Today, we will take a look at one of my favorites in Halloween’s Rogue Gallery. I guarantee you will simply loose your head with this chilling character. The Headless Horseman, a character derived from a short story known as “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” by Washington Irving, has weaved his way into American folklore through many mediums. What has made him most famous is his presence in film and literature throughout the years. The legend goes the Horseman was a Hessian whose rank was unknown. He was also one of 51 Hessians who died in a battle for Chatterton Hill. And yes, you guessed it… his death was caused by his beheading: FROM A CANNONBALL. He was buried in a church graveyard and his spirit roams the night, beheading midnight travelers that happen to run into him. Although, this is not the only legend. Many cultures have different renditions of his purpose. North America has many renditions through out their states. Such as the state of Texas where an author known as Thomas Mayne Reid wrote a little story c. 1865. It tells of decapitated horsemen’s ghosts that roam the countryside in the dead of night. And the Irish have their own rendition of this heinous horseman known as The Dullahan. It is often described with similar features to the traditional Horseman, only these horsemen have magical powers. They carry their heads by their sides and can even breathe fire through their mouth. And their weapon of choice: a human spine used as a whip. But the Dullahans are more of a symbol of death, only stopping in an area where a death is about to occur. And when the person is due to die, they call out the specific name of the person and they die on the spot. However, the most famous tale that contributes to the existence of the horseman is in an 1819 tale known as, you guessed it, “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow“. It is set in Sleepy Hollow, New York in the 1790’s. However, Sleepy Hollow was the nickname of the Dutch settlement. Like stated before, the horseman was a Hessian soldier who was decapitated by a rogue cannonball. Now he roams the town of Sleepy Hollow with his severed head nestled snuggly by his side on his saddle. Besides this tale, he has appeared in numerous other tales, including a book that identifies the horseman as a “Heinrich Luneberg”. This tale even dares to explain his origins. He has also appeared in movies such as “Walt Disney’s The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad” and Tim Burton’s rendition of the tale, “Sleepy Hollow”, starring Johnny Depp and Christina Ricci. He also appears as a powerful boss in the MMORPG “Maplestory”, as well as the widely popular “World of Warcraft”, only showing up as a seasonal boss during Halloween festivities. Why, you can even spot him in the Netflix commercials, his persona representing the horror genre. Well, that’s all for now kiddies. Hope you enjoyed the haunted history of this vile villain. And remember, wear your helmet when needed, or you could end up like The Headless Horseman. Happy haunting, and don’t sleep too badly.
- Dr. Halloween
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