Is this really a true story? Do you think there was a headless horseman ever? I love hearing stories about it, I just don't think it's true. How can you tell a myth from the truth?
The headless horseman myth has been around since before Washington Irving wrote his "Legend of Sleepy Hollow". It is a German folktale that circulated in the Dutch villages around upstate New York. I am sure there is some truth to the Hessian soldier who became the horseman but how much truth I don't know for sure.
I have actually been to the area around Tarrytown he is said to haunt. I didn't run it to him though, thank goodness!
I live in Upstate NY so that is why I hear about it so much, I bet. How intersting and I'm glad I've never ran into him too. I do try to research a lot of topics and see if I believe them or not. This is a pretty cool forum to talk about all these crazy things.
Being a Johnny Depp fanatic, I've watched his 1999 version thousands of times, and I'm sure Burton put his own spin on the story. I'd like to read Irving's version someday to compare.
I loved that movie Rhonda! I don't know why the legend got started but I don't think there was ever a headless horseman unless it was truly a spirit that haunts the area. I would like to know his reason for haunting though. Was he spurned the love of the girl he admired? Sigh.........
I love that story, and really like the Johnny Depp movie. I think Johnny Depp is an amazing actor. I would like to point out that it is supposedly a legend, NOT a myth (myths and legends being two different things).