Even though he carries his head around, the Headless Horseman knows how to use his noggin. This ghost of a Revolutionary War soldier is said to ride through trails and roads in New York, throw his head at people and literally scare them to death. The legend of the Headless Horseman was made popular in 1819 in the short story "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," written by Washington Irving.
Head Shot: This Horseman rides on a black horse and, as his name says, he has no head on his shoulders. He carries his severed head on his saddle, and hurls it at people to knock them off their own horses.
Pumpkin Power: The legend of the Headless Horseman has been retold several times. In some of the stories, the Headless Horseman throws flaming Jack-o-lanterns at people and even uses hatchets to slice off his victims' heads.
Revolutionary Ghost[]
This is the cemetery where the Headless Horseman supposedly rode
According to old stories, the Headless Horseman is the ghost of a Hessian (German) soldier. He was hired by the British Army in the Revolutionary War to fight against the American colonists. In a battle near a glen (small valley) called Sleepy Hollow, the Hessian's head was blown off by a cannonball. Every night, the spirit of the Hessian soldier returns in search of his head. The Horseman views all people he sees as enemies and, full of rage over his death, takes revenge on them for the loss of his head.
The Ghost with the Most: Those who say they have seen the Horseman tell of his great powers. The ghost can disappear and reappear in a flash of flame, and even turn into a skeleton to kick people off bridges.
Don't Fake It: Legend has it that people who impersonate the ghost eventually cross paths with the "real" Headless Horseman, and meet their death at his hands.
Run, Ichabod, Run[]
The best-known telling of the Headless Horseman tale is Washington Irving's short story, "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow." In the story, a teacher named Ichabod Crane meets up with the Horseman and races for his life to reach a bridge that the ghost cannot cross. The Horseman hurls his head at Crane, knocking him down just before he reaches safety.
Trading Card[]
Trivia[]
- The title of the bottom-most section on the back of the knowledge card, "Run, Ichabod, Run", is a reference to a famous line from the 1994 movie Forrest Gump, in which the titular main character's love interest, Jenny, says "Run, Forrest, run!".
- The Headless Horseman is featured on several Monster Mania cards:
- He is the suspect on the Monster Mania 95 card, Headless in the Hollow, a mystery investigated by the Weird n' Wild Detectives.
- He is then featured in Monster Mix-Up on Monster Mania 101.