The Headless Horseman of Sleepy Hollow

The Headless Horseman is America’s most famous ghostly apparition, immortalized by Washington Irving in his 1820 story “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” But the legend predates Irving’s tale, and sightings continue to be reported in the Hudson Valley to this day.

The Legend

According to tradition, the Headless Horseman is the ghost of a Hessian mercenary whose head was removed by a cannonball during the Revolutionary War. He was buried in the Old Dutch Church cemetery in Sleepy Hollow.

Each night, the horseman rises from his grave to search for his missing head. He rides a massive black horse through the hollow, carrying a jack-o’-lantern in place of his severed head. Anyone who encounters him may become his victim.

Historical Origins

The legend existed among Dutch settlers before Irving wrote his story. Local tradition held that a Hessian trooper had indeed lost his head in battle and that his ghost haunted the roads near the church.

Irving, who knew the area well, adapted the local ghost story into his famous tale, transforming it into American literature’s first great ghost story.

Modern Sightings

Witnesses continue to report seeing a headless figure on horseback in and around Sleepy Hollow. Drivers on Route 9 have reported near-collisions with a horse and rider that then vanished. Visitors to the cemetery have seen a dark figure among the graves.

The Location

Sleepy Hollow (formerly North Tarrytown) embraces its supernatural reputation. The Old Dutch Church and its cemetery, where the Hessian is allegedly buried, remain standing. Annual celebrations attract thousands of visitors seeking to experience the legend firsthand.

Assessment

Whether the Headless Horseman is a genuine ghost, folk memory, or the power of Irving’s story influencing imagination, the legend has become inseparable from American culture. Sleepy Hollow remains haunted, if only by the weight of its own mythology.