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Books > Mind, Body & Spirit > Unexplained phenomena / the paranormal > General
An exploration of the many forms of the ancient myth of the Wild
Hunt and its influence in pagan and early Christian Europe
- Recounts the myriad variations of this legend, from the Cursed
Huntsman and King Herla to phantom armies and vast processions of
sinners and demons
- Explains how this belief was an integral part of the pagan
worldview and was thus employed by the church to spread Christian
doctrine
- Reveals how the secret societies of medieval Europe reenacted
these ghostly processions for soul travel and prophecies of
impending death
Once upon a time a phenomenon existed in medieval Europe that
continuously fueled local lore: during the long winter nights a
strange and unknown troop could be heard passing outside over the
land or through the air. Anyone caught by surprise in the open
fields or depths of the woods would see a bizarre procession of
demons, giants, hounds, ladies of the night, soldiers, and knights,
some covered in blood and others carrying their heads beneath their
arms. This was the Wild or Infernal Hunt, the host of the damned,
the phantom army of the night--a theme that still inspires poets,
writers, and painters to this day. Millennia older than
Christianity, this pagan belief was employed by the church to
spread their doctrine, with the shapeshifters' and giants of the
pagan nightly processions becoming sinners led by demons seeking
out unwary souls to add to their retinues. Myth or legend, it
represents a belief that has deep roots in Europe, particularly
Celtic and Scandinavian countries.
The first scholar to fully examine this myth in each of its myriad
forms, Claude Lecouteux strips away the Christian gloss and shows
how the Wild Hunt was an integral part of the pagan worldview and
the structure of their societies. Additionally, he looks at how
secret societies of medieval Europe reenacted these ghostly
processions through cult rituals culminating in masquerades and
carnival-like cavalcades often associated with astral doubles,
visions of the afterlife, belief in multiple souls, and prophecies
of impending death. He reveals how the nearly infinite variations
of this myth are a still living, evolving tradition that offers us
a window into the world in which our ancestors lived.
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