While it is a horror story, it is also ironic and even funny. “Sleepy Hollow” was revolutionary because it suggested that the newly formed United States did, indeed, have a history, both literary and cultural-even if this history had much of its roots elsewhere. Some scholars have noted that “Sleepy Hollow,” in particular, has much in common with the stories collected by German writer and academic Karl Musäus (who was going around collecting old folktales around the same time as the much more famous Grimm brothers). Nevertheless, both these tales are heavily influenced by Dutch and German folktales. While most of these stories deal with an American’s perspective on English life, both “Sleepy Hollow” and “Rip Van Winkle” established Irving’s reputation as the first professional American writer. “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” is one of the stories printed in The Sketchbook of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent., a collection of stories published while Irving was living in England.

He continued writing and keeping up with correspondence until his death in 1859. Later in his life he moved back to Tarrytown, New York, and lived on an estate he named “Sunnyside.” He left this estate to serve as the US ambassador to Spain for four years before returning.

He spent 17 years living in Europe (primarily Britain and Spain) and was well regarded abroad. His writing eventually earned him fame and status, and he was one of the first American authors whose writings received international recognition. Irving studied law before becoming interested in historical writing and short fiction. Irving was born in New York and was named after General George Washington (who hadn’t yet been elected President at the time of Irving’s birth, as the Constitution had not been either written or ratified by 1783). “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” along with “Rip Van Winkle,” are the short stories for which Irving is best known. Washington Irving was a fiction writer, biographer, historian, essayist, and US ambassador who worked during the first half of the 19th century.

The legend of sleepy hollow short story