The Wild Hunt

The origin of Sinterklaas (Santa Claus) and his helpers has sometimes been associated with the "Wild Hunt" of the Norse wind God, Odin.  [Teutonic god, Woden].  The Wild Hunt is also known from post-medieval folklore, and evokes images of the frenzy of battle, and the terror inspired by death. 

The Wild Hunt by Franz von Stuck

The Wild Hunt is a folk tale originating from Europe, and involves a group of huntsman who are presumed ghosts, who pass through the wild in pursuit of humans as game. 

These hunters may be assumed as fairies, elves or even the dead.  The leader of the Hunt is Odin, and all of whom are lost spirits, both male and female.  Odin passes through persistent darkening skies, amidst great mid-winter storms of angry wind, clapping thunder and violent lightening.
  

Odin appears on his gallant white horse, called Sleipnir, who carries him swiftly through the air, leading his army of lost souls.  Sleipnir also possessed 8 legs, which must have aided him in his ability to carry Odin very swiftly, with his feet never touching the earth.

Odin's ever-present companions are two black ravens, Huginn and Muninn, who were the carriers of news - the good or bad behavior of the mortals, below - and report back to Odin, after listening to people through their rooftops.   Huginn and Muninn's role as Odin's messengers have long been associated with shamanic practices, the Norse raven banner, general raven symbolism among the Germanic peoples, and the Norse concepts of the fylgja (is a spirit who accompanies a person in connection to their fate or fortune) and the hamingja (either the personification of the good fortune or luck of an individual or family, or the altered appearance of shape-shifters).

In his nocturnal procession, are huge, vicious, black hounds that bay ceaselessly through the icy winds, and have been described as having red eyes the size of saucers. 

"The Bearer of Death is a term used in describing the Hellhound. Hellhounds have been said to be as black as coal and smell of burning brimstone. They tend to leave behind a burned area wherever they go. Their eyes are a deep, bright, and almost glowing red. They have razor sharp teeth, super strength and speed, and are commonly associated with graveyards and the underworld. Hellhounds are called The Bearers of Death because they were supposedly created by ancient demons to serve as heralds of death. According to legend, seeing one leads to a person's death. Sometimes it is said to be once; other times it requires three sightings for the curse to take effect and kill the victim. These factors make the Hellhound a feared symbol and worthy of the name “Bearer of Death”. The Hellhound has been seen several times throughout history, and it is not specific to any one place. The most recent sightings occurred in Connecticut, Kentucky, Louisiana, Ohio, and Vilseck, Germany, in or near cemeteries."  -wiki

Artwork by Howard Johnson, source: pinterest

Finally, as part of his war-band, and at this side, Odin is also accompanied by his warrior wife, Frigga [Frig or Frigg].   Frigg is known as the goddess of motherhood and marriage, and the keeper of domestic arts.  She possesses the power of prophecy, but does not disclose this information.  Frigg is the wife of Odin, queen of the Æsir, and goddess of the sky.  To underline the importance of Frigg as part of the Wild Hunt, one must consider that she is the only one who is permitted to sit on Odin's high seat "Hlidskjalf" and look out over the universe. 

If you were unfortunate enough to witness the Wild Hunt, you may be the hapless augur of such events like war, pestilence or the plague and surely, death will follow.  

Some mortals who did not meet their demise as witnesses, would mysteriously vanish, and may have been carried into the Underworld or a Fairy Kingdom, as the soul was pulled from the body to join the army of the soul-less. 

Melissa Snark, wrote:  "As people continued to settle in the region, Odin’s path for the Wild Hunt remained unchanged. Once he traveled a road, he would continue to travel it for eternity, so people who tried to build their houses on the old roads he once used would find their home’s burnt down as a result of his hunt. In fact, it was best to leave his routes completely untouched, as anything within his path would be set ablaze in his wake.


To protect themselves during the Wild Hunt, people learned to throw themselves at the ground when the host stampeded through the area to avoid getting hit. They also took to carrying a piece of steel and a piece of bread with them as they made their way to church for Yule. They believed that throwing the bread for the dogs if they encountered them first would offer some protection. If, on the other hand, they first encountered a rider wearing a broad-rimmed hat, they would throw the piece of steel in front of them. Still others believed they could avoid being swept up altogether by the hunt if they asked the riders for parsley."

There is a bright side, however.  If one joined the Wild Hunt, in earnest and sincerity, one may be rewarded with silver or gold.  

Google Images, Artists not cited

“When the winter winds blow and the Yule fires are lit, it is best to stay indoors, safely shut away from the dark paths and the wild heaths. Those who wander out by themselves during the Yule-nights may hear a sudden rustling through the tops of the trees – a rustling that might be the wind, though the rest of the wood is still.“But then the barking of dogs fills the air, and the host of wild souls sweeps down, fire flashing from the eyes of the black hounds and the hooves of the black horses.” -Kveldulf Hagen Gundarsson 

Peter Nicolai Arbo (1831–1892) - Title "Norsk bokmål: Asgårdsreien,  1872

Gif images - tumblr

Familiars a.k.a. Animal Spirits

Do you have an animal spirit?

Today, we are able to boast about our beloved pets through social media, posting pictures and videos of our four-legged friends.  It is also not uncommon for people to post pictures of spirit animals, fantasy creatures and beasts.  You may believe that you have an animal as a spirit guide, or perhaps you may think that you have a  spiritual connection or a deep bond with your pet.  It is believed that a familiar can be corporeal (flesh and blood) or incorporeal (a spirit body).  

Your familiar can be your closest companion, offering emotional support, knowledge, or aid in physical healing.   It can be an insect, a mammal, a reptile, a bird, or anything else to which you find comfort (or fear).

Through Medieval times, (and before) the belief that familiars existed for good or bad reasons, were broken down into two categories: Those that served witches; and those that served "cunning folks".  

Witches were thought to produce evil forces, and their familiars were often classified as demons.  (Think of the quintessential witch with her black cat, or flying bats or pet wolf).  Every witch was believed to own an animal that served as some type of malevolent familiar.  The familiars were shape-shifters that could easily turn from human to a demonic-like creature at the witch's whim.  The witch's familiar was considered to be as threatening as the witch, perhaps even more so, with its ability to be a supernatural being who shift its form without notice.  They were natural spies or perceived as a danger because they could easily cause harm - or raise hell - when least expected.

Cunning folks were those who practiced what was called White Magic, were healers who concocted herbal healing potions, created charms and were served by benevolent creatures who conjured fairies to aid them.  They commonly were sought to expel evil spirits, and drive out black magic.   They were useful people who kept under the radar of authorities because they were known to be "good".  Their familiar was the otherworldly spirit helper who could shapeshift between human and animal form.  Cunning folk were also known as blessers, charmers, wisemen and wisewomen.

Kaaren Christ of Llewellyn Journal explains, "A “familiar” is simply a living creature having personal and spiritual meaning to you, and the experience is available to anyone who seeks it. No need for otherworldly experiences or altered states of consciousness."

Since the 20th Century, a revival of having a familiar or an animal spirit or guide has occurred, and the concept of having a pet or an invisible spirit is actually quite common.

Personally, I have only owned cats.  Sgt. Pepper (a.k.a. "Kitty") was a [mostly] black female that was rescued from a horse farm and our family had her for 17 years.  Sebastian, I bought at a local animal shelter.  I brought him home because his paw stuck out of the cage and touched me several times... there were over a dozen cats from which to choose, but I thought that his reaching for me meant something.  He was a 23 lb. cat, that was a true character, a real man of a cat, and I had him for 14 years.  Now, we have the stray "Puddy McGillicuddy Goodwin" and she's been here about 2 1/2 years.  I don't know her age or from where she came, but she is the most loving cat I've ever owned with the sweetest disposition and she is very social.   All of my cats have been black and white. 

In this respect, I have a handful of creatures to which I am drawn.
From his book, "The Once Unknown Familiar", Timothy Roderick breaks down the traits and characteristics of these animals.

CAT:  Mysterious, independent, intellectual, inventive

Influences:  Magical visions, independence, strengthens one's psychic potency, ability to move between the worlds with ease.

Personality - the cat personality carries over into the entire cat family - lions, tigers, cougars, etc.  So apply the powers and the personality traits listed here to the entire feline family.   The cat personality is highly independent.   Cats have ways of getting what they want, one way or another.  The won't often thin of how their actions affect others, but they generally don't intend malice.  Cats are born mysterious and can evoke spiritual aid without much trouble.  They are trickster-teachers who might just take a swipe at others in order to teach them a lesson. They can revert to being wild creatures without much notice.

BEAR: Nurturing, loving, maternal, strong willed.

Influences - Promotes healing, motherly love, guardian of emotional strength and mental stability

Personality - Bears can't help but intimidate others who may not know them,, but in truth is that they can be very nurturing, open-hearted and playful.  Bears are highly intelligent and their curiosity is easily piqued.  A bear always knows what everyone's weaknesses are and will strike in the soft underbelly if threatened. 

DRAGON:  Powerful, grand, wise

Influences:  Magical adeptness, mastery of self-control, reveals the hidden knowledge of ancient mysteries, evokes aid of salamanders, mastery of the element of Fire.

Personality - The dragon is a very wise being.  Usually the person with the dragon personality seems like an "old soul" capable of inspiring those who are seekers of higher truth.  The dragon guards it jewels of wisdom jealously, giving them only to those who prove themselves worldly.  

ELEPHANT:  Justice-oriented, people loving, dominant

Influences: Longevity, memory enhancement, restful sleep, impervious

Personality - Elephants are wonderful individuals.  They are just in their dealings and can't stand situations of imbalance.  They will go out of their way to correct an out of kilter situation.  They are take-charge individuals and frequently take positions of leadership either in their field of work or in their community.  

RAVEN:  Innocent, playful, joker

Influences: A prankster, begins new ventures, success, power to make the right choices, reveals future lives

Personality - Animal equivalent of the Tarot Trump card, The Fool. Ravens can be quite profound in their philosophical thinking, yet they present themselves in such an unassuming way that it is difficult for others to get the raven's message.  They are life-affirming and prefer simplicity in all matters. They are problem solvers and can handle even the most difficult people with success. 

Though, I don't recommend it, you can go online and take a quiz to find out who or what your animal spirit is.  I don't recommend it because everything I looked at was fluff and foolishness.  If you wish, you can find out what your animal spirit is, by thinking about to what creatures you are attracted.  

It is as simple as that.  Have you dreamed of a certain animal?  Are you frightened by it or do you love it?  What is it doing?  Is it your companion or a threat?

Just think about what animal you are drawn to, or perhaps dreamed of or love to look at, I personally do not believe that I have a "familiar" or an animal spirit that guides me, that I know of!  But, it is a very personal choice!