The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

The story of the American writer Washington Irving "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" (orig. "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow"), also known in Russia as "The Headless Dead Man", "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow", "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow", was first published in 1819 and is included in the collection "The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent.".

It is believed that the author took as a basis real German, Irish ("Dullahan"), Scandinavian ("Wild Hunt") and English legends. Characters like the Headless Horseman from these legends were usually harbingers of death or other troubles.

The plot of "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" has been repeatedly used in other works, including in cinematography and animation.

On the eastern shore of the Hudson, in the depths of one of the bays, there is a hollow, which, for its silence and serenity, as well as for the phlegmatic disposition of its inhabitants, was nicknamed Sleepy. This hollow is clearly associated with evil spirits and superstitions among the locals. In these places, about thirty years ago, there lived a poor rural teacher Ichabod Crane. He fell in love with Katrina van Tassel, the only daughter of a rich farmer, whom all young people sought. His most serious rival was Brom Bones.

One day Ichabod was invited to the van Tassels for a holiday.There was also Brom Bones, who arrived on the black horse Cherte. At some point, everyone started talking about spirits and ghosts, and Brom Bones told the story of how he met a Headless Horseman one night. After the holiday, Ichabod stayed to talk to his beloved alone, but their conversation was short-lived, and he went home.

On the way, he noticed a rider on a black horse. The teacher galloped forward in fear, but the rider did not lag behind. Ichabod was worried that the owner who lent him a festive saddle would get angry. He decided to ride to the church bridge, where the ghost in the story of Brom Bones disappeared. Suddenly the teacher saw the rider rise in his stirrups and throw his head at him. The head hit Ichabod's skull with a bang, and he collapsed to the ground unconscious.

The next morning the old horse, bareback and without a rider, returned to the owner. During the search, a broken saddle was found, and behind the bridge, Ichabod's hat and a broken pumpkin. The locals decided that Ichabod was carried off by a Headless Horseman. However, an old farmer a few years after this incident told that Ichabod was alive, but had moved to the other end of the hollow. Brom Bones married Katrina van Tassel. It is mentioned that he usually started laughing out loud at the mention of this incident with Ichabod.

In the story there is the specter of a headless rider on a black horse. According to local legend, is the spirit of one of the Hessian trooper, who in some nameless battle of the revolutionary war, a cannon ball tore the head and which appears from time to time in the darkness of night before the locals.

In the words of the character named, Broms, black rider competed with him on the horse races, and then crumbled fiery flash, and vanished.

Meeting teacher Ichabod crane with a mysterious spirit is described as follows:

...alert the hearing Ichabod caught the side of the bridge is typical when driving in muddy places deaf squishing sounds. In the darkness of the grove, on the Bank of the Creek, he noticed vysivshiysya a shapeless bulk. The colossus did not move, but in the darkness of night, it seemed that it shrinks and shrivels, like a giant monster, ready to jump on the traveler.

While he rode, it seemed that the Ghost is near, and the hot breath of his horse felt back. It is also noted that the teacher noticed the phantom of the lack of a head on their shoulders and something similar on the head, tied to the saddle. When they got to the bridge, which the Ghost usually disappeared, the following happened:

And suddenly he saw that the Ghost rises in the stirrups, swings the arm and throws him head. Ichabod tried to Dodge this terrible throwing projectile, but it was too late. Head with a terrible crash he hit his skull; losing consciousness, he stretched out in the dust. Gunpowder, the black stallion and the Ghost swept past him like a whirlwind.

Directly in the text it is not stated but implied that the teacher did not see the Ghost of the headless horseman, and disguise Bromsa.

Translated by «Yandex.Translator»