A spirit procession known as the "Wild Hunt." On windy, stormy evenings, as well as on certain days throughout the year—Halloween, May Eve, Midsummer's Eve, and the period now known as the Twelve Nights of Christmas—the Wild Hunt rides.
- The public's reaction to these processions varies: these spirits are strong and unpredictable, so it's best to keep out of their path.
- Magical practitioners, on the other hand, often want to watch, participate, or somehow interact with this procession of spirits.
- The custom of a procession of spirits, accompanied or not by spirits of the dead and living followers, may be found all throughout the globe, even in places as remote as Hawaii.
In certain European traditions, departed spirits go in procession to visit family and loved ones over the twelve intercalary days before the start of the New Year.
- They are usually headed by goddesses of fertility and death, such as Freya, Herta, and Hulda, who all act as leaders of the Wild Hunt.
- In some places, the twelve intercalary days are associated with the Winter Solstice or Yuletide, whereas in others, they are associated with Halloween and the start of the Dark Half of the Year.
- This period predates the Vernal Equinox in certain places, and therefore correlates to different purification ceremonies in February.
Odin, according to Nordic legend, rides his horse at night, leading a massive procession of gods, spirits, heroes, and heroines.
- Storms with lightning, thunder, and strong winds foreshadow his demise.
- It was advised that people remain indoors since these spirits had the ability to compel you to join them if they came across you.
- This may be due to concerns of involuntary possession or the fact that being discovered celebrating the Wild Hunt could lead to charges of witchcraft and the practice of now-forbidden customs.
This Wild Hunt—Host Odin's of Spirits—met up with Dame Hulda's Host of Witches in ancient Germany and Scandinavia, particularly during the Twelve Days of Yule.
- Odin's Yule Host is the name given to the twelve days of Christmas in Iceland.
- Santa Claus traveling alone through the skies in his reindeer-drawn sleigh might be regarded as Odin.
- A Danish runestone (gravestone inscribed with runic words) ends with the warning "a rati be he who destroys this stone."
- The rati is a human whose soul has been stolen by the Wild Hunt and driven.
The character of the Hunt altered with the impact of Christianity; it was no longer regarded acceptable to just avoid the Hunt for fear of being swept up; it was now deemed immoral to even watch the Hunt pass by.
- Witchcraft and evil were linked with the Hunt.
- Human participants were said to be witches who were being punished by God for their satanic, pagan activities.
- The Wild Hunt came to be linked with Hell's punishments; the spirit that led the hunt was literally a head hunter, on the lookout for Christians who would be compelled to join the Host for all eternity.
- The Hunt's Host were individuals who had somehow fallen outside of the Church's sacraments:
- unbaptized infants, illegitimate children, big sinners, and those who died violent deaths and/or were denied burial rites.
The Hunt is said to have included heathens, Jews, and witches among its non-Christian riders.
- If shamans' wandering souls (double, fetch, dream-soul) are unable to return to their bodies, they are said to be doomed to join the Wild Hunt.
- Depending on one's perspective, there are two ways to read this.
- Either disobedience to the Church will condemn you to this procession of the damned, or those who are disinterested in the Church's sacraments will enjoy this holy carnival.
This procession of spirits is known by various titles. The Wild Hunt is one of them.
• Asgard's Chase
• Spirit's Ride
• Holla's Troop are some of the others.
• Cain's Purse Dame Goden, Diana, Freya, Harlequin/Herlichinus, Herne the Hunter, Herodias, Herta, Hulda, King Arthur, Odin/Wotan/Woden, Perchta, and St Lucy are among the Hunt's commanders.
CALENDAR: Day of the Dead, Festivals of the Dead is another option.
You may also want to read more about Paganism here.
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