Image via YouTube
First published in 1820, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving has touched millions well beyond the quaint glen in which it was based, yielding cartoons, movies and a television show. Thankfully, you can enjoy a great deal of it outside of your living room.
As the season of haunts comes and goes, we take a look at a closer look at a familiar tale, examining the far reach of a classic story that involves a Headless Horseman riding around tossing lit Jack-o'-lanterns all over the place:
The Tale:
Anyone with a mere passing interest in Halloween has heard of Sleepy Hollow, which has featured recently in a movie starring Johnny Depp and a television series on Fox-but more on those in a second.
First, Mojo dissects Irving's marvel, bringing us up to speed on the origins and impact of the short story.
The Place:
Those with an itch to see the place that served as the impetus behind Ichabod Crane and his terrifying ride through Sleepy Hollow, New York is ready to welcome each of you.
National Geographic offers a glimpse of the destination that rests near Tarrytown, New York:
Thanks to the following YouTube video, we take a walk around the town noting various landmarks, including the spot where the bridge referenced in the story once stood.
And this is precisely the busy time of year for a town that embraces its historic past. There is a wealth of information at VisitSleepyHollow.com.
There you can find out more on the Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze, cemetery tours, a re-telling of the story and more.
Now there isn't an official Halloween city, but there is something to be said for voting for Sleepy Hollow if such a thing existed. The spirit of the legend as well as the scary holiday is alive and well in this glorious glen.
The Movie:
In 1999, Tim Burton did what he does best, releasing a brooding and dark movie. Starring Depp, Sleepy Hollow satisfies those searching for a dark and visceral version of the familiar tale.
Rather than film the movie in America (although part was filmed in New York), Burton and company descended upon England, shooting in places like Hertfordshire, Shepperton, Oxfordshire and London.
At about two minutes into the following video, you can see Sleepy Hollow built right onto English land:
A New York Times' column from Matt Wolfposted in 1999 covers the how and why on crossing the Atlantic for a story that is based along the Hudson River. While much of the movie was produced in a studio. Wolf writes:
"Much of that time has been spent here at Shepperton and Leavesden Studios. But on a recent day they were finishing a monthlong location shoot outdoors on private English grounds that had been transformed into the fearsome (and rain-soaked) turf of Irving's legendary Headless Horseman."
As for a specific place, Wolf offers that the movie's backdrop was, "constructed in a meadow not too far from London."
The Show:
A nation mad for things supernatural has a show dedicated to the legend. Americans may have a bit more luck finding actual film locations for the Fox show starring Tom Mison and Nicole Beharie.
Star News Online, in fact, has a treasure map of sorts, pointing out the various locations in North Carolina where you might spot the background from your favorite scenes.
Princess Place Drive in Wilmington, for example, is featured in the seventh episode. The website offers, "'The Midnight Ride,' the Headless Horseman chases Ichabod through this cemetery. They also returned on Dec. 19 to shoot scenes for the season finale."
And here is Mison and Orlando Jones giving a shout out to the vast historical sites of the state:
As you can clearly see, a short story written nearly 200 years ago continues to evolve and spread throughout all of pop culture, offering so much entertainment for fans yearning for scares and intrigue.
From Sleepy Hollow to North Carolina and everywhere in between, there is plenty to enjoy. Just make sure you watch out for anyone riding around sans head, because they bring with them nothing but trouble.
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