The Wild Hunt

The Ghostly Processions of the Undead
Europe’s most enduring supernatural procession and its meaning for ancestral, spiritual, and cultural traditions
Europe’s most enduring supernatural procession and its meaning for ancestral, spiritual, and cultural traditions

• Describes the origins and evolution of the Wild Hunt across pagan, Christian, and folk traditions, revealing its role in death and fertility rituals

• Reveals how spectral armies, female spirits, and supernatural processions shaped European beliefs about the afterlife and the soul’s journey

• Provides practical approaches for understanding the Wild Hunt’s significance in seasonal festivals, ancestor veneration, and communal rites

For centuries, tales of ghostly riders and nocturnal armies have haunted the European imagination. Claude Lecouteux investigates the phenomenon of the Wild Hunt, tracing its origins in ancient rituals and its evolution through medieval Christian reinterpretations and folk traditions.

Drawing on chronicles, legends, and ecclesiastical texts, Lecouteux shows how the Wild Hunt was a focal point for beliefs about death, the afterlife, and the relationship between the living and the dead. He presents the complex figures who led these spectral hosts—including Diana, Holda, Odin, and King Herla—and describes how their stories reflect the blending of myth, religion, and local custom.

Lecouteux provides examples of how communities responded to the Hunt’s passage, from setting tables for invisible guests to performing noisy processions and observing taboos during liminal times. He addresses the practical implications of these traditions for understanding the cycles of nature, the importance of ritual in negotiating the supernatural, and the ways folklore adapts to changing cultures.

The Wild Hunt provides a foundation for understanding how this ghostly tradition continues to influence cultural imagination, spiritual practice, and the relationship between the mortal and the otherworldly while revealing the enduring power of ancestral memory and ritual.

UK Delivery:

• Free delivery on all orders of £10 or more.
• £1.49 delivery fee on orders below £10.
• UK orders are shipped via Royal Mail 2nd Class.

International Delivery:

• Flat rate delivery charges vary by country.

Dispatch and Delivery Times:

• All orders are shipped from our warehouse in Northampton, UK as soon as stock is available.
• UK mainland orders typically arrive within 3-7 working days via Royal Mail 2nd Class.
• International estimated delivery times:
• Europe & Channel Islands: 7 to 10 working days
• USA: 7 to 15 working days
• Rest of the World: 9 to 30 working days

View our full delivery infomation here.