Herne the Hunter. (Art by Caio Santos)
Herne the Hunter was a great English ghost who haunts the Berkshire woods and countryside. Rattling chains and tormenting animals, he was marked by the antlers upon his head and his mighty steed. He was also one of the leaders of the legendary Wild Hunt.
Description[]
Herne’s ghostly powers revolved around the decay of the natural world. He could cause a tree to wither and die with a single touch, and could bewitch cattle into producing blood instead of milk. In later legends, he possessed a horn and was accompanied by hounds. Sightings of Herne were believed to be evil omens that portended national disasters and significant deaths.
Overview[]
Herne was a specter that haunted Windsor Forest of Berkshire—now called Windsor Great Park. He haunted a particular tree, called Herne’s Oak, and terrorized the wildlife that inhabited the wood. He was known by the rattling of chains and the ghostly moans that preceded him, as well as the giant antlers upon his head. Several interpretations have depicted Herne wearing a deerskin hood, upon which the antlers sat. In his original Shakespearean appearance, however, Herne’s antlers sprouted directly from his head.
Though Herne may have been an actual keeper of the forest, he is probably a local manifestation of the Wild Huntsman myth known throughout the world. The usual story associated with the Wild Hunt involves someone excessively fond of the chase who makes a rash pledge or compact with a stranger (the devil) and is thus doomed to hunt forever.