***Full disclosure, all but one of my sources for this piece are deleted web pages or have been hijacked by Disney porn. Either way, I remember this addition to the Helium File was interesting to research back in the day. I enjoy mythology and I love seeing how the stories evolve from culture to culture. If you want a more academic and humorous tone on the subject, check out this Youtube video I found created by Overly Sarcastic Productions. (Thanks for reminding me I wrote this long ago.) Anyway on with the post. ***
The legend of “The Wild Hunt” (aka: “The Wild Chase,” “Woden's Hunt,” “The Wild Ride” etc.) is thought to be a Medieval concept that has evolved from paganism to the introduction of Christianity. Although the objects of pursuit differ, the atmosphere of “The Wild Hunt” is very similar from culture to culture. The story has found a place in European cultures. Britain, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, and Norway all have versions of the classic tale.
The ingredients for a wild hunt legend include:
Photo courtesy of UnSplash and Miroslav Škopek
A Winter Night
All wild hunt legends always take place during the winter season. Some stories set the hunt during autumn or summer, but it's always night. References to the “Yule season” are very commonplace. Yule is recorded as December twenty-first, the height of the Hunt's ride.
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A Slew of Supernatural Creatures or Dead Soldiers
Some say the dead ride with The Wild Hunt, others say the mythical Valkyries and legendary kings. Fairies and trolls are also mentioned in these stories. They ride with a “Furious Host” at point. They follow him or her through the sky, on the ground, or somewhere in between. Cultures that put a woman at point usually surround her with children and witches. Often these women are goddesses of the harvest or marriage. Women are the only hosts who leave gifts regularly.
Photo courtesy of UnSplash and Leonardo Yip
The Wild Hunt is an Omen for War, Death, or Famine
Aside from the fact that women hosts punish disobedient wives and boost crops; the idea that The Wild Hunt brings death and destruction is widely embraced. Because of the negative connotations, it is a feared phenomenon. Especially since those who see this ghostly throng are often kidnapped and pressed into service.
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The Furious Host
This character is necessary, yet flexible. The Furious Host is universally a sinner who has earned his place in the hunt. Often a selfish monarch or noble was punished in his afterlife for the wrongs he inflicted on the lower class. Rarely does Woden appear in the later versions as the host, surprisingly. Stories that feature women as the host are characters like the Grecian goddess Diana or Artemis, the White Lady, and Holda. The Furious Host is by far the most terrifying member of his caravan. Sometimes he punishes mockers, and other times he rewards those who help the hunt. The payment is almost always gold.
With the introduction of Christianity, Satan became the ideal Furious Host. His objective was to collect corrupted souls and unbaptized children. The dead and damned take the place of elves and fairies.
Photo courtesy of UnSplash and Ayla Verschueren
Demonic Hounds and Horses
The baying of hounds, the thunder of horses' hooves, and the crackling of lightning are all said to warn the living of the approaching hunting party. They often breathe fire, are horribly disfigured, and completely unnatural. Like Sleipnir, the eight-legged steed that carries Odin down the path. The host cries out to warn the living and creates a deafening din for all who can hear.
Photo courtesy of UnSplash and Jakub Kriz
The Hunted
As mentioned before, it can be lost souls, a mystical boar, trolls, or gifted maidens. Also, herds of animals (most famously “the devil's herd” in the western cowboy song, “Riders in the Sky.”) These creatures can be fascinating or even comical like “Slattenpat” a female creature in the Danish telling who heaves her sagging breasts over her shoulders. She always dies at the end of the story. In keeping with the punishment theme of the legend though, the hunted almost always escape in most versions.
The suspense of “The Wild Hunt” has made it a captivating legend for centuries. Whether led by Wodon, the White Lady, King Arthur, or the Devil himself, the menacing hunting party strikes fear and curiosity in any unsuspecting traveler or family. One of the oldest stories to mirror cultural evolution, the legend of “The Wild Hunt” is part horror, part morality tale.
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