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The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. by Washington Irving. What is a legend?. Stories from that past that are believed to be historical. Usually about a king, hero, famous person, event, or war. It is associated with a particular time in history. Examples:
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The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving
What is a legend? • Stories from that past that are believed to be historical. Usually about a king, hero, famous person, event, or war. It is associated with a particular time in history. • Examples: • Examples: Sleepy Hollow, Robin Hood, King Arthur, Beowulf, New Jersey Devil
What is a myth? • Myths are sacred stories from the past that usually explain the origin of life, a culture’s morals, or human behavior • Usually about someone/something great and can involve supernatural powers • Examples: • Zeus, Greek and Roman Mythology
What is a folktale? • Folktales are stories that are pure fiction and have no particular location in time or space. • Usually folktales are about people or animals who act like people • Examples: • Fairy tales, Tall tales, Aesop’s Fables
What’s the difference? • A legend is based on a true, historical event and twisted through the years • A myth was never true but created to explain an historical event or occurrence • A folktale is not true and has no real link to history
Washington Irving(1783-1859) • Youngest of 11 children, named after president George Washington • Born in NYC, spent much of his youth and adulthood in Tarry Town, NY near the Catskill Mountains • Wrote under the pseudonym “Diedrich Knickerbocker for a time and this name became quite famous among New Yorkers • Became a mentor for aspiring authors like Edgar Allan Poe and friends with established authors like Charles Dickens • Popularized the vision that St. Nicholas soared over rooftops In a wagon at Christmas, the nickname “Gotham City” for NYC, and is credited with the name of New York’s basketball team, the Knicks
Irving(continued) • Died of a heart attack at age 76 in his home, Sunnyside • Some famous works: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Rip Van Winkle, andThe History of New York
The Real Sleepy Hollow • Located in New York next to the Hudson River – 25 miles north of NYC. Old Dutch Cemetery
The Famous Bridge • Although the bridge has been lost throughout time, (it would be where the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery is) there is a bridge within the cemetery’s walls similar to the bridge from the legend.
Who was Ichabod Crane? • Washington Irving took the name, not the character, from a man he knew during the war of 1812
Ichabod Crane’s Character • Irving spent several months in Kinderhook, a town further north along the Hudson river where he met the local school master, Jesse Merwin. • It is believed that the character of Ichabod is based on this man.
Who was Katrina VanTassel? • The character of Katrina is thought to have been based upon Eleanor Van Tassel Brush. • The name comes from Eleanor's aunt CatrienaEcker Van Texel. • Both people were from the town of Sleepy Hollow
What/Who is the Headless Horseman? • Thought to be an old Hessian (German) soldier from the Revolutionary War who had his head taken off by a cannon