The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

Reading the short story, "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow", by Washington Irving has been one of those experiences where I think to myself, why did I wait so long to read this author?  I have the Modern Library edition,which contains many other stories by Irving and I will definitely be reading more by him.

According to the introduction, "Washington Irving is believed by many to have created the genre of short story in America, mixing superstition and history, the European tradition of fairy tales and folktales, and local Indian legends.  The often humorous and ironic tone in these stories, which is the familiar form of legend, is woven into a tapestry with the very real corporeal world."   Irving's story is wonderfully descriptive and atmospheric.  The perfect story to read when there is a chill in the air, fallen leaves beneath your feet and Halloween just around the corner.  I'm glad that I saved it to very nearly last in my short story reads for Carl's RIP Challenge. 

Although I don't recollect ever having read the story when I was young, it is one of those fables that seems to be told to every school child at some point in their education.  The story is set in a Dutch settlement in New York state called Sleepy Hollow.  Surely everyone has heard of the Headless Horseman who lost his head to a cannonball in the Revolutionary War and haunts Sleepy Hollow?  Priggish school master, Ichabod Crane, teaches the school children in this tiny glen, where ghost stories and tall tales are ubiquitous. 

"Another of his sources of fearful pleasure was, to pass long winter evenings with the old Dutch wives, as they sat spinning by the fire, with a row of apples roasting and spluttering along the hearth, and listen to their marvellous tales of ghosts and goblins, and haunted fields, and haunted brooks, and haunted bridges, and haunted houses, and particularly of the headless horseman, or galloping Hessian of the Hollow, as they sometimes called him."

He falls for the lovely Katrina Van Tassel, a wealthy farmer's daughter.  I wasn't sure which attracted him more--Katrina's beauty, or the bounteous farm she would inherit (his stomach seemed to know no depths).  His rival for her affections, Brom Bones, is "the hero of the country round, which rang with his feats of strength and hardihood".  When Ichabod disappears near the bridge to the Old Dutch Church after a dance at Van Tassel's farm, where the Headless Horseman is known to make his nightly run, it's uncertain just who he met.

I found the descriptions of Ichabod highly amusing.  For those who have read or are in the process of reading Don Quixote you might see a few things in common between Ichabod and the famous knight.  Here he is contemplating how to woo the fair Katrina. 

"From the moment Ichabod laid his eyes upon these regions of delight, the peace of his mind was at an end, and his only study was how to gain the affections of the peerless daughter of Van Tassel. In this enterprise, however, he had more real difficulties than generally fell to the lot of a knight-errant of yore, who seldom had anything but giants, enchanters, fiery dragons, and such like easily conquered adversaries, to contend with and had to make his way merely through gates of iron and brass, and walls of adamant to the castle keep, where the lady of his heart was confined; all which he achieved as easily as a man would carve his way to the centre of a Christmas pie; and then the lady gave him her hand as a matter of course. Ichabod, on the contrary, had to win his way to the heart of a country coquette, beset with a labyrinth of whims and caprices, which were forever presenting new difficulties and impediments; and he had to encounter a host of fearful adversaries of real flesh and blood, the numerous rustic admirers, who beset every portal to her heart, keeping a watchful and angry eye upon each other, but ready to fly out in the common cause against any new competitor."

This is an absolutely wonderful short story.  I don't know whether this is true or not, but I read that "it is among the earliest American fiction still read today".  You can read the story online here. 

Comments

[Dorothy W.]

Interesting -- I didn't know Irving is considered a creator of the short story, well the American one. I really didn't know any name at all for the first short story writer. If I had to guess, I would have said Poe. I should read this story -- especially since I live kind of close to Sleepy Hollow!

[Sam]

I just finished it last night and it was the first time I have actually read the story as well. I was familiar with the cartoon version we saw in the 3rd grade and that was it. For some reason the image I had in my head kept alternating between the goofy looking cartoon guy and Johnny Depp. I really did like the writing though. This was the first of Irving's work I've read and I will certainly try more.

[Danielle]

Dorothy--I didn't realize one person "created" the short story either, but both the biographical sketch of Irving and the intro made a point of mentioning this. Ichabod is from Connecticut by the way! I didn't realize that Sleepy Hollow was actually a place--It was interesting to read what Irving's inspirations for the story/character were. I was wondering if this is something the Hobgoblin might teach since he does a lot of American lit?
Sam--I don't remember seeing a cartoon and I haven't seen the Johnny Depp movie (though I might check it out now), so I didn't have any idea in my head of what anyone might look like. Irving did a good job describing things well, though. I really enjoyed the story!

[iliana]

That's a wonderful passage you quoted! If I remember correctly, didn't Irving live in Granada, Spain for sometime? I wonder if this was indeed a bit of an homage to D.Q. Anyway, another one to add to the list.
Oh and do check out the Johnny Depp movie. It's very good.

[Victoria]

Och that does sound atmospheric! The perfect story for All Hallows Eve. :-)

A quick trip to Wikipedia tells me that Irving wrote the story in Birmingham, England, which made me smile since I can't think of anywhere less like Sleepy Hollow. But if Wiki is to be trusted it was published in 1820, which leads me to this questions: were there 'famous' American authors in the 18th century? Now I set to thinking about it, I can't name a single one...

[Ann Darnton]

I suspect that in the UK we know this story best through the film and yet when I saw that I found I already knew the name Ichabod Crane. Perhaps, given that I live in Birmingham, there is some sort of spectral remembrance of the writing act floating in the air.

[Nancy Dwinell]

I really have to reread this story and others by Irving. Thanks for reminding me to put it on the list. I also live near Sleepy Hollow,Dorothy! I'm in Yorktown. In fact my son's Cub Scout Den's chapter patch depicted the Headless Horseman!Any way, I haven't read Irving in quite some time but will look for a collection of the short stories.Nancy

[LK]

Definitely one of my faves! I have a book of Irving's writings that I need to get around to...

[Danielle]

Iliana--I don't know much about Irving himself, but it sounds like he did travel abroad. He certainly seems to have come across DQ somewhere in his reading or travels. Ichabod sort of reminded me of DQ as a matter of fact! I will have to check out the Depp movie (since I have always thougt he is rather easy on the eyes...).
Victoria--Yes, it is a great story for this time of year. I didn't realize that he wrote this when he was in England--how interesting. As for 18th c. popular American novels--this sounds like a question for Dorothy. I think people like Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Paine and Thomas Jefferson were writing (albeit political works) and would think they were popular/famous, but you probably mean novels? Irving was writing then (but did he write novels?). I can actually think of one woman who was supposedly very popular at the time (though not well known now--I only know of her as I bought a Modern Library edition of one of her books)--Susanna Rowson wrote a book called Charlotte Temple which was the big thing at the time. I guess America was still too new at the time--in comparing what British and European authors were up to as opposed to Americans. I really need to study more American authors/Lit....
Ann--No doubt Irving would be pleased to know this...:)
Nancy--What fun. Have you ever been there? It sounds as though the church and bridge are still there that play such a prominent role in the story. I'd love to visit some of these places. Don't you also know the place Lizzie Borden lived? No wonder ghost stories seem to thrive up there!
LK--Now it is one of mine, too! I'm so glad I finally read it, and I hope I do pick up the collection of stories to read some more. Perhaps I should give Rip Van Winkle a read--I guess that is his other famous one.

[Smithereens]

I loved Sleepy Hollow as a story and later as a movie by Tim Burton. I had no clue Sleepy Hollow actually existed somewhere! Have you read anything else by Washington Irving that is as much fun as this story?

[Edd]

My children, 35 and 39, still read “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” by Washington Irving every Halloween. My twelve-year-old grandson can repeat the story to you word for word. They grew up on the Likes of Washington Irving…

[Nancy Dwinell]

Yes,Dani! I grew up in Fall River Ma, home of Lizzie B. and now I live a few towns away from Sleepy Hollow! I guess it's only natural that I love mysteries! I've been by the church many times. Will have to look for the bridge. Washington Irving's home, Sunnyside, is also worth a visit. It's lovely. Nancy

[LK]

By all means, give Rip a try!

I'm sure you've read Hawthorne, too -- I highly recommend Rappacini's Daughter and Young Goodman Brown for some early American atmosphere!

[Danielle]

Smithereens--This is my first Irving, but I want to read Rip Van Winkle, too. Actually I'd like to read others of his stories as well. I plan on watching the movie, too!
Edd--I can easily see why they would read it each year. Perhaps I will make it a tradition, too. How cool that you grandson knows it by heart!
nancy--How cool to be so close to such literary, and historical sights!!
LK--I have that Nathaniel Hawthorne book--I knew that someone recommended it to me. I hope to read it soon!