"The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" is an 1820

short story A short story is a piece of prose fiction. It can typically be read in a single sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the old ...

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 wrote the short stories "Rip Van Winkle" (1819) and "The Legend of Sleepy ...

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 ...

'' Irving wrote the story while living in

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands, within the wider West Midlands (region), West Midlands region, in England. It is the Lis ...

, England. Along with Irving's companion piece "

Rip Van Winkle "Rip Van Winkle" () is a short story by the American author Washington Irving, first published in 1819. It follows a Dutch-American villager in Colonial history of the United States, colonial America named Rip Van Winkle who meets mysterious Du ...

", "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 geography of Halloween, observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christianity, Western Christian f ...

because of a character known as the

Headless Horseman The Headless Horseman is an archetype of mythical figure that has appeared in folklore around Europe since the Middle Ages. The figures are traditionally depicted as riders on horseback who are missing their heads. These myths have since inspired ...

believed to be a Hessian soldier who was decapitated by a cannonball in battle. It has been adapted for the screen several times, including a 1922 silent film and in 1949, a

Walt Disney Walter Elias Disney ( ; December 5, 1901December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer, voice actor, and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the Golden age of American animation, American animation industry, he introduced several develop ...

animation 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 and released by RKO Radio Pictures. It consists of two segments: the first based on Kenneth Grahame's 1908 children's novel ...

''.

Plot

The story is set in 1790 in the countryside near the former Dutch settlement of Tarry Town, 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. The word is Goidelic in origin: ''gleann'' in Irish and Scottish Gaelic, ''glion'' in Manx. ...

known as Sleepy Hollow. It 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, and in most adaptations, as a tall, lanky individual. He is the local schoo ...

, a lean, lanky, superstitious schoolmaster from Connecticut. Ichabod intends to woo Katrina Van Tassel, the daughter of a wealthy farmer, in order to procure her family's riches for himself. He competes for her affection with Abraham "Brom Bones" Van Brunt, the town rowdy. Unable to goad Ichabod into fighting for Katrina's hand, Brom instead wages a campaign of harassment against the schoolmaster, plaguing him with a series of pranks and practical jokes. One autumn night, Ichabod is invited to attend a harvest party at the Van Tassel homestead. At the party, Brom tells the story of the Headless Horseman, the notorious ghost of a Hessian trooper decapitated by a cannonball during the Revolutionary War. The Horseman is supposedly buried in a churchyard in Sleepy Hollow and rises from his grave every night to search for his missing head but is supernaturally barred from crossing a wooden bridge that spans a nearby stream. Katrina rejects Ichabod before he leaves. He leaves the party crestfallen and rides home on a borrowed plow horse named Gunpowder. He encounters a cloaked rider and believes it to be the Headless Horseman. Ichabod rides for his life with the apparition close behind. At the bridge, the Horseman rears his horse and hurls his severed head directly at Crane, knocking him off his horse. The next morning, Gunpowder is found eating the grass at his master's gate, but Ichabod has disappeared from the area, leaving Katrina to marry Brom Bones. Although the true nature of both the Headless Horseman and Ichabod's disappearance is left open to interpretation, it is implied that the Horseman was actually Brom. A shattered pumpkin is found near Ichabod's hat where he fell, suggesting that the severed head thrown at him was merely a

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

and that Crane survived the fall from Gunpowder and fled Sleepy Hollow in horror. In a postscript, a Mr. Knickerbocker recounts hearing the tale at a Corporation meeting in Manhattan, narrated by a humorous, shabby gentleman. The story ends with mixed reactions from the audience, including laughter and skepticism. A serious old gentleman questions the moral of the story, to which the storyteller humorously responds that the tale proves life's situations have their advantages if one can find humor in them. The old gentleman remains puzzled, and the storyteller admits he doesn't believe half of the story himself.

Background

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". 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 storytelling, featured in German, Irish (e.g.,

Dullahan The Dullahan (Irish: Dubhlachan; dúlachán, ) is a type of legendary creature in Irish folklore. He is depicted as a Headless Horseman, headless rider on a black horse, or as a coachman, who carries his own head. As it is not widely describe ...

), Scandinavian (e.g., the Wild Hunt), and British legends, and included in

Robert Burns Robert Burns (25 January 1759 – 21 July 1796), also known familiarly as Rabbie Burns, was a Scottish poet and lyricist. He is widely regarded as the List of national poets, national poet of Scotland and is celebrated worldwide. He is the be ...

's Scots poem " Tam o' Shanter" (1790) and

Gottfried August Bürger Gottfried August Bürger (31 December 1747 – 8 June 1794) was a German poet. His ballads were very popular in Germany. His most noted ballad, ''Lenore (ballad), Lenore'', found an audience beyond readers of the German language in an English l ...

's ''Der Wilde Jäger'' (1778), 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 is the last of the "" () from

Johann Karl August Musäus Johann Karl August Musäus (29 March 1735 – 28 October 1787) was a German author. He was one of the first collectors of German folk stories, most celebrated for his '' Volksmärchen der Deutschen'' (1782–1787), a collection of German fairy t ...

's literary retellings of German folktales, (1783). After the

Battle of White Plains The Battle of White Plains took place during the New York and New Jersey campaign of the American Revolutionary War on October 28, 1776, near White Plains, New York. Following the retreat of George Washington's Continental Army northward from N ...

in October 1776, the country south of the

Bronx River The Bronx River (), is a river that is approximately long, and flows through southeastern New York (state), New York in the United States and drains an area of . It is named after colonial settler Jonas Bronck. It originally rose in what is no ...

was abandoned by the

Continental Army The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies representing the Thirteen Colonies and later the United States during the American Revolutionary War. It was formed on June 14, 1775, by a resolution passed by the Second Continental Co ...

and occupied by the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

. The Americans were fortified north of

Peekskill Peekskill is a city in northwestern Westchester County, New York, United States, north of 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 f ...

, leaving

Westchester County Westchester County is a county located in the southeastern portion of the U.S. state of New York, bordering the Long Island Sound and the Byram River to its east and the Hudson River on its west. The county is the seventh most populous cou ...

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 may have indeed been based loosely on the discovery of such a 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. According to another hypothesis, Irving could have drawn the figure of the "headless rider" from German Silesian literature, precisely from the Chronicle of

Sprottau Szprotawa 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 mention of today's Sz ...

(since 1945 Polish Szprotawa) by J.G. Kreis, written in the first half of the 19th century. In the 19th century, the police counselor Kreis noted that, in the previous 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 in ''Polish Reception of Washington Irving's Work: Between Enlightenment and Romanticism'' by Zofia Sinko,

Walter Scott Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832), was a Scottish novelist, poet and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European literature, European and Scottish literature, notably the novels ''Ivanhoe'' (18 ...

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 fourth 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, Tompkin ...

, met an army captain named

Sackets Harbor, New York Sackets Harbor (earlier spelled Sackett (surname), Sacketts Harbor) is a village in Jefferson County, New York, United States, on Lake Ontario. The population was 1,450 at the 2010 census. The village was named after land developer and owner Augus ...

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

Hudson River The Hudson River, historically the North River, is a river that flows from north to south largely through eastern New York (state), New York state. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains at Henderson Lake (New York), Henderson Lake in the ...

, where Irving spent several months in 1809. Alternatively, it is claimed by many in

Tarrytown Tarrytown is a village in the town of Greenburgh in Westchester County, New York, United States. 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 th ...

that

Samuel Youngs Samuel Youngs (December 4, 1760 – September 12, 1839) was an American school teacher. He was a friend of Washington Irving and elements of his life may be included in the character Ichabod Crane in Irving's story "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow", ...

is the individual from whom Irving drew his character. Author Gary Denniss asserts that while Crane is loosely based on Merwin, it may include elements from Youngs's life. Ichabod crane

With "

", "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 British colonies that preceded it. The American literary tradition is part of the broader tradition of English-language literature, but also ...

and

Romanticism Romanticism (also known as the Romantic movement or Romantic era) was an artistic and intellectual movement that originated in Europe towards the end of the 18th century. The purpose of the movement was to advocate for the importance of subjec ...

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

supernatural Supernatural phenomena or entities are those beyond the Scientific law, laws of nature. The term is derived from Medieval Latin , from Latin 'above, beyond, outside of' + 'nature'. Although the corollary term "nature" has had multiple meanin ...

intervention in the commonplace, and the plight of the individual outsider in a homogeneous community permeate both stories and helped 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 Irvi ...

'' (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 * ''

'' (1934), an animated short film directed by

Ub Iwerks Ubbe Ert "Ub" Iwerks ( ; March 24, 1901 – July 7, 1971), was an American animator, cartoonist, character designer, Invention, inventor, and special effects technician, known for his work with Walt Disney Animation Studios in general, and f ...

. The short depicts the horseman as merely a story, with Brom Bones pranking and frightening Ichabod Crane away from Katrina Van Tassel. The film somewhat departs from the original ending by showing Ichabod getting his revenge, dressing up as the Headless Horseman, and crashing Brom and Katrina's wedding. * ''

'' (1949), an animated adaptation directed by

James Algar James Algar (June 11, 1912 – February 26, 1998) was an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. He worked at The Walt Disney Company, Walt Disney Productions for 43 years and received the Disney Legends award in 1998. He was bor ...

Clyde Geronimi Clito "Clyde" Geronimi (June 12, 1901 – April 24, 1989), known as Gerry, was an American animation director. He is best known for his work at Walt Disney Productions. Biography Geronimi was born in Chiavenna, Kingdom of Italy, Italy, immigrati ...

, and

Jack Kinney John Ryan Kinney (March 29, 1909 – February 9, 1992)Lenburg (2006), pp. 180 was an American animator, director and producer of animated shorts. Kinney is the older brother of fellow Disney animator Dick Kinney. Early life Jack Kinney was born ...

, produced by

Walt Disney Productions The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was founded on October 16 ...

, and narrated by

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

. This version is more lighthearted and family-friendly than Irving's original story and most other adaptations. * '' Sleepy Hollow'' (1999), a feature film adaption directed by

Tim Burton Timothy Walter Burton (born August 25, 1958) is an American filmmaker and producer. Known for popularizing Goth subculture, Goth culture in the American film industry, Burton is famous for his Gothic film, gothic horror and dark fantasy films. ...

that takes many liberties with the plot and characters

Literature

* ''Horseman: A Tale of Sleepy Hollow'' by

Christina Henry Christina Henry (born 1974, in New York, USA) is an American novelist working in the horror and dark fantasy genre. "Christina Henry" is a pseudonym of Tina Raffaele, based on her name (Tina), and the names of her husband (Chris) and son (Henry) ...

, a fictional horror novel published in 2021. It takes place in Sleepy Hollow several decades after the events of the original story. It is told from the point of view of Ben Van Brunt, the only grandchild of Abraham "Brom Bones" Van Brunt and Katrina Van Tassel.

Television

* "The Headless Horseman of Halloween" (1976), the first season's fifth episode of Hanna-Barbera's ''

The Scooby-Doo Show ''The Scooby-Doo Show'' is an American animated mystery comedy series. The title of the series is an umbrella term for episodes of the third incarnation of Hanna-Barbera's ''Scooby-Doo'' franchise. A total of 40 episodes ran for three seasons, ...

'' starring Scooby, the gang, and Scooby's cousin, Scooby-Dum. While celebrating at a Halloween party hosted by one of Ichabod Crane's great granddaughters, the gang finds themselves facing a whole new mystery with a sighting of none other than the Headless Horseman. * ''

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" is an 1820 short story by American author Washington Irving contained in his collection of 34 essays and short stories titled '' The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent.'' Irving wrote the story while living in Bi ...

'' (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, such as ''Jurassic Park'' (1993) and ''Independence Day'' (1996), as well as their sequels. Goldblum ...

as Ichabod Crane,

Meg Foster Margaret "Meg" Foster (born May 10, 1948) is an American film and television actress. Some of her many roles were in the 1979 TV miniseries version of '' The Scarlet Letter'', and the films '' Ticket to Heaven'', ''The Osterman Weekend'' and '' ...

as Katrina Van Tassel, and

Dick Butkus Richard Marvin Butkus (December 9, 1942 – October 5, 2023) was an American professional football linebacker, sports commentator, and actor. He played football for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL) from 1965 to 1973. He w ...

as Brom Bones. Executive producer

Charles Sellier Charles Edward Sellier Jr. (November 9, 1943 – January 31, 2011) was an American television producer, screenwriter, novelist and director, best known for creating the American book and television series ''The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams'' ...

was nominated for an

Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award categor ...

for his work on the movie. * ''The Legend of Sleepy Hollow'' (1985), the premiere episode of Shelley Duvall's ''

Tall Tales & Legends ''Tall Tales & Legends'' (also known as ''Shelley Duvall's Tall Tales & Legends'') is an American folklore anthology television series of 9 episodes created by television and film actress Shelley Duvall, who also served as executive producer and p ...

'', stars Ed Begley Jr. 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 ...

as Katrina,

Tim Thomerson Joseph Timothy 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, his work in numerous low-budget features, and his comedic television roles. He appear ...

as Brom, and

Charles Durning Charles Edward Durning (February 28, 1923 – December 24, 2012) was an American actor who appeared in over 200 movies, television shows and plays.Schudel, Matt (December 26, 2012) "''In real life and on the screen, he played countless role ...

as Doffue Van Tassel, who is also the narrator. * ''The Legend of Sleepy Hollow'' (1999), an Odyssey Network TV movie starring Brent Carver * ''The Hollow'' (2004), an

ABC Family American cable television, cable and satellite television network Freeform (TV channel), Freeform was originally launched as the CBN Satellite Service on April 29, 1977, and has gone through four different owners and six different name changes dur ...

television film starring

Kevin Zegers Kevin Zegers (born September 19, 1984) is a Canadian actor. He is known for his roles as Josh Framm in the ''Air Bud'' film series, Toby Osbourne in '' Transamerica'' (2005), Damien Dalgaard in the CW teen drama ''Gossip Girl'', and as rookie ...

and

Kaley Cuoco Kaley Christine Cuoco ( ; born November 30, 1985) is an American actress. She starred as Bridget Hennessy on the ABC sitcom '' 8 Simple Rules'' (2002–2005), Penny on the CBS sitcom ''The Big Bang Theory'' (2007–2019), and as the title ch ...

and focusing on a teenage descendant of Ichabod Crane * ''Sleepy Hollow'' (2013), a crime/horror series in which Ichabod Crane awakens in the 21st century and teams up with Lt. Abbie Mills of the Sleepy Hollow Sheriff's Department to stop the Horseman. The show ran for four seasons. * ''Headless: A Sleepy Hollow Story'' (2022), a web series in which Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horseman are roommates and have to work together to solve the mystery of the Horseman's head.

Music

* ''In Sleepy Hollow'' (1913), a piano suite by Eastwood Lane * "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" (1958) by doo-wop band the Monotones * "Sleepy Hollow" (1965) by singer

Roy Orbison Roy Kelton Orbison (April 23, 1936 – December 6, 1988) was an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist known for his distinctive and powerful voice, complex song structures, and dark, emotional ballads. Orbison's most successful periods were ...

, later remastered in 2016 * "Legend of the Headless Rider" (1993) by Danish heavy metal band

Mercyful Fate Mercyful Fate is a Danish heavy metal band from Copenhagen, formed in 1981 by vocalist King Diamond and guitarist Hank Shermann. Influenced by progressive rock and hard rock, and with lyrics dealing with LaVeyan Satanism (often with ironic ...

* ''The Headless Horseman'' (2001) by

Michael Jeffrey Shapiro Michael Jeffrey Shapiro is an American composer, conductor, and author. He was born in Brooklyn, New York, and studied at Columbia College, Columbia University, the Mannes College of Music and the Juilliard School. He has worked with musicians a ...

, for baritone, itinerant string band, and orchestra * " Sleepy Hollow" (2004) by Danish power metal band

Pyramaze Pyramaze is a Danish power metal band formed in 2001. History Pyramaze was formed in 2001 by guitarist Michael Kammeyer. Next to join were fellow Danes drummer Morten Gade Sørensen (Wuthering Heights, Anubis Gate) and bassist Niels Kvist. ...

* "Sleepy Hollow" (2013) by metal band

Blitzkrieg ''Blitzkrieg'(Lightning/Flash Warfare)'' is a word used to describe a combined arms surprise attack, using a rapid, overwhelming force concentration that may consist of armored and motorized or mechanized infantry formations, together with ...

* " 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 Michael Lamar White IV (born June 18, 1999), known professionally as Trippie Redd, is an American rapper and singer. Born and raised in Canton, Ohio, he has contributed to the progression of emo rap and rage, a subgenre of trap music. His de ...

* "Sleepy Hollow (Love Is Scary)" (2020), a single by

Kristen Lawrence Kristen Elise Lawrence (born March 2, 1976) is an American organist, composer, and vocalist who writes, produces, records, and performs her music based on Halloween history. She graduated from Brigham Young University in 2001 with a Bachelor of ...

Theatre

* ''Sleepy Hollow'' (1948), a Broadway musical with music by George Lessner and book and lyrics by Russell Maloney and

Miriam Battista Miriam Battista (July 14, 1912 – December 22, 1980) was an American actress known principally for her early career as a Child actor, child star in silent films. After gaining notice in Broadway theatre at the age of four, she was cast in film ...

. 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 2010

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 studen ...

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,

Krysta Rodriguez Krysta Anne Rodriguez is an American actress and singer. She is best known for her roles as Ana Vargas in the NBC series '' Smash'', Summer Henderson in the NBC series '' Trial & Error'', Maxine Griffin in the ABC series '' Quantico'' and Ms. C ...

, and

Andy Mientus Andrew Michael Mientus (born November 10, 1986) is an American actor. He is best known for starring in the Broadway musicals '' Spring Awakening'', ''Les Misérables'', and ''Wicked'', and on television in the NBC musical drama '' Smash'' and as ...

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 who started his career in theatre and silent film in his native country, then emigrated to the United States where he had a highly successful Cinema of the United ...

was the host and narrator for a radio adaptation on NBC's ''Favorite Story'' on July 2, 1946 (requested by

Walter Huston Walter Thomas Huston ( ; April 6, 1883 or 1884 – April 7, 1950) was a Canadian actor and singer. Huston won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in '' The Treasure of the Sierra Madre'', directed by his son John Huston. He ...

as that actor's favorite story). * An adaptation was broadcast on September 19, 1947, on '' NBC University of the Air: American Novels''. *

re-created his Disney narration in ''Walt Disney's Ichabod and the Legend of Sleepy Hollow'' for Decca Records (DAU-725) in 1949. * In 2005,

BBC Radio 7 BBC Radio 4 Extra (formerly BBC Radio 7) is a British digital radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It mostly broadcasts archived repeats of comedy, drama and documentary programmes, and is the sister station of Radio 4. It is the pri ...

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 owned and operated by the BBC. It mostly broadcasts archived repeats of comedy, drama and documentary programmes, and is the sister station of Radio 4. It is the pri ...

. * In 2009,

Historic Hudson Valley Historic Hudson Valley is a not-for-profit educational and historic preservation organization headquartered in Tarrytown, New York. The organization gives tours and hosts events at five historic properties in Westchester County, in the lower Hudso ...

released an unabridged dramatic reading by Jonathan Kruk, with musical effects by Matt Noble. *

Tom Mison Thomas James Mison (born 23 July 1982)''Births, Marriages & Deaths Index of England & Wales, 1916–2005''. Ancestry.com; accessed 6 February 2014. is an English actor, voice artist, and writer. Following his film debut in ''Venus'' (2006), Mi ...

, who starred as Ichabod Crane on 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 ("brush"). Twelve species ...

television series '' Sleepy Hollow'', narrated the story in 2014 for

Audible Studios Audible is an American online audiobook and podcast service that allows users to purchase and stream audiobooks and other forms of spoken-word content. This content can be purchased individually or under a subscription model in which the user re ...

. * In 2019, the radio program ''

Adventures in Odyssey ''Adventures in Odyssey'' (AIO), or simply ''Odyssey'', is an Evangelical Christian radio drama and Radio comedy, comedy series created and produced by Focus on the Family. Aimed at families with children age 12 and younger, the series first air ...

'' 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''.

Comics

* The 2022 graphic novel ''Hollow'' is based on the story.

Theme Parks

* The Legend roller coaster at Holiday World in Santa Claus, Indiana, is based on the frightful ride of Ichabod Crane running from the Headless Horseman.

Geographic impact

Sleepy Hollow, New York Sleepy Hollow is a village in the town of Mount Pleasant, New York, Mount Pleasant in Westchester County, New York, Westchester County, New York (state), New York, United States. The village is located on the east bank of the Hudson River, about ...

, as the setting for the story, contains many of the referenced locations, including ones that can still be visited today.

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. It is bordered to the north and east by the village of West Dundee ...

;

Sleepy Hollow, Marin County, California Sleepy Hollow is a census-designated place in Marin County, California, United States. It is located south of downtown Novato at an elevation of . Its population as of the 2020 census was 2,401. History In 1838, Domingo Sais received a land gra ...

; and Sleepy Hollow, Wyoming, have street names that reference the story. The latter hosts an annual event called Sleepy Hollow Days. There is also a

Sleepy Hollow State Park Sleepy Hollow State Park is a public recreation area covering in the townships of Ovid Township, Clinton County, Michigan, Ovid and Victor Township, Michigan, Victor in Clinton County, Michigan, Clinton County, Michigan. The state park is locat ...

Laingsburg, Michigan Laingsburg () is a city in Shiawassee County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,424 at the 2020 census. Laingsburg is located about northeast of the city of Lansing. It is mostly surrounded by Sciota Township with a small wes ...

. The original schoolhouse in

Kinderhook, New York Kinderhook is a town in the northern part of Columbia County, New York, United States. The population was 8,330 at the 2020 census,U.S. Census, 2020, 'Kinderhook town, Columbia County, New York' making it the most populous municipality in Columb ...

, is now owned by the Columbia County Historical Society and called the Ichabod Crane Schoolhouse. The area's modern-day school district, Ichabod Crane Central School District, is also named for the character.

References

External links

"The Legend of Sleepy Hollow"
from ''The Harvard Classics'' (1917), hosted online at

Bartleby.com Bartleby.com is an American electronic text archive, headquartered in Los Angeles (US) and named for Herman Melville's story " Bartleby, the Scrivener". It is a commercial website operated by Barnes & Noble Education, though its repository of ...

.
"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 short stories Children's short stories 1820 American novels 19th-century horror novels American horror novels Halloween fiction American folklore Works published under a pseudonym Novels set in the Hudson Valley Short stories set in New York (state) Fiction set in 1790 Short stories set in the 1790s Short stories about ghosts Novels about legendary creatures History of Birmingham, West Midlands Short stories adapted into films Headless Horseman Short stories by Washington Irving Books illustrated by Arthur Rackham