HEADLESS HORSEMAN

The 'Headless Horseman' is a fictional undead and ghost character in Washington Irving's short story "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow." Since tales of undead, headless horsemen were spread in south-western Germany it's likely that Irving was inspired by tales of a Hessian headless horseman while travelling in that area.
In Washington Irving's short story "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," it is said the horseman lost his head to a cannon ball during some nameless battle during the Revolutionary War. Ichabod Crane ignores the warnings of danger from the legendary Horseman and later meets an unknown fate at the hands of the horseman. Although Crane's rival Brom Bones may have been masquerading as the Horseman, it is not explicitly determined whether Crane encounters the actual Horseman or Brom Bones.
Since the Horseman's introduction into popular culture he has become a horror staple, and has had appearances or been parodied in dozens of television shows, comic books, and movies. The Horseman was played by Christopher Walken and Ray Park in Tim Burton's movie adaptation Sleepy Hollow.