance M. Burge and produced by Aaron Spelling and his production company Spelling Television, with Brad Kern serving as showrunner. The series was originally broadcast ...

'', in which a headless horseman murders the teachers at Magic School by beheading them. * ''Sleepy Hollow'' (2013), a crime/horror series in which Ichabod Crane is reimagined as an English professor and turncoat during the Revolutionary War, who awakens in the 21st century and encounters the Headless Horseman, a felled mercenary whom Crane had decapitated 250 years prior. Crane teams up with Abbie Mills, a lieutenant in the Sleepy Hollow sheriff's department, and together they try to stop the murderous Horseman and uncover a conspiracy involving supernatural forces. The show ran for four seasons.

Music

* ''In Sleepy Hollow'' (1913), a piano suite by

Eastwood Lane Eastwood Lane (May 22, 1879 – January 22, 1951) was an American composer who wrote piano suites and ballet music. His compositions influenced Bix Beiderbecke. Eastwood Lane was born in Brewerton, New York. Compositions for piano * The suit ...

* "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" (1958) by doo wop band The Monotones * ''The Headless Horseman'' (2001) by

Michael Jeffrey Shapiro Michael Jeffrey Shapiro is an American composer, conductor, and author. The son of a Klezmer band clarinetist, Michael Shapiro spent most of his high school years in Baldwin, a Long Island suburb, where he was a music student of Consuelo Elsa ...

, for baritone, itinerant string band, and orchestra * " Undead Ahead 2: The Tale of the Midnight Ride" (2019), by Motionless in White * "Sleepy Hollow" (2020), a single by hip-hop artist Trippie Redd

Theatre

* ''Sleepy Hollow'' (1948), a Broadway musical, with music by George Lessner and book and lyrics by Russell Maloney and Miriam Battista. It lasted 12 performances. * ''Sleepy Hollow'' (2009), a musical with book and lyrics by Jim Christian and music by Tom Edward Clark. It premiered at Weber State University in Ogden, Utah on October 30, 2009. It received the 2009

Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival The Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF) is a national theatre program dedicated to the improvement of collegiate theatre in the United States. Focused on the celebration of diverse and exciting theatre, KCACTF involves student ...

Musical Theatre Award. * ''The Hollow'' (2011), a musical by Matt Conner and Hunter Foster. It premiered at the Signature Theatre Company in Arlington, Virginia. * ''Sleepy Hollow - A Legendary Musical'' (2017), a musical by Michelle Ackerman. * ''Tarrytown'' (2018), a musical by Adam Wachter. Its world premiere production at Backyard Renaissance Theatre Company won the 2018 San Diego Theatre Critics' Circle Craig Noel Award for "Best New Musical." A studio cast recording starring

Jeremy Jordan Jeremy Jordan may refer to: * Jeremy Jordan (actor, born 1984), American actor and singer, notable for being an actor and Broadway performer * Jeremy Jordan (singer, born 1973) Don Henson (born September 19, 1973), known professionally as Jerem ...

, Krysta Rodriguez, and Andy Mientus was released in 2020 to benefit The Actors Fund's COVID-19 relief efforts. * ''Ichabod: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (2022)'', a new production combining Conner's 2011 score with a new book by Stephen Gregory Smith that stays truer to Irving's story.

Audio

Ronald Colman Ronald Charles Colman (9 February 1891 – 19 May 1958) was an English-born actor, starting his career in theatre and silent film in his native country, then immigrating to the United States and having a successful Hollywood film career. He wa ...

was the host and narrator for a radio adaptation on NBC's ''Favorite Story'' on July 2, 1946 (requested by Walter Huston as that actor's favorite story). * An adaptation was broadcast on September 19, 1947, on '' NBC University of the Air: American Novels''. *

recreated his Disney narration in ''Walt Disney's Ichabod and the Legend of Sleepy Hollow'' for Decca Records (DAU-725) in 1949. *

Lionel Barrymore Lionel Barrymore (born Lionel Herbert Blythe; April 28, 1878 – November 15, 1954) was an American actor of stage, screen and radio as well as a film director. He won an Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in ''A Free Soul'' (1931) ...

narrated and wrote the music for a version of the story on Full Fidelity Lion Records (L70078), a branch of

MGM Records MGM Records was a record label founded by the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film studio in 1946 for the purpose of releasing soundtrack recordings (later LP albums) of their musical films. It transitioned into a pop music label that continued into the ...

, in 1958. * In 1968,

Ed Begley Edward James Begley Sr. (March 25, 1901 – April 28, 1970) was an American actor of theatre, radio, film, and television. He won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in the film ''Sweet Bird of Youth'' (1962) an ...

narrated the story in a Caedmon Records recording (TC-1242). * Martin Donegan narrated the story in a 1968 recording for CMS Records (CMS 533). *

Hurd Hatfield William Rukard Hurd Hatfield (December 7, 1917 – December 26, 1998) was an American actor. He is best known for having played characters of handsome, narcissism, narcissistic young men, most notably Dorian Gray in the film ''The Picture of Dori ...

narrated the story in a 1968 recording for Spoken Arts Records (SA 991). *

Boris Karloff William Henry Pratt (23 November 1887 – 2 February 1969), better known by his stage name Boris Karloff (), was an English actor. His portrayal of Frankenstein's monster in the horror film ''Frankenstein'' (1931) (his 82nd film) established h ...

was the narrator for an abridged version on a 1959 Cricket Records release, CR-32. This LP was subsequently reissued in 1977 as a Mr. Pickwick Records recording. (SPC-5156). * In 1988,

Glenn Close Glenn Close (born March 19, 1947) is an American actress. Throughout her career spanning over four decades, Close has garnered numerous accolades, including two Screen Actors Guild Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, three Primetime Emmy Awards ...

narrated a version of the story for Windham Hill Records (WH-0711), later also released on audio cassette and CD (WD-0711). * ''Sleepy Hollow'' (1998) - An abridged version omitting the characters of Katrina and Brom, narrated by

Winifred Phillips Winifred Phillips is an American music composer and author. Her music composition credits include ''God of War'', '' Assassin's Creed III: Liberation'', and the ''LittleBigPlanet'' series. Early life Phillips' love of music began in childhood ...

for the ''

Radio Tales ''Radio Tales'' is an American series of radio drama which premiered on National Public Radio on October 29, 1996. This series adapted classic works of American and world literature such as ''The War of the Worlds'', ''Twenty Thousand Leagues Un ...

'' series on

National Public Radio National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other n ...

. * In 2009 Historic Hudson Valley released an unabridged dramatic reading by Jonathan Kruk with musical effects by Matt Noble. * In 2005, BBC Radio 7 broadcast a three-part reading of the story narrated by Martin Jarvis, broadcast several times since on

BBC Radio 4 Extra BBC Radio 4 Extra (formerly BBC Radio 7) is a British digital radio station from the BBC, broadcasting archived repeats of comedy, drama and documentary programmes nationally, 24 hours a day. It is the sister station of BBC Radio 4 and the p ...

. * Tom Mison, who starred as "Ichabod Crane" in the

Fox Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelve sp ...

television series '' Sleepy Hollow'', narrated the story in 2014 for Audible Studios. * In 2019, the radio program '' Adventures in Odyssey'' produced an adaptation of the story titled "Icky and Kat and Balty and Bones". *In 2020, the story was adapted into a full cast audio production by '' Shadows at the Door: the Podcast''.

Geographic impact

* Annually since 1996, before Halloween, the nonprofit organization Historic Hudson Valley has held "Legend Weekend", an event at the Philipsburg Manor House in Sleepy Hollow. * In 1997, the village of North Tarrytown, New York (as the village had been called since the late 19th century), where many events of the story took place, officially changed its name to Sleepy Hollow. Its high school teams are named "the Horsemen". * In 2006, a large sculpture depicting the Headless Horseman chasing Ichabod Crane was placed along Route 9 in Sleepy Hollow/Tarrytown, New York.

Place names

* Town and village names: **

Sleepy Hollow, New York Sleepy Hollow is a village in the town of Mount Pleasant, in Westchester County, New York, United States. The village is located on the east bank of the Hudson River, about north of New York City, and is served by the Philipse Manor stop on ...

, as the setting for the story, contains many of the referenced locations, including ones that can still be visited today, such as the Old Dutch Church, Horseman Bridge, and the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, where Washington Irving's grave can be found, as can those of the real-life persons who lent their names to the story's characters. Today many street names reflect characters from the tale, and the Headless Horseman's likeness can be found on the village seal and everything from Sleepy Hollow High School's paraphernalia to the village fire trucks. **

Sleepy Hollow, Illinois Sleepy Hollow is a village in Kane County, Illinois, United States. The population was 3,214 at the 2020 census. Geography Sleepy Hollow is located in northeastern Kane County at (42.090792, -88.312314). It is bordered to the north and east by ...

, many of the street names reflect characters from the tale, and the image of the Headless Horseman can be found on many of the city's landmarks and publications. ** Sleepy Hollow, Marin County, California, has Irving Drive, Legend Road, Ichabod Court, Katrina Lane, Van Tassel Court, Baltus Lane, Crane Drive, Van Winkle Drive, and Knickerbocker Lane. **

Sleepy Hollow, Wyoming Sleepy Hollow is a census-designated place (CDP) in Campbell County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 1,308 at the 2010 census. Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 0.4 square mile ...

, has street names such as Pumpkin Court, Gunpowder Street, Ichabod Avenue, and Raven Street. Hosts an annual event called Sleepy Hollow Days. *Subdivision names: **

Bethel, Connecticut Bethel () is a New England town, town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. Its population was 11,988 in 2022 according to World Population Review. The town includes the Bethel (CDP), Connecticut, Bethel Census Designated Place. Inte ...

, "Sleepy Hollow Estates", Ichabod Lane, Legend Drive, and Katrina Circle. ** Roanoke, Virginia, and Longwood, Florida, "Sleepy Hollow", street names such as Ichabod and Horseman. ** Pearland, Texas, "Sleepy Hollow", street names such as Washington Irving Drive, Sleepy Hollow Drive, Crane Drive, Tarrytown Lane, and Brom Bones Boulevard in the neighborhood of Sleepy Hollow. ** Port Jervis, New York, Sleepy Hollow Road **

Falls Church, Virginia Falls Church is an independent city (United States), independent city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the population was 14,658. Falls Church is included in the Wash ...

, Street names Sleepy Hollow Road, Crane Drive, Ichabod Place, and Horseman Lane. There is also a Sleepy Hollow Park and Sleepy Hollow Bath & Racquet Club. **

Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania Mt. Lebanon is a township with home rule status in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 34,075 at the 2020 census. It is a suburb of Pittsburgh. Established in 1912 as Mount Lebanon, the township was a farming commu ...

, Sleepy Hollow Road **

Breinigsville, Pennsylvania Breinigsville is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 7,495. The town is part of Upper Macungie Township and is located approximately southwe ...

, Sleepy Hollow Lane **

Spinnerstown, Pennsylvania Spinnerstown is a census-designated place in Milford Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located just northwest of the Quakertown interchange of I-476 with Route 663. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,826 resi ...

, Sleepy Hollow Road **

Hampden Township, Pennsylvania Hampden Township is the largest municipality by population in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. The population was 28,044 at the 2010 census, up from 24,135 at the 2000 census. History The Johannes Eberly House was added to the National Regist ...

, "Sleepy Hollow", Ichabod Court, Brom Court, and Katrina Court. **

Amarillo, Texas Amarillo ( ; Spanish for "yellow") is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the seat of Potter County. It is the 14th-most populous city in Texas and the largest city in the Texas Panhandle. A portion of the city extends into Randall County ...

, "Sleepy Hollow", Street names include Sleepy Hollow Blvd, Tarrytown Ave, Van Tassel St, Irving Ln, White Plains Ave, Legend Ave, etc. The neighborhood also has its own elementary school named Sleepy Hollow Elementary. Their mascot is the Horsemen. **Longwood, Florida, "Sleepy Hollow", Street names include Tarry Town Trail, Brom Bones Lane, Ichabod Trail,Katrina Cove, and Horseman Cove. * State Parks: **

Sleepy Hollow State Park Sleepy Hollow State Park is a public recreation area covering in the townships of Ovid and Victor in Clinton County, Michigan. The state park is located off US-127 nine miles southeast of St. Johns and four miles northwest of Laingsburg and ...

Laingsburg, Michigan Laingsburg is a city in Shiawassee County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,283 at the 2010 census. Laingsburg is located about northeast of the city of Lansing. It is mostly surrounded by Sciota Township with a small wester ...

* Schools: ** The Ichabod Crane School District,

Valatie, New York Valatie (; ) is a village with several waterfalls in Columbia County, New York, United States. The population was 1,819 at the 2010 census. The village is at the center of the town of Kinderhook on US 9. History Valatie was first named ''Pach ...

. The school's sports teams are called "The Riders" and a silhouette of Ichabod Crane on his horse is often representative of the home team while a silhouette of the Headless Horseman is representative of the opponent. The wings in the junior high school are also named for characters and places, such as Katrina Van Tassel and Sleepy Hollow. ** The Ichabod Crane Schoolhouse, Kinderhook, New York . **Sleepy Hollow Elementary *

Orinda, California Orinda is a city in Contra Costa County, California, United States. The city's population as of the 2020 census is estimated at 19,514 residents. History Orinda is located within four Mexican land grants: Rancho Laguna de los Palos Colorados ...

, has Washington Lane, Sleepy Hollow Lane, Tarry Lane, Van Ripper Lane, Van Tassel Lane, Tappan Lane, and Crane Court. *

Pinson, Alabama Pinson is a city in Jefferson County near Birmingham, Alabama, United States, northwest of Center Point. As of the 2010 census, the population was 7,163. History Pinson was incorporated in March 2004. Geography This city is located at (33 ...

's Sleepy Hollow Subdivision has Sleepy Hollow Drive *

Walt Disney World The Walt Disney World Resort, also called Walt Disney World or Disney World, is an entertainment resort complex in Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista, Florida, United States, near the cities of Orlando and Kissimmee. Opened on October 1, 1971, th ...

's Sleepy Hollow quick service restaurant in Magic Kingdom theme park. *Rest Stop: ** Sleepy Hollow Rest area,

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

, Australia On the Far North Coast of New South Wales lies the Sleepy Hollow rest stop. There is a stop located either side of the road so that North- and South-bound traffic is able to stop. The northbound stop is located 58 km north of Ballina and the southbound stop is located 32 km south of Tweed Heads. Fire Station 59 in Artondale, Washington has adopted the nickname of "Sleepy Hollow", as the station is located in a remote, quiet subdivision within Pierce County.

References

External links

"The Legend of Sleepy Hollow"
from ''The Harvard Classics'' (1917), hosted online at Bartleby.com.
"The Legend of Sleepy Hollow"
at American Literature. *

a non-fiction description of the story's locale written by Washington Irving in 1839.
Sleepy Hollow Cemetery
Founded in 1849, it is adjacent to but separate from the Old Dutch Burying Ground. * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Legend Of Sleepy Hollow, The 1820 short stories American folklore Horror short stories Books illustrated by Arthur Rackham Fiction set in 1790 Ghost stories Halloween fiction New York (state) in fiction Short stories adapted into films Short stories by Washington Irving Works published under a pseudonym History of Birmingham, West Midlands