Brom IS the Headless Horseman THEORY (The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad)
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- Опубліковано 20 гру 2020
- happy holidays! here's a halloween theory about disney's animated film: The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (but only the part about icahbod crane)
i've been wanting to make this since october but i procrastinated
and then i stopped procrastinating so now it exists
thanks to my brother for helping me edit this video :)
.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.
the video i referenced from about death by fright:
• Can You Die Of Fright?
.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.
Please ignore and refrain from posting negative/hateful comments, let's keep it fun and friendly for everyone :D ✫ - Розваги
4:11 took me three tries to see the text, it was so worth it.
In my opinion, the story of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow has 4 endings, and it is up to the reader to decide which they want to believe.
Ending 1: Brom is the headless horseman, he scares Ichabod so bad, that Ichabod leaves Sleepy Hollow forever.
Ending 2: Brom is the headless horseman, he kills Ichabod as to have Katrina all for himself.
Ending 3: The headless horseman is real, he actually chases and catches Ichabod...taking him away to hell/the afterworld.
Ending 4: The headless horseman is real, he actually chases Ichabod, but Ichabod escapes and is so afraid he moves away forever.
I 100% agree although I think it’s heavily implied Brom never would’ve HURT anyone (in the story it’s specifically mentioned “there’s no malice to his mischief”). Brom certainly would’ve scared him away, but kill him? Not in his character I think 🤔
@@dillionoshea7535he definitely seemed pretty eager to beat up ichabod in the Disney version of the story but likely still wouldn't have wanted to kill him as for the horseman I very much think he was real and brom's story wasn't just to scare ichabod but also to warn him
all very sad endings
I'd go with the 4th one
I like ending 4!
If you read the actual Washington Irving novella, it is very clear that Brom is the headless horseman, and that he is trying to scare Ichabod off so that he can marry Katrina. You guys should read the book! Classic piece of US History and Literature.
Now that I think about it, it was Ichabod's imagination that made him to see the pumpkin the horseman was carrying as an actual human head.
It's not THAT clear. No real evidence proving Brom Bones to be the Headless Horseman is ever presented in the original story, but it's mentioned that whenever the subject of Ichabod Crane's disappearance is brought up, Brom reacts only with amusement, leading some of the locals to suspect that he knows more than he's telling. Thus, the theory that Brom and the Headless Horseman are one and the same is, so to speak, open to interpretation.
Also, since Ichabod's body is never found, there's no proof that he was "killed," as the narrator of this video suggests. In the actual tale, a visitor to Sleepy Hollow claims that he saw Ichabod alive and well, and living in Connecticut, where he had become a lawyer or a politician, or something like that. Unfortunately, the superstitious residents of Sleepy Hollow still hold on to their fervent belief that Ichabod Crane was somehow spirited away by the Headless Horseman.
@@michaelpalmieri7335 of course there's no evidence, it's a piece of fiction. It's inference.
Agree. As a piece of cake, he got away without meddling kids
Also, the book is more a comedy than a horror story. But the interesting thing that Disney did is make the story actually scary. You could believe that the Horseman is real in the cartoon.
I always got the vibe that maybe Brom WAS planning on impersonating the Horseman, and might have been off to the side gearing up to do it, only for the REAL Headless Horseman to show up and drive off Ichabod, probably scaring the hell out of Brom too in the process. There's not that much evidence to go off of to prove it but that was always MY theory as a kid, anyway lol
There is a moment in the book the film is based on where brom bones laughs loudly everytime someone mentions ichabod and the shattered pumpkin.
If I remember correctly in the original story by the late Washington Irving Ichabod survived the attack from the horseman, left town to become a politician, a lawyer, and a judge and with Brom specifically saying “once you cross that bridge my friend, the ghost is through, his power ends” the horseman should not have been able to throw the flaming pumpkin at Ichabod but I believe that it is a good possibility that Brom Bones could indeed have been the Headless horseman, then again as of now that still remains much of a mystery.
In the original story, it's said that that's one of the rumors relating to what happened to Ichabod.
Keeping it a mystery (Even while hinting it could very well have been Brom) was a stroke of genius, as it kept people talking about it to this day, 200 years later!
That is where the movie continues my friend the horse man was a prank by brom and the horse man could cross the bridge just not under it but above it and it's not just the bridge it is also the church the horse man would disintegrate since he 8s from hell and the horse man kills brom and starts ichabod but he survived
I honestly think your theory is true but maybe also not, I think after ichabod’s scene with the tumbleweeds he eventually fell asleep since he left at the witching hour where he has the nightmare of the horseman chasing him, and when he wakes up he becomes so scared and fed up with sleepy hollow he flees the town dropping his hat and maybe the stattered pumpkin could have been broms that he accidentally drops after seeing ichabods hat and maybe thinks that he got eaten by wolves
@@chingon718
That scene with the tumbleweeds is from the movie. It was not a part of Washington Irving's story. Also, it is never even suggested that Ichabod Crane dismounted from his horse, or that he fell asleep in the woods, or that his encounter with the Headless Horseman was just a bad dream.
@@michaelpalmieri7335 True maybe brom scared him off or could have killed him
Apparently, in both the original story and in the short, Katrina invited both Brom and Ichabod to the party for kicks, because she wanted to she they humiliate each other trying to woo her over. And after Brom's scary story (and both men possibly further humiliated), it's hinted at that she had picked Brom to marry (thought she was ALWAYS planning to do so anyway), and that Ichabod left so late was because he tried to propose to her but got turned down. The narrator in the short mentions that Ichabod was feeling melancholy when leaving to party before entering the forest. It could be she made her decision, but didn't tell Brom, only Ichabod (and only because she had to due to his proposal).
O dang that's interesting to know that happened in the short! Same here on Katrina picking Brom, I always thought she was going to pick him anyway 😅Definitely not cool of her to pit them against each other tho > .
@@smeeee I think that you are right about it being bones however, there is a way that ichabod could have survived by ducking at the last minute and since it was dark and brom could not see if he got him or not .ichabod could have survive by hiding from the headless horseman and never saw it was brom and remembered this disney version of the story show that both sides of whether ichabod did nor did not get hit by the punkin nor not. The non disney version of the story even show and left ambiguous if ichabod is nor is not dead and the girl and ichabod and brom are all jerks ,ichabod wants to marry for money and girl wants a fight because of her .and brom being a jerk to everyone in the town. and again whose to say that brom is pulling ichabod body ? Those lines on the road could have been from any body that was passing through before ichabod. and brom could not see if he got up. Because it was night .the dad is the only one who is ether thinking about giving some ichabod look like nor his daughter and in case she found out what happened and married to a ichabod look like .nor both. Who's to say that these ichabod body ,it could have been a wagon that passed before he left the house. There is a lot of stuff and lots. He is still alive and avoiding the times when he ask
Damn. Whether the headless horseman is a ghost or Brom one thing is for sure the real antagonist of Sleepy Hollow is Katrina...
One of the books I read(storybook one I got from the library)says that Ichabod left the party late because he wanted to be alone with Katrina to propose, but she turned him down.
If you ask me, more than likely it most definitely could've been Brom Bones as the headless horesman. On the other hand if you look very carefully when he throws the pumpkin at Ichabod, the horseman is still there on the other side of the bridge. But right as the pumpkin smashes into Ichabod, the horseman disappears...INSTANTLY. Now no human can jump and hide that quickly. So here's a question to really think about: Was it just Brom Bones as the headless horeseman? Or maybe it really was a supernatural entity trying to kill Ichabod. Whatever happened to Ichabod facing the headless horseman has been such a huge mystery for so many years during Halloween, I don't think it'll ever be solved. But I think that's part of the genius of Washington Irvine's story. He wants people to keep giving theories and guessing what we think really happened for many more years to come.
In regards to The Headless Horseman disappearing instantly, I'd just chalk (?) that up to cartoon logic. Brom was able to punch a hole straight through a tree after all. Can anyone on Earth actually do that, especially with just one hit. Another bizarre disappearing trick I often see in fiction is people disappearing behind moving vehicles. I'm not trying to give you a rude "you're just plain wrong" speech, although I'm aware that's what it could look like. Just pointing out my own theory about your theory.
@@derossetmyers47 on no that's totally fine. You're not being rude at all so no worries. Like I said everyone has their own theories of what really happened to Ichabod. I dont think there is a right or wrong answer.
Since the shot of the horseman throwing the pumpkin is Ichabod's perspective, it could very well be meant to show he believed he disappeared when really his focus shifted to the pumpkin hurling right at him, leading him to believe after the fact that he thought he saw him disappear
Brom may have been a bully and narcissist, but he doesn’t strike me as someone who could just dispose of a body and wash his hands of it. In the original story, it’s mentioned that every time the legend is told, Brom laughs at its conclusion. To do so after disposing of Ichabod would essentially make him a sadistic killer.
He didn't kill Ichabod.
People said the same about Ted bundy and Jeffrey dahmer
Well, not on purpose. That's not my theory anyway though. I think Ichabod just rode away on his horse and never came back.
I think at the end of the story it’s noted he laughed when people spoke of about the smashed pumpkin (IE indicating he knew full well Ich did escape and was alive and well)
It's noted by one farmer long after the incident that Ichabod was sighted alive and very well in town (as mayor and married to a wealthy widow, if I recall porrectly), but the elders don't believe the farmer.
Yes, in both the source material and this adaptation it's heavily implied that Brom is the headless horseman. It's also suggested in both that Ichabod didn't die, but cleared out of town immediately as he was terrified after his encounter with the horseman. The original also leads us to believe that he had proposed to Katrina after the party and been rejected, which means he had no particular reason to stay anyway.
It's strongly implied in the original story that broam dressed up as the headless horseman that night to scare Ichabod.
It's also said to be that he survived and left town to New York but the author explicitly writes that this was a rumor and never confirmed.
Its very much was the original intention of the story that Brom new more than he wished to tell about The disappearance of Ichabod.
The implications are much more subtle in the Disney rendition of the story so kudos for figuring it out with just this alone.
While the original short story makes it clear that Brom was almost certainly the Horseman (i.e. It's mentioned that whenever the story of Ichabod was brought up he always appeared a little too knowing, and the detail of the shattered pumpkin tended to cause him to burst out laughing), the Disney short leaves it much more up in the air. For instance, consider how frequently the Horsemen swings his sword at Ichabod, often barely missing his neck. Brom may be a prankster who could be provoked to scare Ichabod and even to violence in a "Let's step outside and settle this" kind of way, but I'd say even he would draw the line at attempting to flat-out kill Ichabod in that way.
In both the book and, I believe, the Disney movie, the epilog included a rumor that Iccabob had been seen in another town, married to a rich window. Brom just wanted him out of town, not dead, and the girl had lost interest in Iccabob anyway. There was no need to kill him.
I’m very impressed by your theory and Washington Irving will be proud of you
Very good analysis. I agree with most all of it, except the pumpkin. The Headless horseman was "bound by supernatural laws," but he was carrying a regular pumpkin. In one assumption we can posit that the Headless Horseman, and subsequently, his horse, his sword and his pumpkin head would be ghostly apparitions, and therefore their presence(s) is magical and bound to only one side of the bridge.
But the fact that we see Ichabod literally bump into the "ghost" proves that the "ghost" (if it actually is one) is a physical manifestation. So that leaves us with the idea that it's more of a zombie than a ghost - which may still be supernatural and abide by the laws thereof - or that it's not a ghost and at, and is actually Brom.
So then we have to ask, is that pumpkin the embodiment of the head of the Horseman, or just "some prop." I would point out that we don't really see the pumpkin behaving as a head/face. The animators could have gotten creative and showed the pumpkin head emote facial expressions, but on the whole, it's just a flaming, carved pumpkin (non-spiritual). So technically it may just be a prop that doesn't have to abide by spiritual laws.
I admire your take for this theory, but I do have a few pointers: 1. The Horseman rides bareback and without reigns. In most the scenes with Brom, he is seen on a saddle holding the reigns to control his horse. 2. (And this is just what I have observed with Horseman costumes) to give the illusion Brom was headless, the cape should be fastened in some way to hide the fact he’s got something on his shoulders to make him appear headless ( apologies if that doesn’t make sense). I know fear can make a person perceive things differently, but even so, I feel there would have been something that gave it away to Ichabod that Brom was pulling another prank of him. Do be aware, that is just my thought on the matter. I feel the Horseman is his own character separate from Brom in this version.
I like the idea of a Headless Horseman as a separate entity, but keep in mind that Brom Bones was known in the book capable of riding bareback on a horse that only HE could tame. He may be a practical joker, but he was known as one of the best horse riders in his town.
He woulda gotten away with it, if it wasn’t for ya meddling kids!
If it really was brom bones chasing Ichabod then he wouldn’t have been as terrified when he looked into the suite and brom bones doesn’t laugh like the horseman
The animation was superb -- the wind-blown leaves -- the wind-raked clouds -- the cloud in the shape of a hand engulfing the full moon -- the knarled trees in the hollow. I liked the narration and tunes by Bing Crosby. This is Disney studios at their best. Thanks, smee!
Brom feels like Prototype Gaston except he wins
The movie does says it's possible that Ichabod did survive married a widow and started a family
But the townspeople refused to believe that
"some say he is still alive. but of course that's nonsense. but some say he has been spirited away by the headless horsemen."
Ooh, I love this topic; can I pretend I'm still in creative writing class for a minute? ;) Ignoring the original story (which is way heavier on the implication that it was Brom), I do think Disney meant this one to be more ambiguous and to make good points for both sides. Obviously, there has to be *some* room for the Headless Horseman to be real and some unanswered questions if you want a creepy Halloween classic and a horror icon.
But there's one huge sticking point that no one talks about, because Doylist reasoning isn't as fun: From a writing/story development standpoint, for at least 80% of the story to work, it can only be Brom. In a cartoon this short, where every minute matters, every scene has to contribute to the end goal. Another golden principle is to "never introduce the culprit on the last page." The intro of Brom as a practical joker who's essentially good-natured but used to being liked the best (and, like, unrealistically athletic??), the extended scenes of Ichabod and Brom competing for Katrina, the statement that Brom has had it and isn't playing anymore, the clear indication that Ichabod isn't the greatest guy himself and we shouldn't root for him to marry Katrina ... those scenes aren't there for filler. If none of that groundwork mattered in the end, Disney would've happily just made a shorter cartoon, or used that time to build up the Horseman instead. (I believe the Irving story did sprinkle in a little more "everyone thinks this town is haunted" buildup, but the cartoon had limited time and had to pick a lane. The lane it picked kinda says it all.)
Bottom line? If it's primarily or equally a story about a supernatural threat, then more or equal story time must be spent building that up. Here, though, it's the climax to the main plot, not the main plot itself. Sorry to be boring, but it's a story about a romantic rivalry ... or what the guys think is a rivalry. The irony is that Katrina had no intention of marrying Ichabod and Brom was clearly always her endgame.
Sidenote: Again, if we mostly ignore the bounds of story structure and character development, the cartoon makes some strong arguments for the Horseman being real ... but the impressive moonlight jump that no real-life horse could do isn't one of them. By that logic, Ichabod might be a ghost because he levitates when he smells Katrina's handkerchief, right before he turns into Roadrunner. Defying physics for the sake of a funny or cool shot was classic cartoon characters' whole thing. Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk.
"Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk." 😄
Spot on!
I love this write up--I'd also like to add that if we assume Brom did this, then it would be a natural choice for him to lie in wait on the road to the bridge, because after making sure to establish it as a safe spot in his story, he'd be planting the seed for Ichabod to go straight to it. He'd have had lots of time to plan the chase accordingly; but it would rely on Ichabod being at a certain place to begin.
Another reason I enjoy this line of thought, is that the story would build plausible deniability from everyone in town knowing or being reminded of the legend at the party.
I believe in a lot things mind you, but even I admit this is the exact same theory had ever since I was a kid.
Especially since ♪ For once you cross that bridge my friend, the ghost is through, his power ends♪. It had to be Brom in disguise, if it were a ghost it would've dissipated on the very spot.
OR he tricked Icabot into stopping at the bridge instead of running
But why does brim them just cross the bridge since its just a bridge with no mystical power. Then its just a children's tale a made up story no mystery. Also that would mean all versions that explain a supernatural source are not true and that is Hollywood just doing special effects for money
It seems like that would mean that Brom somehow forgot one of the details he laid out.
Tbf Ichabod is no less of a jerk. He wanted Katrina's money more
Finally, after all these years, somebody besides me thinks brom is the headless horseman. I thought it was so obvious with all these clues, but everyone thought I was crazy
Same here. My parents even put me in a mental hospital over this. 😵💫
Anyone notice how much Brom looks like Gaston in Beauty and the Beast?
Just with shorter hair
As a kid I had an LP that told the Disney story. At least the way it was told on the record, it seemed quite obvious to me that Bron was the Horseman, and that he did it to scare Ichabod shitless so he could have Katrina for himself. The summary on Wikipedia also says flat out that Washington Irving’s story also strongly implies Bron was the Horseman.
. . . This makes . . . 100% sense😱
Edit: the only I forgot to mention, that I don’t agree with is Ichabods death. I honestly think he was so spooked he just ran away. Though in the book they only found his horse so that does make some sense.
Im so happy that other people care about this movie
Katrina Vantassel was actually the headless horseman. She had to get rid of Ichabod somehow since she used him to get Brom bones jealous enough to prove his love for her.
Could she have bulked herself up under those clothes and somehow hid all that blonde hair under something to give the appearance of being headless? Also, would she have been buff enough to pick up and chuck a flaming pumpkin across a bridge?
@@ichigopockychan She took Van Camps male hormones elixir, which is only temporary. Plus, it’s also been confirmed that she was the third gunman in 63.
@@ichigopockychan I could be wrong about this, but, when I went to Conner Prairie (A 16-1700s-inspired reenactment park of sorts) I actually found out that most of the Headless Horsemen actors weren’t actually men… In fact a majority of them were ladies (the suits were just very convincing) with a few tricks to the costume to make it almost unnoticeable…
I believe they even have a video about the process of putting on the suit (it should be on their UA-cam channel, likely around October?)
This theory made me think of the twist ending of Night of the Headless Horseman from 1999 (but to a subverted extent). In that version the Brom ends up taking the Horseman's place as payment for a deal he made. I don't want to give away too much if either you or anyone else haven't seen it, but this theory of yours just reminded me of the 1999 version.
The book version for sure is the Headless Horseman. There are hints to it as the story goes forward. We only learn that the "head"is a pumpkin after Ichabods disappearance and Brom is said to be strangely knowledgeable about the story of Ichabods last ride.
However, the Disney version gives no lines such as this and from Ichabods reaction when he sees down the Horsemans collar, it most likely is the ghost and not Brom in disguise.
3:14 so yes he was the last person to leave bc in the story he was trying to woo Katrina but the narrator basically said something bad happened but no one knew what but ichabod left after that
I'm convinced. I'm convinced that in at least this version it was Brom. If you recall, in the Tim Burton adaptation (a very loose adaptation), the brom guy does scare Crane by dressing up as a headless horseman.
Of course, in that version, there really is a headless horseman. A hessian mercenary.
''Maybe leave at 3 A.M.''
Me: That's the time when worst things happen xd.
Ik this is based on the Disney animation only, but in the original Legend of Sleepy Hollow book it IS heavily implied that Brom was the Headless Horseman.
The implication is that he's sick and tired of getting jealous over Katrina flirting with Ichabod (she only did it to make Brom jealous, although Ichabod thought he actually had a chance at marrying her but he was just a way for Katrina to get back at Brom) so he came up with the plot to murder Ichabod. Using the legend of the Headless Horseman that he reminded everyone at the Van Tassel Halloween Party (and to instill fear into Ichabod), when the schoolmaster disappeared it'd make the superstitious townsfolk believe he'd been spirited away instead of the more-believable explanation of Ichabod being murdered and likely buried somewhere in the woods. The murder part of it I think is supported by how Ichabod got over the bridge which is meant to be the "safe zone" from the Horseman's power, but still he disappears/the jack o' lantern head hits him, so the "Horseman" can clearly go beyond this supposed restriction, maybe implying he's not a Ghost at all?
Maybe Brom didn't intend to actually kill Ichabod and instead it was a prank that went wrong, but regardless it's definitely shown throughout the book & animation that Brom is not only very physically strong, but an excellent rider (in the animation as well you often see him on his horse or at least never far away from it, his opening scene has him jumping over his friends) and also loves to play practical jokes. I think it's too much plant to be set up by the author to not playoff in the end. Maybe Brom did only plan to scare Ichabod away and it resulted in an accident or maybe he planned to kill him all along. Also as an edited note: I think the only reason why we don't see any solid evidence to the murder in the animation is because, well it's Disney, they're not gonna show that to children but instead hint that he's "mysteriously disappeared" and have the pumpkin head thrown at him to be a spooky animated way to finish the scene.
Sleepy Hollow is one of my favourite folklore stories, how the use of local legends and superstition can be used to disguise the truth and hide a crime. Obviously this is all speculation but I do think Washington Irving intended this takeaway by the reader, although it is up to your personal speculation.
I don't agree that the horseman throwing the pumpkin means the ghost was fake. Because Icabod made a crucial mistake after he crossed the bridge. HE LOOKED BACK.
Brom even warns against doing that in the song.
It's actually a reoccuring theme when escaping ghosts. Never look back even when you think you're safe because it gives the spirit strength.
I dunno, when Ichabod looked down the throat of the headless horsemen he was terrified. So I think in this adaptation the Headless Horseman was the real deal.
Also the Horseman is the same size as Brom, so unless he is a turtle, where is he hiding his head?
The Disney version WAS more Ambitious. However, it’s definitely not hard to hide your head with a cover while still peering out the opening in your jacket. Difficult? Yes. Impossible? No. And still Ichobod didn’t really get that good of a look at it and even if he did when you’re that scared your mind plays tricks on you. My two cents
I’m pretty sure he wasn’t hiding his head and ichabod just thought it was headless because 1. He probably had a schizophrenic episode 2. Brom has black hair. 3. Ichabod had only had like one second to see if there was a head.
Ichibad didnt die he just flee from the town and married someone else . Broom boom plan work and he got katrina smh Ichibad could've stay with the girl that night then left in the morning
Brim should be arrested after trying to kill poor Ichabod Crane
I had the disney sound track record. I played the headless horseman over and over!
Book, yes. Disney, no.
Plus how would Brom make the sky glow red?
It's all symbolism and interpretation, like how Ichabod sees ghouls and spooks from the shapes of trees in the night. He's so panicked his perception is way off.
@@caitlyncarvalho7637 I don't know if I would say invalidated, it's just a different take on a classic story, right? I've seen it and it's one of my more favorite Burton films, btw. You know he used to work for Disney? I think he worked on The Black Cauldron.
I think of course it was Brom Bones, But when the Punkin was thrown Ichabod took off and never went back in another word he got out of town.
This is why I preferred "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" TV Movie 1980. I enjoyed seeing Ichabod Crane finally getting Katrina Van Tassel but it also worked out for Thelma Dumkey because she got Brom Bones.
Yes I like that version too. Brom Bones was a bully and needed to be taken down. Seeing Jeff Goldblum as Ichabod was fun too.
Brom is a huge bully as much as Gaston.
Well... You're right. That's the insinuation that Mr Irving always wanted to give. Even at the end, you can see where he marries katrina, that it was all a ruse made up by Old Brom Bones to get Ichabod out of the picture... Plus, Brom has a black horse
Yeah, but Brom's horse didn't have red eyes. That and the neck-to-shoulder ratio are the only evidencd I can think of that he's not the headless horseman though.
I remember, my mom said that it was obviously Brom, but I didn't believe her, because I couldn't get the idea of hiding the head (but she showed me how). ANd didn't Ichabod survive? In the original story and in the cartoon
I loved this movie when I was a wee girl. Still love it today 😊
i love this video - I actually have always felt Brom was NOT the horseman however because - as seen in 4:11, Ichabod would have seen more form of a head if it was just Brom hidden, and the costume doesn't give room for the head to be properly hidden without having a unnatural neck / shoulder ratio. Also, Brom is not a "dumb" character like many consider him - He never showed any signs of lower intelligence other than a "fight first" mentality, but listen to him tell a story - he is very eloquent. And being a smart man, I think he would be smart enough to not kill his rival dressed like the Headless Horseman, after just singing about the Headless Horseman killing people in front of 100 people at a party. The real bad guy in this story is Katrina, who used her looks to get 2 men to compete against each other to an extent that one of them is probably dead.
My head canon theory
The Narrator it was really the Headless Horsrman who was telling to us the story of his last víctim, Ichabot
Interesting but a few things don’t mesh.
The horse the headless horseman rode has red eyes. Additionally, it was able to jump several feet into the air, something no horse should’ve been able to do.
Well, the whole tale has a dramatic flair. Ichabod could have been so scared he perceived the horse to have red eyes, and jumped several feet into the air.
I’d also say there’s a good chance that fear altered Ichabod’s perception of the actual situation too. When the headless horseman first appears, look at the shape of the head in his hand. The head looks like an actual human skull! It’s not until after a little while that we see the head as pumpkin shaped instead, so maybe that’s the same situation for the horse? Ichabod’s own fright made the headless horseman look even more real than it actually was.
with several points indicating otherwise:
_ The Pumpkin appears and disappears constantly and the rider has nowhere to keep it. Is lighting at the beggining and instantly is on fire at the end.
_ The Horse is without saddle or equipment so that the rider does not fall. What's more, in the scenes where they are running in circle, the rider makes the gesture with his hand as if he was really holding on to the horse's bridles. but being two ghosts, they wouldn't need such equipment to stay together.
_ There is an occasion where the rider's horse makes a huge jump to pass Ichabod. very unnatural even for the animal
_ It is not fear or schizophrenia that Ichabod imagined all the previous points, since from the beginning the laugh and the appearance of the rider also altered Ichabod's Horse.
_ Although similar, Bones is much larger and more muscular than the rider.
_ In the dark it is difficult to notice that it was Bones in disguise. but above all, that expression when seeing the interior of the rider is not to discover someone; It was an expression of horror.
Continuing from the previous point, if Ichabod found out that the Horseman is Bones in disguise when he sees the inside of the costume, why then does he continue with the idea of crossing the bridge if it is known that everything was a lie? unless what he saw was not a person
In my opinion, nothing in the cartoon says that the teacher died. He most likely just ran away: in the end, he had no feelings for Katrina, he was only interested in a rich inheritance in this version of the plot.
And why hide the body - death was nonviolent, everyone saw that the teacher was intimidated even before the meeting with the rider. In general, the most plausible theory is that there was no rider at all, and the meeting with him shown was either a hallucination or an artistic embellishment invented by the villagers after the escapee "disappeared".
It makes sense because there was an old headless horseman cartoon where Brom was the headless horseman in a costume.
I rewatched this not long ago while researching capable villains for a Kingdom Hearts fanfic, and I noticed that despite his victory, the Headless Horseman did not qualify. He was just running wild and swinging his sword like crazy without even really trying to hit anything. There were no skills, strategy, or even basic competence shown. He was only a threat because Ichabod was pathetic. Had he been up against any trained soldier, (or even a gutsy punk,) the Headless Horseman would've gotten his ass kicked. This theory would certainly explain his incompetence.
I LOVE KINGDOM HEARTS!!! 💖 Good luck on your fanfic!! :D
There's a 1934 cartoon where Brom is revealed to be the Headless Horseman. Icabod then shows up to the wedding dressed as a headless man to scare everyone.
3:03 THE HEADLESS HORSEMAN CUT MY HEAD OFF AT 3 AM (SCARY ASF)
Pretty sure Icabod didn't die. Recall the "rumors" that he was still alive and married to a wealthy widow. Sides why leave any trace of Icabod at all? A shattered pumpkin, his hat? If Bron had accidentally killed him he would had left nothing for anyone to find. One thing to prank some one, quite another to accidentally kill that same person!
More than likely Icabod got scared alright and after which he took off in a mad flight and lost his hat in the process wanting to put as much distance between himself and Sleepy Hollow as possible.
I watched this when I was a little kid on the Disney channel. I haven't seen it since until today so I it's interesting viewing it with an adult's insights. Personally, I think Ichabod was so scared he just took off from the town that very moment and never came back. This fits with the possible epilogue, though on this viewing I partially remembered the ending and came to the same conclusion before having seen the ending.
And should someone do a film where Braum actually meets the headless horseman, getting his just desserts, would be funny.
They did in Shelly Duvall's Tale Tales and Legends "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" Brom met the Headless Horseman after scaring Ichabod out of Sleepy Hollow
@@serfling38 Did he get his head chopped off?
Brom ends up fighting the horseman on the bridge and gets split in half in his attempt.
@@serfling38 Ooo what was that scene like? Did Brom make it out?
Even OG fans of the book had this theory too
I wonder if Brom was the inspiration for Gaston from Beauty and the Beast?
From the cartoon fun looking party, regardless of what anyone thinks of him Brom Bones spins a helluva good yarn.
I’ll award you a B- in media literacy. Yes, the horseman is a prank created to scare away Ichabod so that Brom can marry Katrina. That is the whole point of the story. But the plan works-Ichabod flees Sleepy Hollow that night leaving only his hat behind. He does not die, and Brom doesn’t hide his body. There’s a shot that explains that the former schoolmaster ends up marrying a rich widow in another part of the state, although the superstitious Sleepy Hollow locals refuse to believe that fact and are convinced that the Horseman carried Ichabod off to the underworld.
I had always heard that the witching hour is midnight, but recently I've seen articles that said it was between 3-4 am. I think that refers to the term's usage among parents to describe the hours that baby's usually wake up and cry. In old literature, though, the witching hour seems to mean midnight.
If the headless horseman was Brom how would he see? If he was the headless horseman he would just be riding blindly
I know a couple of horse owners who dress up every Halloween as the Headless Horseman and ride around, they have a mesh like shirt/coat they wear over their face and head. Brom do the same thing?
@@sadeaton Depends if that existed in those days.
How glad I am that I am not the only one who thought so
Actually, I do not think he is the horseman. First, the horsman's outfit is not something that anyone from this era should have, I am pretty sure skin-tight suits were not a thing yet. I know Ichabod's perspective might have been twisted and this is just what he saw, but you would think that he would have at least saw the horseman wearing a Hessian uniform like he heard from the old stories. Second, the horseman seem really determined to kill Ichabod with his sword. Brom is a bit of a bully, does not like Ichabod, and he wants to Ichabod out of his way, but that does not mean he wants to kill Ichabod. Maybe beat him up, but not kill him. Maybe Brom is playing the part well to really scare Ichabod, but considering how close the horseman came to chopping of Ichabod's head, several times, it would seem unlikely for Brom to take his joke this far. Thirdly, even if Brom is an expert rider, it would be incredibly difficult for anyone to pull off all of the stunts the horseman did in the middle of the night, with no saddle, and with their head hidden. If it was a more simple, straightforward chase like in the original story, then it would be more doable, but in this extreme chase scene, it would be a lot for difficult to pull-off. Also in the brief moment were Ichabod looks down the horseman's neck whole, he reacts like his is seeing something scarier then just blackness. Okay, maybe that was because of the horseman's laugh but come on, you do not react like that unless you are seeing some truly gruesome. That is why I am convinced that the Disney Headless Horseman was a real supernatural entity that attached Ichabod and not Brom.
It was still a nice video though.
Very very good analysis. I think the Disney version was more ambiguous. It still could’ve been Brom Bones although like you noted the whole jumping from the cliff is not something that can be easily done if at all and the book specifically states “there was no malice to Brom Bones mischief” but in this chase Ichobod comes very close to loosing his head and that’s not something Brom Bones would be inclined to do (scare him yes maybe took a few swings yes but definitely not the point where Ichobod was in any real danger).
The end is sarcasm on "spirited away"... Ichabod definitely is alive and Brom won the war. All the narration builds on Brom losing but not giving up, winning the girl.
I HAVE WATCHED THIS GREAT FILM ALL OF MY LIFE ON DISNEY CLOSE TO HALLOWEEN. BUT UNTIL VERY RECENTLY DID I EVER WONDER WHO THE HORSEMAN WAS. AS A CHILD I ASSUMED IT WAS A REAL PHANTOM FOR I NEVER READ THE STORY UNTIL A FEW YEARS AGO ON AUDIOBOOK. THIS IS VERY INTERESTING AND ENTERTAINING!!
I agree he wanted the farmer’s daughter and Ichabod was in the way so he told the story and then dressed up in an elaborate costume to scare him away from sleepy hollow.
I had a theory that Brom was the Headless Horseman when I first saw this as a kid.
My thoughts about it was that Brom told the story about the Horseman specifically so Ichabod would have the fear of the Horseman (from the musical number) and establish the 'rules' of how the Horseman operates.
Then once the party was over, Brom probably left to get his 'costume' as the Headless Horseman ready
As for how Brom could see where he was going while on the horse, the trick is fairly simple. He simply had to wear a suit of armor that was a size too big and lean forward and look up while on the horse.
Finally the reason Ichabod freaked out so bad when looking into the armor was probably because he couldn't see anything inside the suit (it being so dark out and Brom's hair being dark enough already) he freaked out at the thought of how something hollow could move on its own.
It couldn’t Be more obvious that he is the headless horseman. That is what Washington Irving planned from the beginning.
If Brom Bones was the Headless Horseman how was he able to see where he was going while riding his horse?
Brim can easily carry a pumpkin so can the headless horse man and when they use the same hand for power to
I remember thinking about this theory as a child when watching the movie. I knew I wasn't the only one who thought of this.
If broom bones was the headless horseman, how can broom see where he was going?
Very thin cloth.
That's also my theory.
*Brom
Even if Brom was the horseman how could he see where he was going with his head inside the shirt along with possibly having a sheet over it
Eye holes? Honestly, it wouldn't surprise me as it would be difficult to see anything unless you've trained yourself to have excellent night vision! In the book, Brom was known to cause noise at night with his gang, riding their horses across town. The old ladies startled awake would shake their heads realizing 'it's Brom Bones!'
The Headless Horseman is pretty much a Scooby-Doo Villain(Figuratively and literally):
Bad personality
Has a grudge against Crane
tells the story of a ghost
Ghost Immediately shows up afterwards
Weakness involves leaving town through a bridge
And he got away with to
Brim and Ichabod are giga chads
So, Brom comitted manslaughter
The main problem is when ichabod looks down the collar of the horseman hes terrified for what he sees if it was brom hed be mad and say he was pretending to be scared its liking he saw a real headless neck underneath.
If we're going off of movie alone I think Brom had every intention to impersonate the Headless Horseman but is too Clumsy & stupid to actually pull it off. To support that notion I point out the part where Brom & Ich go toe to toe trying to get Katrinas affections & Brom gets outsmarted & absolutely humiliated. Thats just evryday occurrences in broad daylight so I would NEVER believe he could pull off an impersonation as sophisticated as the Horseman in the middle of the noghr after being drunk at 330 in the morning! Y'all give Brom more credit than the actual Headless Horseman that actually did show up!
I used to think that brom was the headless horseman too i suspected.that
Another theory that I have with Brom is that he was the actual responsable for Bambi's mom death. In this matter, everybody point fingers to Gaston or Amos Slade, but we have to remember that this cartoon of the tale of Ichabot Crane was made around the same epoch as Bambi, and the animation traces on both movies are very similar (is highly possible that some animators that worked in Bambi also worked in Ichabot Crane).
But you may are asking "But Brom don't is shown hunting animals and even don't shown with a shotgun" True, but were shown clearly evidence that he hunts, such as using sometimes a hat made by raccoon fur and tail and his clear-brown vest could well be made by deer skin, as in the epoch where this tale takes place was common for hunters wear hats and clotches made by animals killed by themselves, and Brom's sword-like knife could be used to skin the animals he kills. It's very likely both this tale and Bambi takes place at the same epoch, and both are confirmed to take place in USA. One more thing that support the culpability of Brom in Bambi's mom death is that we don't hear any dog bark at her death scene, Brom don't have any hunting dog, just his horse, that could be be an advantage to a hunter while riding it while chasing deers and other game, as the horse can be fast. In conclusion, I firmly belive that Brom is the hunter and that his vest was made with Bambi's mom skin 😐 🦌
For me the leap the horseman takes During the chase proves that it is in fact the real headless horseman chasing him and not mr bones because there is no way a human and his horse can jump that high in the air, that had to be some kind of demonic or spiritual force
Thought that too. Since Brom was jealous of Ichabod getting Katrina
That wasn’t a tunnel, it was a bridge, an old covered Bridge.
And he wouldn't have gotten away with it had it been for those meddling kids!
Good video. Inspired me to rewatch the film and here's what I found.
If we watch Bones carefully, although he generally seems to favor his right he can freely switch to his left to flatten Ichabod's beak-like nose or, more importantly, handle a dangerous object like the knife while acting out the tale of the head-less horseman, making Bones ambidextrous. If we watch the horseman, his sword changes hands several times during the chase and he swings dangerously close to Ichabod either way, mean he is ambidextrous also. About 1-3% of people are ambidextrous. For me this is the best proof that Bones is the horseman.
...
As to the fate of the Ichabod it seems unlikely that he could have died of fright given his excellent heath and less than obvious fitness. This is proved by him out-pacing a horse for at least a mile without breaking a sweat and his strong appetite and vigorous yet effortless performance at the dance. Also, Bones doesn't seem capable of hiding a body and laughing about it later. the most likely solution is that after Ichabod was knocked off the horse, he became disoriented and instantly started running in the first direction that the horseman wasn't, not to the safety of the town, and probably ran till dawn, as Bones laughed after the success of his hastily devised plan and victory in love, the same laugh if one would hear is they mention the incident to him. Ichabod goes far away, marrys for money like he hoped to, The End.
Not criticism, just my thoughts. Glad is showed up in my feed, think I'll read the book, Thank You.
Man, it’s been used to seen this movie. It scaled me when I was little. But it does make sense though on what happened
It certainly appears logical that he's the horseman.
I always thought HH was Brom too!!
Love the theory, but one thing to me at least should be looked at.
The swinging of the blade. With fear on his side Brom could just use the non lethal end and Icabod would still duck out of caution.
Also, the jack o'lanturn could have already been at the graveyard and not a manifestation.
Jack o'lanturns are said to scare evil spirits. Now some might say the horseman is evil, but no, he's vengeful. Though it is up in the air, but that could be why the pumpkin went through and he didn't
I always thought it was really obvious that Brom was the Headless Horseman.
Your theory is on point, and yes, icabod was bullied by the town bullie, and let me add a little more on your theroy.I knew he was the headless horseman cause of the horse he rode on was black there wasn't any that he rode except his own horse no there horse is faster then his trusty steed frankly this story of the headless horsemen sounds like a big fat prank because all it talks about a man coming in to town and moments later the town bully pull a prank on him and ran a way to never comeback.
Makes complete sense. If we base on the fact that in the original version he is a disguise used to scare Ichabod away, then the theory could be true
Brom relay check to help Maureen to find name to push now by her white skull cap. We will get to name it's already there for augmentation accruals
That’s a good observation of Brom Bones being The Headless Horseman however there are 3 suggestions I have to point out it may have really been The Headless Horseman:
1) Igabod Crane looked down his neck hole and was terrified so unless Brom Bones hid his head well I don’t think Igbod Crane would have been scared if he realised it was Brom Bones playing a trick on him.
2) Brom Bone’s Horse is big but doesn’t have red eyes or could possibly leap a huge distance with Brom Bone’s on it’s back let alone run so incredibly fast at the same time so where is Brom Bones going to find a demon horse since that is quite clearly not his ordinary black horse?
3) The Headless Horseman didn’t cross the bridge so he may have thrown the pumpkin at Igbod in a final attempt to get him and succeeded also keep in mind The Headless Horseman & Igbod disappears after Igbod was hit by the pumpkin therefore a heavy hint that Brom Bones couldn’t have been the cause of Igbod’s disappearance or where would he have hid Igbod Crane once knocking him off his horses?
If you can think of logical answers to these questions I’ll be delighted to hear them.
In other versions, Brom dresses up like the headless horseman to scare Ichabod but then runs into the real headless horseman at the end.