Skyrim Players Are Still Freaked Out By The Headless Horseman
Ah, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Just when we think we've finally got to grips with just about everything you can throw at us, there you go again. We've had mysterious 'Do Not Delete' boxes and powerful fondue, now you've gone and thrown a headless horseman into the mix.
This creepy spectre may have been floating around Skyrim ever since the game was released in 2011, but it seems that this decapitated fellow is still an unexpected surprise to some players who've still never crossed his perilous path.
Who is Skyrim's Headless Horseman?
Skyrim player u/ViewtifulGary89 shared their experience with the headless horseman on Reddit. While exploring Dragon Bridge, they said, "I don’t remember ever seeing dragon bridge before, so I went over to look at it. When I saw the large drop off I went to see what was underneath it, and was surprised when the ghost flew out."
It seems that this translucent ghoul has regularly been seen wandering around Tamriel by most players. However, if you've never seen the headless horseman before then don't worry, you're certainly not the only one: "Wtf I never saw that in my hundreds of hours of play" said one. Another added, "10 years playing Skyrim on and off, I have never seen this."
Even after all this time, Skyrim aficionado's are still uncovering its secrets. For example, one player discovered a hidden kill move after 600 hours of gameplay. Not bad for a game that's nearly a decade old.
Where Can I Find Skyrim's Headless Horseman?
According to the comments on the original Reddit post, the Headless Horseman can be spotted trotting along the roads across random parts of Tamriel between 10pm and 4am.
The Dragonborn can also find him at the ancient Nordic ruin of Hamvir's Rest via fast-travel, or by following him if they come across the ghoul on their travels. However, a glitch has clearly happened in the original clip, as it's not normal for the Headless Horseman to be frantically flying around the place like Casper the Friendly Ghost.
Bethesda has clearly taken inspiration from the Headless Horseman figure of folklore, which inspired Washington Irving's The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. The identity of Skyrim's Headless Horseman is unknown, but we're pretty sure it's not Christopher Walken like in the Sleepy Hollow film. Interestingly, the ancient Nordic song 'Ragnar The Read' tells the story of a "braggart" who was killed by the "brave lass Matilda" and "his ugly red head rolled around on the floor". Ouch.
As the Halloween season draws nearer, maybe avoid fast-travelling at night. You never know when you might meet the Headless Horseman on a cold night in Tamriel.
