Who the Headless Horseman is
The Headless Horseman is the chief spirit in the stories told around Sleepy Hollow, a quiet valley beside the Hudson. Local people describe him as the ghost of a Hessian trooper, a German soldier fighting for the British.
According to their legend, a cannonball carries away his head during a Revolutionary War battle. The tale presents this account as local belief, keeping the Horseman within the valley's atmosphere of rumor and haunting.
What the Headless Horseman wants
The Horseman's purpose in the local legend is to search at night for his missing head. His favorite ground is the road near the old church, which stands beside a bridge over a brook.
The Headless Horseman and the others in the story
Ichabod Crane fills his imagination with ghost stories, making the Horseman's legend especially powerful for him.
Brom Bones also brings the Horseman into the stories exchanged at the Van Tassel party. He claims that he once races the ghost and nearly beats him to the bridge.
Questions
Who is the Headless Horseman?
He is a legendary ghost whom Sleepy Hollow's residents identify as a Hessian trooper without a head.
Why does the Headless Horseman ride at night?
According to local belief, he rides in search of the head he loses in battle.
Is the Headless Horseman a real ghost?
The story leaves his nature uncertain, allowing room for rumor, trickery or something supernatural.
