The Headless Horseman

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For other uses, see Headless Horseman (disambiguation).

The Headless Horseman is a fictional undead and ghost character in Washington Irving's short story "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and Tim Burton's movie adaptation, Sleepy Hollow.

In the short story, Ichabod Crane ignores the warnings of danger by the legendary Horseman. Although Crane's rival Brom Bones may have been masquerading as the Horseman, it is not explicitly determined whether Crane encounters the actual Horseman or Brom Bones.

Since the Horseman's introduction into popular culture he has become a horror staple, and has had appearances or been parodied in dozens of televison shows, comic books, and a few movies.

[edit] Film character history

The character was also named the "Hessian trooper", but after he was decapitated, he gained the nickname of the Headless Horseman. In the 1999 Tim Burton film, the Horseman is portrayed by Christopher Walken (while with a head) and Ray Park (while beheaded).

[edit] American Revolutionary War

In Washington Irving's short story "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," it is said the horseman lost his head to a cannon ball during some nameless battle during the Revolutionary War. In the 1999 Burton movie adaptation however, Baltus Van Tassel elaborates on his history. The Hessian Horseman was sent by German princes during the Revolutionary war "to keep Americans under the yoke of England." He also mentions the horseman fought for the love of carnage. During one battle in the winter of 1779, the horseman's horse was injured by a gunshot. The horseman then fled to the Western Woods to escape the American soldiers. He was discovered by Lady van Tassel and her sister, who were collecting wood. Despite his silent urging that the two children remain quiet, she snaps one of the branches she had been holding, alerting the enemy troops of his location. He was stabbed by a soldier and was then decapitated by his own sword. He was buried under the Tree of the Dead with his sword as a grave marker.

Strangely enough, the heads are not found anywhere near the bodies. It is believed the Headless Horseman is killing the villagers and taking their heads back to Hell. Eager to prove his methods of science and forensics are the best way to go about a criminal investigation, Ichabod Crane (Depp) travels to Sleepy Hollow to disprove the superstitions about the Headless Horseman.

[edit] Revenge

After a series of investigations, Crane finds the real villain is revealed to be Lady van Tassel. Hoping for revenge against landlords who had wronged her family, van Tassel became a practitioner of witchcraft. She returned to the site of the Hessian's grave, recovered his skull, and used it to control the warrior's spirit. Recovering the skull, Crane returns it to the Horseman. Replacing his skull, the Horseman regrows his head and returns to Hell with Lady van Tassel in tow. But due to her physical body and cannot enter Hell, her body was crushed and ground, leaving a hand on the ground.