Sleepy Hollow - A town of legend and mystery
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is the famous story written by Washington Irving that many of us are familiar with. The story is set in the Dutch settlement of Tarry Town, New York, near a sequestered glen called Sleepy Hollow, around the year 1790. The story tells of Ichabod Crane, a schoolmaster from Connecticut who is scared away from town by Abraham “Brom Bones” Van Brunt. Brom Bones is his rival in love for the hand of eighteen year old Katrina Van Tassel, daughter of Baltus Van Tassel. The highlight of the story is the legend that is featured in it. Legend tells that the Headless Horseman, the ghost of a soldier who had his head blown off by a cannonball during a battle of the American Revolutionary War, rides through the woods in search of his lost head.
Washington Irving’s story has been made into screen versions as well. The 1922 film the Headless Horseman was a silent film that starred Will Rogers as Ichabod Crane and was filmed on location in New York. In 1949 an animated cartoon version of the story was made. Possibly the best known version is the 1999 film Sleepy Hollow, which was directed by Tim Burton and starred Johhny Depp and Christina Ricci. This version of the story is loosely based on Washington Irving’s story. Ichabod Crane, played by Johhny Depp, is a detective and is investigating bizarre murders that are happening in Sleepy Hollow. It seems that someone is cutting off people’s heads, and legend says that it is the ghost that rides through the woods. Although not in line with Irving’s original story, it is still spooky and entertaining just the same.
Washington Irving used the real place in New York in his story and is said to have based the characters on local residents of his time. Today the town is still known for the legendary story of the headless horseman, but it has much more to offer when you visit. The village offers a wide variety of outdoor adventures and activities as well as parks, forests, rivers, lakes, and trails along the scenic Hudson River. Other activities include fishing, horseback riding, biking, boating and hiking. Of course, you can visit historic and legendary locations and tours such as the Old Dutch Church of Sleepy Hollow, The Old Dutch Burying Ground, the Sleepy Hollow Bridge (the Headless Horseman Bridge), Ichabod’s Flight: Backdrop to the Legend, Washington Irving’s grave, and the 1833 Lighthouse.
If you would like more information about Sleepy Hollow, New York, the great literary work by Washington Irving, or Sleepy Hollow, the film, search online for more information.