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The Wild Hunt
On winter nights, a spectral hunt rides across the sky. Led by gods or the dead, they sweep up anyone in their path. Hearing the horns means death or madness. The tradition spans all of Northern Europe.
Ancient - Present
Northern Europe
10000+ witnesses
The Wild Hunt is a pan-European legend of spectral riders in the sky.
The Legend
According to folklore:
The Wild Hunt:
- Spectral procession
- Rides through night sky
- Led by mythological figure
- Claims souls of the living
- Heard on winter nights
The Leaders
Various traditions name:
- Odin/Woden (Norse/Germanic)
- King Arthur
- Herne the Hunter
- The Devil
- Various dead kings
The Hunters
The procession includes:
- Ghostly horses
- Baying hounds
- Dead souls
- Faeries
- Demons
The Danger
Those who see it:
- May be swept away
- Taken to land of dead
- Driven mad
- Die within the year
- Must not look up
Hearing the Hunt
Sound described as:
- Horns in distance
- Baying of hounds
- Thundering hooves
- Screaming winds
- Terrifying cries
Cultural Spread
Found in:
- Scandinavia
- Germany
- England
- France
- Celtic lands
Modern Reports
Sightings continue:
- Especially in rural areas
- During winter storms
- Strange sounds in sky
- Mass bird deaths attributed
- Ancient terror persists