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Though the author clearly thinks the square-jawed etc. ought to get the girl, that is not every reader's reaction


* AntiVillain: Brom Bones is depicted as displaying all the qualities of a Great American Hero: bravery, recklessness, and square-jawed, good ol' boy charm. As such, even though the entire story (in one interpretation) hinges on the consequences of a prank he pulls, the reader never loses sympathy with him.

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* AntiVillain: Brom Bones is depicted as displaying all the qualities of a Great American Hero: bravery, recklessness, and square-jawed, good ol' boy charm. As such, even though the entire story (in one interpretation) hinges on the consequences of a prank he pulls, the reader author never loses sympathy with him.

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* AmbiguousEnding: Was Ichabod killed by the Horseman or did he just flee from Sleepy Hollow and move somewhere else? Was the Horseman actually supernatural or was it just Brom trying to scare Ichabod off? It's up to the readers to decide, and what answer they decide on completely changes the story.



* AmbiguousEnding: Was Ichabod killed by the Horseman or did he just flee from Sleepy Hollow and move somewhere else? Was the Horseman actually supernatural or was it just Brom trying to scare Ichabod off? It's up to the readers to decide, and what answer they decide on completely changes the story.
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The story has been subject to [[DerivativeWorks/TheLegendOfSleepyHollow a great many adaptations]] since Irving's time, with the "quilting frolick" of the original frequently getting transferred to [[UsefulNotes/AllHallowsEve Halloween]].[[note]]In actuality, Halloween was not widely celebrated in the United States at the time the story was written, let alone when it takes place. The holiday only started to catch on in the U.S. when Irish and Scottish immigrants brought it over in the mid-19th century.[[/note]] In more than one adaptation it is strongly hinted that the Horseman is a genuine supernatural apparition, although Irving's original story leaves things more ambiguous.

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The story has been subject to given [[DerivativeWorks/TheLegendOfSleepyHollow a great many adaptations]] since Irving's time, with the "quilting frolick" of the original tale frequently getting transferred to [[UsefulNotes/AllHallowsEve Halloween]].[[note]]In actuality, Halloween was not widely celebrated in the United States at the time the story was written, let alone when it takes place. The holiday only started to catch on in the U.S. when Irish and Scottish immigrants brought it over in the mid-19th century.[[/note]] In more than one adaptation it is strongly hinted implied that the Horseman is a genuine supernatural apparition, although Irving's original story leaves things more ambiguous.
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"The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" – also known informally as "The Headless Horseman" – is a short story by the American author Creator/WashingtonIrving, originally published in February 1820 as one of a series of stories later collected as ''The Sketch-book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent.'' As with a number of Irving's stories, the plot is based on German folk legend (particularly in the re-told versions of Karl Musäus), transplanted to a Hudson Valley, New York setting, and mingled with Irving's genial satire of human, and particularly American, foibles.

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"The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" – also known informally as "The Headless Horseman" – is a short story by the American author Creator/WashingtonIrving, originally published in February 1820 as one of a series of stories later collected as ''The Sketch-book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent.'' As with a number of Irving's stories, the plot is based on German folk legend (particularly in the re-told versions of Karl Musäus), transplanted to a Hudson Valley, New York setting, setting and mingled with Irving's genial satire of human, and particularly American, foibles.
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The story has been subject to [[DerivativeWorks/TheLegendOfSleepyHollow a great many adaptations]] since Irving's time, with the "quilting frolick" of the original frequently getting transferred to [[UsefulNotes/AllHallowsEve Halloween]].[[note]]In actuality, Halloween was not widely celebrated in the United States at the time the story was written, let alone when it takes place. The holiday only started to catch on in the U.S. when Irish and Scottish immigrants brought it over in the mid-19th century.[[/note]] In more than one adaptation it is strongly hinted that the Horseman is a genuine supernatural apparition, although the original story leaves things more ambiguous.

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The story has been subject to [[DerivativeWorks/TheLegendOfSleepyHollow a great many adaptations]] since Irving's time, with the "quilting frolick" of the original frequently getting transferred to [[UsefulNotes/AllHallowsEve Halloween]].[[note]]In actuality, Halloween was not widely celebrated in the United States at the time the story was written, let alone when it takes place. The holiday only started to catch on in the U.S. when Irish and Scottish immigrants brought it over in the mid-19th century.[[/note]] In more than one adaptation it is strongly hinted that the Horseman is a genuine supernatural apparition, although the Irving's original story leaves things more ambiguous.
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The story has been subject to [[DerivativeWorks/SleepyHollow a great many adaptations]] since Irving's time, with the "quilting frolick" of the original frequently getting transferred to [[UsefulNotes/AllHallowsEve Halloween]].[[note]]In actuality, Halloween was not widely celebrated in the United States at the time the story was written, let alone when it takes place. The holiday only started to catch on in the U.S. when Irish and Scottish immigrants brought it over in the mid-19th century.[[/note]] In more than one adaptation it is strongly hinted that the Horseman is a genuine supernatural apparition, although the original story leaves things more ambiguous.

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The story has been subject to [[DerivativeWorks/SleepyHollow [[DerivativeWorks/TheLegendOfSleepyHollow a great many adaptations]] since Irving's time, with the "quilting frolick" of the original frequently getting transferred to [[UsefulNotes/AllHallowsEve Halloween]].[[note]]In actuality, Halloween was not widely celebrated in the United States at the time the story was written, let alone when it takes place. The holiday only started to catch on in the U.S. when Irish and Scottish immigrants brought it over in the mid-19th century.[[/note]] In more than one adaptation it is strongly hinted that the Horseman is a genuine supernatural apparition, although the original story leaves things more ambiguous.
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The story has been subject to [[Franchise/SleepyHollow a great many adaptations]] since Irving's time, with the "quilting frolick" of the original frequently getting transferred to [[UsefulNotes/AllHallowsEve Halloween]].[[note]]In actuality, Halloween was not widely celebrated in the United States at the time the story was written, let alone when it takes place. The holiday only started to catch on in the U.S. when Irish and Scottish immigrants brought it over in the mid-19th century.[[/note]] In more than one adaptation it is strongly hinted that the Horseman is a genuine supernatural apparition, although the original story leaves things more ambiguous.

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The story has been subject to [[Franchise/SleepyHollow [[DerivativeWorks/SleepyHollow a great many adaptations]] since Irving's time, with the "quilting frolick" of the original frequently getting transferred to [[UsefulNotes/AllHallowsEve Halloween]].[[note]]In actuality, Halloween was not widely celebrated in the United States at the time the story was written, let alone when it takes place. The holiday only started to catch on in the U.S. when Irish and Scottish immigrants brought it over in the mid-19th century.[[/note]] In more than one adaptation it is strongly hinted that the Horseman is a genuine supernatural apparition, although the original story leaves things more ambiguous.
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* Series/{{Wishbone}} reenacted the role of Ichabod Crane in the episode "Halloween Hound: The Legend of Creepy Collars" in 1996.

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* Series/{{Wishbone}} reenacted the role of Ichabod Crane in the episode "Halloween "[[Recap/WishboneS2E01And02TheLegendOfCreepyCollarsParts1And2 Halloween Hound: The Legend of Creepy Collars" Collars]]" in 1996.1997.
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* KavorkaMan: Ichabod's a pretty odd-looking man (though some illustrators successfully translate his description into more ''distinctive'' than ugly), but he's extremely popular with the young single women of Sleepy Hollow thanks to being educated and an excellent conversationalist. He exploits this by scrounging dinners off of them and their families when he comes calling on them, all while dreaming of how he loves Katrina...[[WesternAnimation/TheDoverBoys 's father's money]].
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* DeadHatShot: [[NeverFoundTheBody The only thing ever conclusively found of Ichabod is his hat]], leaving it ambiguous as to whether he survived his encounter with the Horseman.

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* DeadHatShot: [[NeverFoundTheBody The only thing ever conclusively found of Ichabod is his hat]], hat]] with a shattered pumpkin close beside it, leaving it ambiguous as to whether he survived his encounter with the Horseman.
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* CorporalPunishment: Ichabod is a firm believer in the golden maxim, "Spare the rod and spoil the child." Still, he is careful to administer justice with discrimination.
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"The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" -- also known informally as "The Headless Horseman" -- is a short story by American author Creator/WashingtonIrving, originally published in February 1820 as one of a series of stories later collected as ''The Sketch-book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent.'' As with a number of Irving's stories, the plot is based on German folk legend (particularly in the re-told versions of Karl Musäus), transplanted to a Hudson Valley, New York setting, and mingled with Irving's genial satire of human, and particularly American, foibles.

to:

"The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" -- also known informally as "The Headless Horseman" -- is a short story by the American author Creator/WashingtonIrving, originally published in February 1820 as one of a series of stories later collected as ''The Sketch-book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent.'' As with a number of Irving's stories, the plot is based on German folk legend (particularly in the re-told versions of Karl Musäus), transplanted to a Hudson Valley, New York setting, and mingled with Irving's genial satire of human, and particularly American, foibles.
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* TheMunchausen: At the party, Van Tassel and a few of the other elderly gentlemen swap fanciful war stories.
-->Just sufficient time had elapsed to enable each story-teller to dress up his tale with a little becoming fiction, and, in the indistinctness of his recollection, to make himself the hero of every exploit.
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* OffWithHisHead: The Headless Horseman is given some backstory; he's believed to be the ghost of a Hessian trooper[[note]]German auxiliary troops serving alongside the British army (and they were ''not'' mercenaries - they were official troops sent by the German government. The Hessians also had a reputation for being even more brutal than the British[[/note]] that had his head shot off by a stray cannonball during "some nameless battle" of the American Revolutionary War, and who "rides forth to the scene of battle in nightly quest of his head".

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* OffWithHisHead: The Headless Horseman is given some backstory; he's believed to be the ghost of a Hessian trooper[[note]]German auxiliary troops serving alongside the British army (and during the American Revolutionary War; and they were ''not'' mercenaries - they were official troops sent by the German government. The Hessians also had a reputation for being even more brutal than the British[[/note]] that had his head shot off by a stray cannonball during "some nameless battle" of the American Revolutionary War, and who "rides forth to the scene of battle in nightly quest of his head".
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* MeatOVision: A rare literary example, when Ichabod sees Van Tassel's farm.
-->In his devouring mind’s eye, he pictured to himself every roasting-pig running about with a pudding in his belly, and an apple in his mouth; the pigeons were snugly put to bed in a comfortable pie, and tucked in with a coverlet of crust; the geese were swimming in their own gravy; and the ducks pairing cosily in dishes, like snug married couples, with a decent competency of onion sauce. In the porkers he saw carved out the future sleek side of bacon, and juicy relishing ham; not a turkey but he beheld daintily trussed up, with its gizzard under its wing, and, peradventure, a necklace of savory sausages; and even bright chanticleer himself lay sprawling on his back, in a side dish, with uplifted claws, as if craving that quarter which his chivalrous spirit disdained to ask while living.

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* FoodPorn: Ichabod loves to eat, and much of the story focuses on his quasi-erotic imaginings regarding lovingly prepared food. This is another of the details that makes the story such good autumn reading.

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* FoodPorn: One of the aspects of the story that makes it such good autumn reading; Ichabod loves to eat, and much of the story focuses on his quasi-erotic imaginings regarding lovingly prepared food. This is another of seasonal food. At one point the details narrator even apologizes that makes he can't describe the story such good autumn reading.food in ''even more'' detail, because he needs to get on with the story.
-->Happily, Ichabod Crane was not in so great a hurry as his historian, but did ample justice to every dainty.
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* BoisterousBruiser: Brom Bones, a musclebound giant who loves to pull pranks and have fun.


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* OldTimeyAnkleTaboo: Katrina is said to favor "a provokingly short petticoat, to display the prettiest foot and ankle in the country round."


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* UnclePennybags: Baltus Van Tassel is "satisfied with his wealth, but not proud of it". He has no interest in increasing his wealth or holdings, and would prefer to simply maintain and manage what he already has and throw the occasional party for his neighbors. From Irving's description of the quilting frolick, Van Tassel comes across as a very generous host indeed.

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* CallAPegasusAHippogriff: The narrator, when referring to the Horseman and his steed, uses the terms "ghost" and "goblin" interchangeably. Today, in the age of fantasy lore, we would see the two concepts as sharply delineated, but in Irving's day, most supernatural concepts were seen as basically the same thing.



* CoolHorse: Both played straight, with Brom's black horse, Daredevil, and inverted, with Gunpowder, the broken-down hack that Ichabod borrows from an irascible farmer.

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* CoolHorse: Both played straight, with Brom's black horse, Daredevil, and inverted, with Gunpowder, the broken-down hack MoodyMount that Ichabod borrows from an irascible farmer.farmer, although we're told that Gunpowder probably ''used to be'' this trope.



* HellishHorse: The Hessian's horse is described as having a powerful frame which, combined with the silhouette of the horseman atop, looks like a "gigantic monster ready to spring upon the traveler", even before Ichabod realizes its rider is headless.

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* HellishHorse: The Hessian's horse is described as having a powerful frame which, combined with the silhouette of the horseman atop, looks like a "gigantic monster ready to spring upon the traveler", even before Ichabod realizes its rider is headless. Of course, it's implied that this is really just Daredevil.

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* {{Bowdlerise}}: In the original text, the invitation to the "quilting frolick" is delivered by "a negro," whose behavior is described patronizingly. Modern reprints are apt to either cut the description of his behavior or replace the word "negro" with "messenger."
* BrainsEvilBrawnGood: Ichabod, the intellectual schoolmaster, is portrayed as weak-willed, venal and effeminate; while Brom Bones, the barrel-chested stallion-breaker, is portrayed as honorable, or at least more honorable than Ichabod. On the other hand, Ichabod is a deeply superstitious man, in contrast to the rational Bones, so in a sense, Brom is actually the smarter of the two.

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* {{Bowdlerise}}: In the original text, the invitation to the "quilting frolick" is delivered by "a negro," whose behavior is described patronizingly. Later on, at the party, there is a rather condescending description of the black household servants being much impressed with Ichabod's dancing. Modern reprints are apt to either cut these descriptions or else remove references to race, turning the description of his behavior or replace the word "negro" with "messenger."
characters into merely clownish servants.
* BrainsEvilBrawnGood: Ichabod, the intellectual schoolmaster, is portrayed as weak-willed, venal and effeminate; while Brom Bones, the barrel-chested stallion-breaker, is portrayed as honorable, or at least more honorable than Ichabod. On the other hand, Ichabod is a deeply superstitious and gullible man, in contrast to the rational and hard-headed Bones, so in a sense, Brom is actually the smarter of the two.



* FoodPorn: Ichabod loves to eat, and much of the story focuses on his quasi-erotic imaginings regarding lovingly prepared food.

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* FoodPorn: Ichabod loves to eat, and much of the story focuses on his quasi-erotic imaginings regarding lovingly prepared food. This is another of the details that makes the story such good autumn reading.



* GoldDigger: Ichabod is much impressed by Katrina's beauty and charms, but what seems to really get his attention is her dad's money.



* LoveTriangle: Ichabod and Brom vie for Katrina. It's mentioned that she has other suitors, but they are not named, and it would seem both Ichabod and Brom regard each other as the only serious contenders for her love.

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* LoveTriangle: Ichabod and Brom vie for Katrina. It's mentioned that she has other suitors, but they are not named, and it would seem both Ichabod and Brom regard each other as the only serious contenders for her love. See OperationJealousy below, though.



* OperationJealousy: Katrina uses Ichabod to pull this on Brom.

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* OperationJealousy: The narrator speculates that Katrina uses Ichabod was never really interested in Ichabod, and was only using him to pull this on Brom.spur Brom into finally proposing.



* PumpkinPerson: The HeadlessHorseman is sometimes depicted with a jack-o'-lantern in place of his head.
* PurpleProse: Some modern readers may be put off by Irving's luxuriant descriptions, typical of the early nineteenth century, of the New York landscape, or the heaped-up delicacies of an old Dutch table, or the varied apparitions that haunt the Hollow.
* RoundedCharacter: Although his most-obvious trait is his greed, Ichabod is actually a rather multi-faceted character. Beyond his selfish ambitions, Ichabod is also superstitious, imaginative, has a (typically unhealthy) sense of curiosity, and even has some [[PetTheDog positive traits]] thrown in for good measure.
* SatelliteLoveInterest: Katrina isn't given much characterization other than being the love interest of both Ichabod and Brom.

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* PumpkinPerson: The HeadlessHorseman is sometimes depicted with a jack-o'-lantern in place of his head.
head. In the text, Ichabod sees the horseman carrying a severed head and eventually throwing it at him; in the morning, the locals find the shattered remains of a pumpkin, suggesting that this is what Ichabod actually saw. There's no reference to the pumpkin being carved into a jack-o'-lantern[[note]]Historians are uncertain whether anyone was carving jack-o'lanterns yet when this story was written. Even if the practice did exist, it would not have reached a secluded Dutch New York community yet.[[/note]], but as the story became more and more a fixture of Halloween culture, depicting the pumpkin with a carved face just started to seem right.
* PurpleProse: Some modern readers may be put off by Irving's luxuriant descriptions, typical of the early nineteenth century, of the New York landscape, or the [[FoodPorn heaped-up delicacies of an old Dutch table, table]], or the varied apparitions that haunt the Hollow.
* RoundedCharacter: Although his most-obvious trait is traits are his greed, greed and gluttony, Ichabod is actually a rather multi-faceted character. Beyond his selfish ambitions, Ichabod is also superstitious, imaginative, has a (typically unhealthy) sense of curiosity, and even has some [[PetTheDog positive traits]] thrown in for good measure.
* SatelliteLoveInterest: Katrina isn't given much characterization other than being the love interest of both Ichabod and Brom. The narrator freely confesses he doesn't really know what was going on in her head.


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* UnreliableNarrator: The entire chase sequence with the HeadlessHorseman is written as if it is a literal encounter with a terrifying ghost. Only in the aftermath the following morning do we learn that what Ichabod saw as a severed head was actually just a pumpkin, and it begins to be implied that Ichabod's encounter was actually a ScoobyDooHoax by Brom.

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