Ichabod Crane distinctive characteristic Irving gives Ichabod is that of a psalm singer," and that Ichabod Crane is the "most celebrated Covenanter in all of the literature." Ichabod Crane Ichabod Crane is a fictional character and the protagonist in Washington Irving's short story, "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow", first published in 1820. In popular culture, this story is sometimes retitled as "The Headless Horseman." Crane is invariably portrayed, in the original work and in most adaptations as a tall, lanky individual with a scarecrow affect. Ichabod -- meaning "without glory" -- comes from the biblical name of the grandson of Eli the
Ichabod Crane War of 1812 whom he had met in 1814 in Sackets Harbor, New York. According to a notation by Irving and a certification written in long hand by Martin Van Buren, the 'pattern' (Van Buren's words) for the character of Ichabod Crane was based on the original Kinderhook schoolmaster named Jesse Merwin—born in Connecticut—whom Irving became friends with in Kinderhook, New York, in 1809. The two friends continued a pen-pal correspondence for thirty years. The Columbia County Historical Society (New York) owns the original Kinderhook Schoolhouse named after the Irving character based on Jesse Merwin, the town's first schoolteacher. The