One of my favorite Celtic myths is that of The Wild Hunt ~ Chris The Wild Hunt ~ The Wild Hunt is a supernatural force that sweeps across the land at night. The actual object of the Hunt varies from place to place. In some areas it searches for anything that might be unforunate enough to be in its path. Others say it hunts evildoers. The leader of the Hunt also varies. In Celtic Britain it is usually led by Cernunnos, the horned god. In Wales it is led by Gwyn ap Nudd, and sometimes Bran. After the Anglo-Saxons had settled in England, Cernunnos became Herne the Hunter. The night hunt by the Slaugh with their terrible hounds. They are said to kidnap humans they encounter during their rides. So what exactly is the Hunt? A force of good or of evil? Is it exclusively a Celtic phenomenon, and have enemies of Celtic cultures created stories of the evil Hunt as propaganda? Or have the Celtic gods allied themselves with a force of evil, to better hunt other evil? The true answer is: none of the above. The Wild Hunt is neither good nor evil. It is purest neutral, indeed representing the force of the hunt and chase within nature. The Wild Hunt exists for the chase. It is capable of following its prey though any environment, from the densest jungles, to the deepest deserts, even across the sea, or into the airless reaches of space. The Hunt is tireless, hounding prey until they catch it. And the hounds of the Hunt seem to never lose the scent, being able to track over solid stone, or running water, or any other substance. Indeed, the hounds are capable of tracking even beings that should not leave a scent, like spectres or beings of energy. The Hunt usually does not leave its home on the Outlands. For it to go elsewhere, it must be summoned. To summon it, a powerful connection with nature is very helpful. This is why the Celtic powers so often use the Hunt; they are very in tune with nature, and find it particularly easy to call on it. Other pantheons also summon the Hunt, although much more rarely. Powerful mortal spellcasters can also summon the Hunt. Wizards use a very potent spell to do so, on the level of wish or prismatic sphere. Priests can also summon the Hunt, although they must be granted one of the powerful magics known as quest spells by their god to do so. Once a being is being tracked by the Hunt, it immediately feels a terrible supernatural fear. A being so pursued usually thinks only of fleeing in terror, regardless of whether it knows what is after it. It takes a very powerful will to resist this. The Wild Hunt can always travel just slightly faster than its prey is going, allowing it to reach its quarry in two to eight days. Of course, often the Hunt is told to simply chase a being, not catch it, so it will nearly catch up to the prey, then slow slightly so that the prey can keep just far enough ahead. The Hunt is almost impossible to shake off. The Hunt can follow the trail of its quarry through any medium, including vacuum. Any normal form of spatial travel is completely useless in losing the Hunt. The only known way to lose the Hunt is to shift planes, and even this is not guaranteed to be effective.
Posted on: Tue, 18 Jun 2013 04:01:07 +0000
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