Synopses & Reviews
An exploration of the many forms of the ancient myth of the Wild Hunt and its influence in pagan and early Christian Europe andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andbull; Recounts the myriad variations of this legend, from the Cursed Huntsman and King Herla to phantom armies and vast processions of sinners and demons andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andbull; Explains how this belief was an integral part of the pagan worldview and was thus employed by the church to spread Christian doctrine andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andbull; Reveals how the secret societies of medieval Europe reenacted these ghostly processions for soul travel and prophecies of impending death andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Once upon a time a phenomenon existed in medieval Europe that continuously fueled local lore: during the long winter nights a strange and unknown troop could be heard passing outside over the land or through the air. Anyone caught by surprise in the open fields or depths of the woods would see a bizarre procession of demons, giants, hounds, ladies of the night, soldiers, and knights, some covered in blood and others carrying their heads beneath their arms. This was the Wild or Infernal Hunt, the host of the damned, the phantom army of the night--a theme that still inspires poets, writers, and painters to this day. Millennia older than Christianity, this pagan belief was employed by the church to spread their doctrine, with the shapeshifters' and giants of the pagan nightly processions becoming sinners led by demons seeking out unwary souls to add to their retinues. Myth or legend, it represents a belief that has deep roots in Europe, particularly Celtic and Scandinavian countries. andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;The first scholar to fully examine this myth in each of its myriad forms, Claude Lecouteux strips away the Christian gloss and shows how the Wild Hunt was an integral part of the pagan worldview and the structure of their societies. Additionally, he looks at how secret societies of medieval Europe reenacted these ghostly processions through cult rituals culminating in masquerades and carnival-like cavalcades often associated with astral doubles, visions of the afterlife, belief in multiple souls, and prophecies of impending death. He reveals how the nearly infinite variations of this myth are a still living, evolving tradition that offers us a window into the world in which our ancestors lived.
Review
andldquo;Claude Lecouteux marshals what must be a virtually complete recounting of stories from throughout Europe involving nocturnal sightings of the Army of the Dead, also known as the Wild Hunt, and traces their thematic origins from pre-Christian times through the filter of the medieval church. His primary sources are exhaustive, ranging from the medieval period to 20th-century accounts by various authors along with church records and folktales. His secondary sources draw extensively on scholarship, particularly from France and Germany. The connection of the figure now known as Harlequin and other figures to rites for the dead is particularly well presented. The Wild Hunt was clearly associated with the spirits of the dead but also with fertility, fecundity, and certain times of the year. Lecouteux explores these and many more aspects of a civilization that both lies behind us and is in faint form still present.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;One of the most frightening and persistent visions recorded throughout Indo-European history, legend, and folklore is the spectral array of the Wild Hunt. Claude Lecouteuxandrsquo;s brilliant scholarly detective work results in the definitive study of these ghastly processions that have haunted the night skies of Europe for millennia. andlt;Iandgt;Phantom Armies of the Nightandlt;/Iandgt; is teeming with tales that will fascinate, delight, and terrify--often all at once.
Review
andldquo;This book is an excellent jumping-off point for scholars wishing to untangle the lines between early Christianity as it blended and then separated from European Paganism. Excellent scholarship along with thought provoking legends and a light hand on interpretation makes this an outstanding addition to a historianandrsquo;s library.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;...clearly associated with demons and spirits of the dead and the author describes this folklore with eerie tales that will fascinate you.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;This excellent book...is the most comprehensive study of the subject so far written and it is very highly recommended.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;Overall this work is wonderfully rich in detail and gripping material centered around a subject which is uncommon in modern sociological, or spiritual works. This volume is well worth a read for those interested in historical mythological themes.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;This excellent book by a former professor of medieval literature and civilization at the University of Sorbonne in Paris is a continuation of the authorandrsquo;s ongoing research into the mythological and folkloric aspects of death and popular beliefs about the survival of the soul and the afterlife.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;This is an exciting and absorbing study of a form of folk mythology that has spanned Europe for more than a thousand years. Lecouteux provides both a mass of valuable information and a viable working hypothesis of explanation.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;I would recommend this book to anyone who loves European and Religious history and lore, as well as those seeking to understand the differences between Christian and Pagan worldviews. It will make an interesting addition to their library.andrdquo;
Review
“Claude Lecouteux marshals what must be a virtually complete recounting of stories from throughout Europe involving nocturnal sightings of the Army of the Dead, also known as the Wild Hunt, and traces their thematic origins from pre-Christian times through the filter of the medieval church. His primary sources are exhaustive, ranging from the medieval period to 20th-century accounts by various authors along with church records and folktales. His secondary sources draw extensively on scholarship, particularly from France and Germany. The connection of the figure now known as Harlequin and other figures to rites for the dead is particularly well presented. The Wild Hunt was clearly associated with the spirits of the dead but also with fertility, fecundity, and certain times of the year. Lecouteux explores these and many more aspects of a civilization that both lies behind us and is in faint form still present.” < b=""> James E. Cathey <> , professor of German and Scandinavian studies, University of Massachusetts at Amherst
Review
“One of the most frightening and persistent visions recorded throughout Indo-European history, legend, and folklore is the spectral array of the Wild Hunt. Claude Lecouteux’s brilliant scholarly detective work results in the definitive study of these ghastly processions that have haunted the night skies of Europe for millennia. Phantom Armies of the Night is teeming with tales that will fascinate, delight, and terrify--often all at once. < b=""> Michael Moynihan <> , author of < i=""> Lords of Chaos: The Bloody Rise of the Satanic Metal Underground <> and translator of < i=""> Barbarian Rites <>
Review
“This book is an excellent jumping-off point for scholars wishing to untangle the lines between early Christianity as it blended and then separated from European Paganism. Excellent scholarship along with thought provoking legends and a light hand on interpretation makes this an outstanding addition to a historian’s library.” < b=""> Diana Rajchel <> , FacingNorth.net, October 2011
Review
“...clearly associated with demons and spirits of the dead and the author describes this folklore with eerie tales that will fascinate you.” < b=""> Dave H. <> , < i=""> Book Bargains and Previews <> , November 2011
Review
“This excellent book...is the most comprehensive study of the subject so far written and it is very highly recommended.” < i=""> The Cauldron <> , February 2012
Review
“Overall this work is wonderfully rich in detail and gripping material centered around a subject which is uncommon in modern sociological, or spiritual works. This volume is well worth a read for those interested in historical mythological themes.” < b=""> Frater U.I.F. <> , < i=""> Behutet Magazine <>
Review
“This excellent book by a former professor of medieval literature and civilization at the University of Sorbonne in Paris is a continuation of the author’s ongoing research into the mythological and folkloric aspects of death and popular beliefs about the survival of the soul and the afterlife.” < i=""> The Cauldron <>
Review
“I would recommend this book to anyone who loves European and Religious history and lore, as well as those seeking to understand the differences between Christian and Pagan worldviews. It will make an interesting addition to their library.” < b=""> Uloboridae <> , < i=""> Pagan Book Reviews <> , February 2013
Review
“This is an exciting and absorbing study of a form of folk mythology that has spanned Europe for more than a thousand years. Lecouteux provides both a mass of valuable information and a viable working hypothesis of explanation.” < b=""> Ronald Hutton <> , professor of history, University of Bristol, England
Review
andldquo;This book is ambitious, thick with information,and impresive...After finishing it, I felt as if it is the kind of book one likes to have on the shelf for reference and consultation, rather than the kind of book one reads from start to finish in the usual way. Unless, of course, you are an academic, who enjoys reading analytical books for fun (as I do). Still even if you are not an academic, Iandrsquo;d recommend it to you anyway.andrdquo;
About the Author
Claude Lecouteux is a former professor of medieval literature and civilization at the Sorbonne. He is the author of numerous books on medieval and pagan afterlife beliefs, including andlt;Iandgt;The Return of the Deadandlt;/Iandgt;, andlt;Iandgt;The Secret History of Vampiresandlt;/Iandgt;, and andlt;Iandgt;Witches, Werewolves, and Fairiesandlt;/Iandgt;. He lives in Paris.
Table of Contents
andlt;Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Acknowledgments andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Introduction andlt;/Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Part One andlt;BRandgt;The Hosts of the Nightandlt;/Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;1andlt;/Bandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; The Good Women Who Roam the Night andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;2andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; andlt;/Bandgt;The Phalanxes of Demons andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;3andlt;/Bandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; The Troops of the Dead andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;4andlt;/Bandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; The Phantom Armies andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Part Two andlt;BRandgt;The Supernatural Huntersandlt;/Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;5andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; andlt;/Bandgt;The Diabolical Huntsman andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;6andlt;/Bandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; The Wild Huntsman andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;7andlt;/Bandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; The Cursed Hunter andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Part Three andlt;BRandgt;The Wild Huntandlt;/Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;8andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; andlt;/Bandgt;The Legend of King Herla andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;9andlt;/Bandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; The Mesnie Hellequin andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;10andlt;/Bandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; The Evolution of the Legend andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;11andlt;/Bandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; The Birth of New Legends andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;12andlt;/Bandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; The Wild Hunt, Masked Men, and Bawdy Fellows andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;13andlt;/Bandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; The Wild Hunt in Scandinavia andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;14andlt;/Bandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; The Passage of the Wild Hunt andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Part Four andlt;BRandgt;Odin and the Wild Huntandlt;/Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;15andlt;/Bandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; Scholars and the Tradition andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;16andlt;/Bandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; The Indo-European Roots of the Wild Hunt andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;17andlt;/Bandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; Two Hypotheses andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;18andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; andlt;/Bandgt;Concluding Thoughts andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Appendix 1 For Protection against Spirits of the Night andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Appendix 2 The Wild Hunt in Constance andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Appendix 3 No One Escapes His Fate andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Appendix 4 The Society of the Bone andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Appendix 5 The Coach of the Diabolical Hunstman andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Appendix 6 The Names of the Wild Hunt and Its Leader andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Notes andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Bibliography andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Index andlt;/Bandgt;