I SWEAR THIS WONT JUST BE ME TALKING ABOUT SLEEPY HOLLOW, I SWEAR.Okay, we will be talking about it a little bit but that’s because it’s core to the mythos.
Let’s give a quick run down. There’s this guy, right? Ichabod Crane. That’s his name. He’s a gangly fellow and the teacher in Sleepy Hollow. He falls in love with Katrina Van Tassel, a local farmer’s daughter and attempts to get to know her via singing lessons. Then there’s a guy names Bromm Van Brunt. Bromm is a bastard, and also infatuated with Katrina. He harrows Ichabod for several weeks. Eventually everyone in town is invited to Katrina’s fathers house for an Evening Gathering (which is Olde Speak for “A Bloody Good Rager”). Ichabod dresses up and dances better than Bromm, impressing Katrina. To end the night everyone tells scary stories and he is told of THE HEADLESS HORSEMAN OF SLEEPY HOLLOW. As he leaves the party he sees a dark figure in the night’s fogs. He attempts to commune with them only to be pursued by THE HEADLESS HORSEMAN, who then throws his Pumkin Head at Ichabod. The next morning, Ichabod’s Horse and Hat are found but he isn’t. The disappearance goes down in the towns history as a supernatural event.
There we are, THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW. What can we gleam from this, about The Headless Horseman. In this story we can tell a few things.
1st, The Headless Horseman (in this story) originates from The Town of Sleepy Hollow.
2nd, The Headless Horseman wears a Carved Pumpkin Burning with the flames of Hell. (Not mentioned in Recap)
3rd, The Headless Horseman seems to be an Opportunity Killer.
4th, It might have been Bromm.
5th, The Headless Horseman didn’t harm the Horse.
6th, It seems to be a kind of Ghost. Maybe?
Why are these Important?
Well, I’d like to present to you a new (not really) creature…
THE DULLAHAN!!
What is the Dullahan?
Why, It’s the Headless Horseman you snap-wise ninny!
Except it’s Irish! Or Celtic. Or, Scottish?
A Dullahan, is the original version of THE HEADLESS HORSEMAN.
It is also very different to the more modern, adapted version of it.
They’re depicted as a Headless Rider garbed in Black and riding a Black Horse or, a Carriage Drawn by 6 Black Horses and often described as “a Silent, Dark, Unseelie, Malicious Faery”.
Let’s go over some basics.
First big difference: The Dullahan isn’t just “A GHOST. BOO!”
It’s DEATH. The DEATH. D – E – E – T – H.
In Celtic-Irish-Scottish Lore, The Dullahan would fill the Psychopomp Role of Death, coming to “Collect” the Soul of one meant to Die.
They were also FAE, serving the Fae god “Crom Dubh” (Pronounced Kr-uu-m D-oo-ve) who was associated with Human Sacrifice.
Those who were said to come across A Dullahan would often not live to tell the tale. This was because of many reasons; one does not easily walk away after crossing the path of Death itself.
Any who gaze upon the Dullahan will be Blinded as if their eyes had been removed. Even if one were to subvert their eyes, the Horseman would, yet still, ensure that you could not see It, by slashing it’s Spinal Whip across your Peepers! (Yeesh. Though, I do wonder what would happen it you were already blind.)
Those attempting to Hide from The Dullahan would be unable to, because any Locks, Bolts, Barricades, Doors, Gates and Obstacles would be unlocked by it’s mere presence! Even then, it merely speaking Your Name will bring you to it. One way, or another…
It’s only real aversion is Gold. That’s it. One of the most Valuable resources we have, that is most likely to get stolen from you by a Mugger or Bandit. I can’t even afford a Gold Tooth, I doubt I could afford a Gold Coin.
What interests me about this Gold Fact is that most Fae possess a weakness to Iron, but it seems The Dullahan doesn’t.
The Dullahan is said to wield 4 Weapons.
A Shined Iron Sabre, perfect for the Calvary.
A Wrought Iron Axe, perfect for the removal of Knoggins.
A Human Spine, used as a Barbed Whip.
And Lastly, It’s Own Severed Head (Or approximate).
It’s head is of particular interest, as it’s said to be able to see through any Fog, Frost or Field.
It’s also interesting because, in Celtic beliefs, the head is seen as the Home of The Soul, which is why the Head’s of Enemies were often taken as a trophy after battle.
The Soul was thought to provide protection from Bad Luck and The Supernatural. As the saying goes “Two Heads are better than One”.
Another fact is that, they can also be Women (Yay, Girl Power)!
There wasn’t even a difference between models (TRUE EQUALITY! I hope).
Of course however, the Male Version is more Popular. I can’t believe we’ve done this.
Referring back to the glimpse of a mention of a Silent, Horse Drawn Carraige.
This was sometimes referred to as The Coachman To The Afterlife or Coach-A-Bower, and was an Omen of Death and Famine.
This Silent Carriage was said to move so fast it’s tracks would be partially on fire, shamelessly ripping off “Back To The Future”, 3000 years later.
Another difference between the Modern Version of The Dullahan and The Headless Horseman is, the thing that brings them.
With The Dullahan, it at first seems free to kill whomever it pleases, as their time having come by it’s claim.
However, there are times when this is not the case, because The Dullahan connects with another Myth.
One that It also shares with The Headless Horseman.
The Banshee.
Said to be the Ghost of a Wronged Woman, Banshees are known of their Iconic Screaming, Wailing, Sobbing, Crying, Howling, Whimpering, Whining, Squalling, Shrieking, Weeping, Keening, Bawling and My Thesaurus is out of Synonyms for “Cry”, now.
It’s said that one of the few things that can, for certain, drag the Dullahan to you, Is hearing The Wail of a Banshee.
This is something that both The Dullahan and Headless Horseman have in common. Both will come running when they hear a Woman Scream. Or, well. A Wronged Ghost, of a Woman. Which certainly does have interesting Implications.
Otherwise The Headless Horseman seems to roam a sole area, where as The Dullahan Roams.
Both are typically heralded by a sound, or lack there-of. Sometimes it’s a Banshee’s Wail, sometimes a Hunting Horn, sometimes it’s The Woods going completely quiet all at once.
One of the Best ideas I’ve heard on Dullahan is that; “Dullahan”, is not a single myth or creature, but a type of creature.
The Headless Horseman IS a Dullahan. This explains all the different versions of Headless Horsemen and Dullahan that can be seen in places like Scotland and Germany and in Modern Pop-Culture.
That version of The Headless Horseman where he’s a Biker? Dullahan.
The Headless Horseman from Arthurian Legend, The Green Knight? Dullahan.
The Decapitated Hessian Calvary, using a Pumkin whilst they fruitlessly search for their Shattered Skull? Dullahan.
Personally, The Headless Horseman is one of my Favourite Cryptids.
I understand that calling it a “Cryptid”, is stretching the definition but calling it a “Myth” feels wrong. When we picture Myths we think of Icarus, Zeus, Loki, Odin, etc. This isn’t grand like that. It’s smaller, wilder, like the Stories of Cryptids.
After all, If Krakens can be a Cryptid, so can The Headless Horseman.
Plus, it’s Irish and plenty of them believe in the Fae. So, it counts.
Comments