Episode 44 - The Wild Hunt

Midwinter was just around the corner, the longest night of the year, and a time of powerful change. You knew, as any would, that midwinter saw the rise of a number of spirits. So, you closed your windows, locked your doors, and employed every small, superstitious protection you knew. Better safe than sorry.

You figured, just batten the hatches and wait out the storm, there was no good reason to wander about at this time of year anyway. Still, you couldn’t help but gaze out at the snow and cold, after all the doors were sealed, and wonder… What was out there, what spirits had risen tonight and what mischief did they intend?

On one such night, as you were preparing your evening ritual of sealing your home, a knock came at the door. A neighbor, a horse had gotten out and they needed help finding it. If they waited too long, they feared a wolf would find it. You sighed… It was late, it was dark… Still, when your neighbor needs help, you knew what you needed to do. You fetched your coat and your lantern and set out into the darkness with them.

It was eerily quiet. The town was settling down for sleep, and the woods were dark, silent, foreboding. Only the lightest hint of wind whispered through the night, just sharp enough to make you draw your coat tighter around yourself.

And in the distance, two hounds began barking…

Almost all of Europe is haunted by a powerful spiritual force. This host troupes across the land, sometimes loud and raucous, sometimes whisper-quiet. Always led by a powerful entity, this Wild Hunt seeks something.

Sometimes they are faeries. Sometimes they are elves. Sometimes they are the dead. The Wild Hunt can be an omen of war, plague, the death of the witness, or great change. Sometimes the living are drawn to join the Wild Hunt, enthralled by the retinue into joining them in their pursuit.

The Wild Hunt is closer to a force of nature than it is a group of spirits, and to be caught in its path nearly always spelled doom.

The first sign that the Hunt approaches is the baying of hounds…

Wild Hunt folklore comes from across Europe. Each region has their own take on the story, but it is prevalent in Scandinavia, England, France, and perhaps most well-known are the versions in German folklore.

Sometimes the Wild Hunt is associated with a particular figure-head, ranging from the Devil to the Archangel Gabriel, from Odin to Perchta, and even including historic figures and old kings; in other versions the leader is clear, but unidentified.

It could appear at any time of year, but always at night, and is often associated with stories of deep winter nights.

I am Andrew Eagle, and I am excited to invite you to join me in passing Through the Veil and joining the Wild Hunt.

You passed the broken fence, where the horse had gotten out of the field. Just before the foreboding press of trees, you and your neighbor split up to cover more ground. You both agreed to stay within eye-shot, so that your lights were always visible to the other.

And then slowly, cautiously, you pressed into the trees.

Somehow it seemed to grow colder within the shelter of the close-press of trees. You knew that was ridiculous, but still you shivered. Probably from the cold.

Every few moments, you glanced off to the side, making sure you could still see the flickering orange light of your neighbors lantern. You continued forward into the near silence. Your footsteps crunching through the snow was the loudest sound by far. Eclipsing even the distant barking. Were there more dogs than before?

When you stepped over the edge of the rise, you didn’t see how steep it was, you were too busy scanning the area. So when you began to tumble and fall, you called out in surprise and alarm. You rolled and slid and eventually came to a stop. You were sore, but certainly not injured.

Your stomach dropped as you realized how dark the woods had become. Your lantern was gone and extinguished, lost somewhere in the tumble. Those barking hounds were much closer now, and you called out to your neighbor.

You heard them yell back! But their voice was so faint… So distant. And it grew quieter, until that sound was gone too. You were left in the silent woods with the baying of hunting hounds for company.

As your eyes adjusted to the darkness, you saw them.

Across the regions in which it appears, the Wild Hunt is viewed as an omen. Most often, it is an omen of terrible danger.

It has been claimed to predict war, plagues, or in some of the best cases, the death of the witness.

At other times, especially in stories where a person was drawn to join the hunt in some manner, it was common for them to be abducted away to the underworld or the faerie realm depending on the origin of the supernatural participants.

In some variations, the witness to the hunt has a choice. To try to prevent the hunt, or stop them from reaching their quarry, or to assist them.

Standing against the hunt is particularly risky, and when it occurs, usually involves some kind of retribution against the one who dares to resist.

Assisting the hunt can earn the person a reward. However, as with many rewards associated with the dead or the faerie realms, the reward is not always something the person wants.

Occasionally the reward is money or gold. But most often it seems to be a leg of the hunted animal or person. These ‘gifts’ are cursed so they cannot be gotten rid of without the assistance of a priest, magician, or some other magic.

There were dozens of riders. Some atop powerful horses, some on large black rams and goats. Others still were riding massive, black dogs.

They were accompanied by a pack of large hounds, and a massive flock of birds.

But none of that was as strange as the riders themselves. They were a host of pale riders. Some looked nearly human, others were something else, with bare skulls and surrounded by light.

And at their head, a massive man in a chariot drawn by goats. With one eye he surveyed the woods around him and led the strange army forward with a gesture of his long spear.

Although you had seen them, it seemed they had not yet seen you, and so as they made their way through the trees, you felt compelled to follow, to see where this strange host was heading. So, staying low to the ground, you stood and began to creep after them.

Although stories involving a hunting party or army of spirits goes back centuries, as early as the 1000s AD in some regions, the term Wild Hunt, and the collecting of many stories into one larger motif, did not occur until 1835 by Jacob Grimm, the German folklorist.

Due to its older histories, Grimm interpreted the story as having origins far earlier than the introduction of Christianity to the region. He believed that the story was rooted in paganism and featured prominent gods from the regions oldest religions.

He theorized that the earliest stories of the hunt featured the troupe as a holy force, bringing blessings and gifts and accepting sacrifices from the people of the area. And later, when Christianity was growing in influence throughout the area, the tone of the stories changed significantly.

Instead of a somber or jovial procession of gods and spirits, the Wild Hunt became characterized by mischief, danger, and evil. Stories began to appear where the Hunt was led by the devil, and the host itself a horrid assembly of demons and specters. It was a part of the ongoing effect of Christian influences demonizing pagan beliefs.

Soon, you found yourself hurrying to keep up, then you could no longer keep up without jogging. Then running.

Soon you found yourself sprinting through the darkened woods, miraculously avoiding impediment and snag. You realized you were gaining on the host quickly, although a moment ago you’d barely been keeping up. You couldn’t slow down and suddenly you were among them, running and surging with the strange party of spirits.

You found yourself among them, and your lungs were no longer burning with the effort of running, you rushed alongside them, and it felt easy. Your vision no longer caught in the darkness, and the woods were seen clearly.

You ran, and you hunted. For the night, although the memories of it would fade away quickly, you were a part of the Wild Hunt.

There are many regional variants of the Wild Hunt myth. Too many to cover here. Many are not recorded in their complete form, and many others are hard to parse and distinguish from others after centuries of sharing and evolving ideas.

However, historically, there are three variants that are distinct and recorded in fairly complete terms.

Britain’s versions began as accounts by monks and clerics, and thusly involved demons and devils more often. The hunt was an evil thing to be avoided. However that evolved over time to involve the realm of the fairies. Some feature various kings as the leader of the Wild Hunt, including common later stories involving King Arthur in some capacity.

Scandinavia also features a number of stories about a phenomena like the Wild Hunt. It most often features Odin as the leader, and in fact, its regional name is Odin’s Hunt or the Asgard Ride.

Odin’s hunt is often described as being heard but not seen. Noticed only because of the loud barking of Odin’s hounds. It was thought that Odin traveled along roads he’d always known, thus, if a house was built or a camp made along an old, disused road, you ran the risk of it being destroyed by the host of Odin’s Hunt.

However, the most recorded stories of the Wild Hunt, and the name itself, comes from Germany. Led by anything from a spirit to a god, and ranging from a solitary hunter to a massive host, the Wild Hunt roams the countryside seeking their prey. Although the prey is rarely mentioned, it is occasionally the wicked, the innocent, or sometimes an animal. It is said that a person who remains still and quiet in the middle of the road will be ignored and passed by the Wild Hunt.

Stories of the Wild Hunt come from across the world in many forms. They roam the longest nights of the year, seeking their prey and sometimes harassing or recruiting those they come across.

They are led by gods and by ghosts, by legendary figures and historical leaders. They can be a blessing or an ill omen, or a force of nature that portends war.

The Wild Hunt, like its stories, is unpredictable. Best, then, to close your door and lock your windows. Ignore the call of the Hunt, and avoid the long nights through which they ride.

Thank you for joining me for this episode of Through the Veil. I hope you enjoyed. I encourage you to subscribe to receive new episodes weekly wherever you listen as we continue our exploration of folklore, myth, and magic.

Music this week was: Acoustic Winter by Unborned and The Hunt by Ronald Kah

If you are enjoying the show, and have subjects you would like to hear covered, please email me at throughtheveilpodcast@gmail.com or reach out on Twitter, you can find me @ThroughVeil.

As always, thank you, for listening.