The Wild Hunt

The Wild Hunt is a spectral nocturnal procession, featuring huntsmen, ghostly figures of the dead, as well as horses and hounds. Originating from Norse and Teutonic mythologies, the Wild Hunt unfolds on stormy nights, with the god Odin (also known as Woden) assuming the guise of a mounted huntsman leading the charge across the sky, accompanied by a pack of baying spectral hounds. This retinue traverses the countryside, revelling and leaving destruction in its wake. Those unfortunate enough to witness the procession find themselves instantly transported to foreign realms, while those who dare to speak with the Huntsman meet a dire fate.

The Wild Hunt has numerous leaders, both male and female. In northern Germany, it is often helmed by Holda (also known as Holde, Hulda, Holle, and Holte), the goddess of hearth and motherhood. In southern Germany, she is traditionally referred to as Bertha (also Berhta, Berta, and Perchta), a name associated with brightness. Bertha, linked with the moon, oversees the souls of unbaptized children. Her lunar aspect sees her associated with Diana, the Roman goddess of the moon, who also leads the Wild Hunt. Those who encountered Bertha's night train faced punishment for laziness and wickedness, although leaving out food for them could result in the food being consumed and magically replenished before the retinue moved on.

With the advent of the Reformation and the decline of the concept of purgatory among Protestants, the Wild Hunt became associated with the fate of the unbaptized dead, particularly infants. Unable to be buried on consecrated ground, they were placed on the unhallowed north side of the churchyard, where they were believed to remain earthbound and vulnerable to the hounds of the Wild Hunt, which chased them to hell.

In British lore, the Wild Hunt may be led by Herne the Hunter or even by the Christianised version of the Devil. As Christianity spread, pagan deities were often equated with demons and the devil. During the witch hunts of the Middle Ages and Renaissance, the retinue of the Wild Hunt was said to include witches and spirits of the dead, sometimes led by Hecate, the Greek goddess of witchcraft and the dark of the moon.

National British heroes such as Sir Francis Drake have also been associated with leading the Wild Hunt, travelling in phantom coaches or hearses accompanied by demons and headless black dogs.

A Cornish version of the Wild Hunt, known as Devil’s Dandy Dogs, features a pack of spectral hounds hunting for human souls. Described in a 12th-century account as astride black horses and bucks, these hounds have pitch-black fur and hideous, staring eyes. Reports of the Wild Hunt persist into contemporary times, with sightings occurring on Samhain, All Hallow’s Eve. Witnesses are advised to recite the Lord’s Prayer while lying on the ground to safeguard their souls from the clutches of the hellhounds.