Wuotanes Heer: The Wild Hunt, Cursed Hunters and Ghost Armies

As it is commonly known, but it has many names and tales that all relate to what was once a single origin.

Wuotanes Her, Die Wilde Jagd, Das Wilde Heer, … (German)

Odens Jakt, Odens Hundar, Oskorei, Jolareidi, Åsgårdsrei, … (Scandenavian)

Menée Hellequin, Mesnie Hellequin, Herlekin, Chasse-galére, … (French)

Tilkesjacht, Woens’Jacht, Wilde Jacht, Woedan’s Heir, Het Doden Heir, Schaar van Woedan… (Dutch, Flemish)

Sometimes it consists of a lone hunter spectre, a cursed hunter, sometimes an army of the dead, othertimes a demonic horde, lead by a god of the dead or by a dead royal, sometimes on foot, sometimes riding horses, goats, in the company of hellish hounds and wolves, sometimes thousands of dead go by in procession, sometimes the Hunt appears to haunt an area, sometimes it only passes by. Mostly at night, but also by day, but nearly always it will be observed during winter. If you happened to meet it, especially interact with it, you wood soon die and join it.

The Hunt is ancient and very commonly lead by Wodan but also others appear at the head of the hunt from dead Kings to demons. Christians explained it as being a form of purgatory where souls were punished to ride with the hunt till their soul was clean. In later versions, the leader of the hunt would often be the devil or a saint. 

Its origin is obviously related to the ancient indo European tribal culture and the warrior bands.

Historians explain how the ancient tribes had coming of age traditions. A boy had to become a man, to do so he had to undergo special training. Throughout tribal systems in the entire world going from ancient times to modern times, a similar system is often applied, from Ancient Greece and Sparta, to present day tribes of the African Massaï and native American tribes. The boy is sent to ‘bootcamp’, a location in isolation outside of the community under the control an appointed teacher. The boys learn how to survive, worship, work, fight, hunt. In some European traditions, the boy would be kidnapped, taken, from the parents in a traditional procession by the special band of warriors in charge of the teaching proces. In Germanic culture, this warrior band were elite troops within the tribes. They served Wodan and did not engage in normal community life. The boy would then ‘die’ and become ‘dead’ during an initiation ritual. In the Langobardic tribes the shamanic leader of this elite warrior band was called the Godan (Did the name Wodan once relate to this function or was it the other way round?). The dead boys would create masks of green and black color, paint faces and shields black and wear animal skins, usually wolfskins or even fight naked. Dressed in the masks and black paint, they were no longer boys. They had become the dead. Its assumed that in their dead capacity they felt untouchable and probably took on identities of dead forefathers. When the training was completed, they would be reborn into society as a man. However some choose to stay in the warrior-band. The mask did not serve to hide their face, it served to become the dead. Even the origins of the word ‘mask’ go back to spectre, ghost, wizard-witch. (Masca-Mascōn)

Similarities exist with the celtic tribes and coming of age rituals as well as Greek, Spartan etc… The international similarities point to a probably prehistoric tradition that has lived on into European tribal culture and was adopted by the medieval gildes that took the place of warriorbanes. A nice example of how this tradition never really extinguished is found in the province of Eastern Flanders, Belgium around the first week of januari. The ‘Bommels’ is an old tradition, different groups of people gather, put on costumes and masks and then visit the village. The houses they visit are supposed to welcome them and provide them with all the food and drinks they require. The groups are supposed to remain anonymous to the hosts. During Bommels the groups move on foot from house to house, much like in Halloween traditions and Sinterklaas, they will put up a show when they are not content and run havoc in the village. They may ransack your fridge when they are displeased with the food you offer or redecorate your front garden…

The start of winter would have been the moment that the elite warriors, dressed as the ghosts of the dead, would enter the village to collect boys who were ready to be initiated and taken from the village. The community was expected to pay the warriors for their service with food and offerings. Tables would be set, beer would be ready. In the same process the warrior band would inspect houses and people. The ones who are untidy or had not contributed to the community or committed some kind of infraction, could be punished by the visiting dead. The warrior band were believed to be possessed by the dead, the ancestors of the tribe, and during winter there was a sacred time when they could once again walk the earth, revisit the tribe. In tribal perception, a dead ancestor didn’t leave the tribe. So in a way, the tradition meant that the ancestors came to check up on their tribe and see to it that traditions and discipline were upheld by the living. And if this was not the case, the dead would punish the living.

A scary event to look forward to indeed, when the scary, ‘dead’ ferocious warriors would enter the village at night with a horrendous sound, bodies painted or masked. This raging band of wild men were possessed by the dead, and they would come to see if the tribe had earned its honor and the blessing of the dead.

Another motive we find for the wandering of the dead army around the empty roads at night, is the pre-christian belief in fate. If a person died unexpectedly and before his set fate, he was believed to remain in Midgaard and haunt the living till the date of his set fate has passed. In this concept also fits the roaming of dead armies, died in battle, wandering around till they can enter the spirit-world.

The wild hunt is also said to be a fair warning for anyone daring to go outside in the woods during the dark cold months in North-Western Europe when tremendous storms would torment the country during fall and winter. Hunting activities would als be suspended. Indeed, would not the impressive cloud formations and noise of the North Sea storms create the racket of an army of supernatural beings raging in the sky?

In present day, the wild hunt is still very much alive. European Carnival festivities, dressing up in masks during winter, going in procession through the street and harassing people and causing mischief. Sinterklaas, Krampus and other old and forgotten traditions where an otherworldly figure would visit the houses to punish to bad and reward the good. Even Halloween, which is popularly always referred to as a celtic tradition, also holds many aspects of the Wilde Jacht. Just think of the children dressed up as monsters demanding sweets or they will punish you. Pumpkins have taken over from carved out roots, and before that, maybe wooden idols?

There are a number of differences we can identify in the different lores around Europe:

• Hosts of the Night (women roaming the skies, Phalanxes of Demons, Troops of the Dead)
• Supernatural Hunters (Diabolical Hunter, Wild Huntsman, Cursed Hunter)
• The Wild Hunt
• The army of Wodan

A few eyewitness accounts:

Probably the oldest attestation of the Wild Hunt in Great Britain derives from the 10th century,“Wið færstice” is an Old English medical text surviving in the collection known now as Lacnunga. It starts with these words:

“Hlūde wǣran hȳ lā hlūde ðā hȳ ofer þone hlǣw ridan
wǣran ānmōde ðā hȳ ofer land ridan”

They were loud, yes, loud, when they rode over the (burial) mound;

they were fierce when they rode across the land.

An amazing eyewitness account was recorded in England by Christian monks, from the Peterborough Chronicle, an account of the Wild Hunt’s appearance at night in 1127:

“Many men both saw and heard a great number of huntsmen hunting. The huntsmen were black, huge, and hideous, and rode on black horses and on black he-goats, and their hounds were jet black, with eyes like saucers, and horrible. This was seen in the very deer park of the town of Peterborough, and in all the woods that stretch from that same town to Stamford, and in the night the monks heard them sounding and winding their horns.”

Juhkafolker, Julheer (Jól Army) in Lapland: 

Quoting deacon Christoph Arnold from Nuremberg around 1670 concerning Christmas traditions in Lapland:

“They would erect representations of the spirits of the dead, because during that time they believed that the majority of ghosts and spirits traveled through the air, and they wished to conciliate them through sacrifice. They keep a piece of what they have eaten, placing it in a piece of birch bark, and, as if it were a small boat, they place a sail and oars on it. Then they pour in a little fatty broth, and then they hang the entire assemblage to a tree behind their house so that the Julheer has something to eat.”

Women roaming the skies

We are familiar with the stereotypical witch, riding her broom across a dark sky lit by a full moon. These elements do sound like a cartoon, but don’t be fooled, there are some fascinating things to discover.

Charles the Bald in 872:

“This is also not omitted, that certain wicked women, turned back to Satan, seduced by demonic illusions and phantasms, believe of themselves and profess to ride upon certain beasts in the nighttime hours with Diana, the goddess of the pagan, or Herodias, and an innumerable multitude of women, and to traverse great spaces of the earth in the silence of the dead of night, and to be subject to her laws as of a Lady, and on fixed nights be called to her service.”

Burchard of Worms in 1066:

“Have you believed what many women, turning back to Satan, believe and affirm to be true, as you imagine in the silence of the night when you have gone to bed and your husband lies in your bosom, that while you are in bodily form you can go out by closed doors and are ably to cross the spaces of the world with others deceived by the like error and without visible weapons slay persons who have been baptized and redeemed by the blood of Christ.”

Our modern perception of a “witch” is not the same as the old perception. A witch was in fact a pagan women practicing astral travel and other ancient ways. The witch was nothing less then a person that still practiced pagan ways. Where different beliefs, different rules applied. Since germanic culture followed the lunar calendar, the moon was an important part of the concept, but also the practice was probably upheld at night as to remain underground.

The witch did not ride brooms to start with, but animals. Just like the wild hunt where we see the dead can only travel in the sky using horses and goats and hounds. In some concepts of the lore, the riders must not dismount or they would turn to dust instantly.

The horse always acted as psychopump in relation to the otherworld, to the dead. The goat has a connection with Donar and the hound with Wodan. And there is also the question of the fylgia, might the animal have been the fylgia? Aiding the traveller to leave its body and move across time and space in a way beyond our understanding?

So why does witchcraft focus on women, why did the church target them in these quotes? Because the germanic goddesses often took on roles of being in charge of a household and being equal to men in defending it. Women had important tasks and household practices such as pagan tradition could be perceived as her responsibility by the church. Healing, caring, feeding are closely related to pagan practices. Offering food to wights, was probably first cooked by a women for example. Then also there is the germanic concept of women practicing very powerful magic. We even see that the most powerful of the gods are three women: the Norns. Only they can affect fate. Its likely that quotes such as the above turned the focus on women, however the overall aim was to destroy underground paganism. And last but not least, the godess of death, of the underworld is Hel, Huldra, Vrouwe Holle.

The women roaming the night skies, certainly have a strong connection to the wild hunt, in many examples of sources, they are said to gather with others and form a group, a band.

Berthold of Regensburg in 13th century:

“You should not believe at all in the people who wander at night and their fellows, no more then the Benevolent Ones and the Malevolent Ones, in fairies, in nightmares, of both sexes, in the ladies of the night, in nocturnal spirits, or those who travel by riding this or that; they are all demons. Nor should you prepare the table anymore the blessed ladies.”

To prepare a table, was an offering. The dead could come claim a plate of food, usually during winter. 

Consistently throughout history, the church recorded such statements over all of Europe. They confirm that pagan practices were kept up under cover of darkness. And that these pagan practices were directly related to entities traveling the night sky. 

The female leader

Most common names connected in this case are Percht, Perchta, Bercht, Berchta, Hludana, (Vrouwe) Holle, Holla, Hel, Holl, Holda, Hulda, Huldra, Selten… Known as subject in a story by Grimm. She is likely to have been a Indo European deity once named Hulda which means ‘hidden’. She is a goddess of initiations, rebirth, death, the fertile earth, the wild and untamed and the hidden secrets of the transformation in life and death. She would ride out roughly between end of October and begin of January, during the time of the darkest days of winter and  probably in times long before Wodan took the lead of the hunt. Her name is also found in placenames. Huldra is related to Huldufólk, the hidden folk or the good people, living in the hill, or in the burial mound. Hulder is also an attested Dutch name for forestspirit. The elves, or the dead. The name is also related to Hel, goddess of the underworld, again leading us under the surface into the dark secrets of the earth. Hel comes from the Gothic Hella. In fact the wild hunt is often referred to in German as ‘heljagd’, the hunt from Hel, the hunt of the underground. Yet her concept in the Norse Viking era pantheon is probably influenced by Christianity, especially her depiction of having a half rotten, half living body. 

The dead would live in the burial mound where they undergo a transformation to become part of the elves, the hidden folk. In doing so they would join the earth and play a role in fertility. Huldra is their queen, goddess of what resides in the dark hidden spaces of the earth.

We see very much common ground with the celtic culture (Cerridwen) and Huldra possible goes back to prehistoric belief concepts. Her first name must have been Koylo, goddess of death in Indo European time.

Predominantly present in the Alpes mountain area as Percht, where her hunt become known as the Host of Children. During Christianity in the south-west and south-east germanic area, folklore knew her as the leader of dead unbaptized children. Around Christmas time this company would travel at night and enter the villages to visit the houses of people and eat their food. When well received by the owners, they would grant them prosperity.

In some area’s, the children were replaced by a horde of hounds.

Sometimes her troop would also carry a pitcher full of tears of their parents. It was said one should not mourn an unbaptized dead, for in purgatory the dead would have to carry the tears. 

The postmortem wandering of an unbaptized soul is a parallel with pre-christian beliefs of premature death, before the set fate. The soul of a person who died before his time was set by fate, was believed to be a revenant till that day of his set fate has passed. 

Perchta also punishes the people who misbehave, she had terrible tools like an axe to chop into the ones who deserved her wrath. 

She is associated with the Witte Wieven, or the 3 sisters of Wyrd, or the Norns because of her white attire and relations to life and death and she is said to be weaving threads.

Usually she is represented as having a large crooked nose and a monstrous face, just like Hel is represented as a monster, this probably is a Christian influence.

She is also associated with Krampus and Sinterklaas traditions.

In the 17th century, the church tried to ban traditional annual practice revolving Perchta with aggressive measures. Yet her presence was never erased and till this day she is remembered and part of annual traditions in the respective regions.

Demonic hunters

In Christian lore we find many examples of demonic hunters roaming the sky and woods at night. We are dealing with a demonization of the hunt. Grimm speaks of Hellejäger when he refers to the name of the leader of the hunt.

The ancient perception of being incorporated into the mythical warrior band of the dead merged with the Christian perception of purgatory. In Germany the saying “In des Todes Schar varn” literally meant “joining the dead warrior band” (know to have been used as late as 1835).  The dead who had a mission to fulfill in order to reach the heavens, would have to stay in purgatory till that day. Often this would be the people who had died an unnatural death such as suicide or murder or in war and a very popular version is that it consists of unbaptized souls. Probably the church tried to stop the pagan concept surrounding the hunt by demonizing it, however the concept was so deeply ingrained in the people that it stubbornly lived on in new alternative forms.

There are many examples in history of lore with a diabolical huntsman playing an important role. 

In Belgium and France, there is a variety with a consistent narrative: 

A person living in a rural area, usually in the forest, would happen to see a hunter come by. The person then wishes him a good hunt and asks if he would bring him something back if he were succesfull. The morning after, he would discover the hunter to be true to his word yet the prey of the hunter is not what was expected. He would find a dead human nailed to his front door or a piece torn from a body. That is when they realise that they had made a request with the devil. What transpires here is a Christian teaching: do not make requests to the spirits of the hunt, they are evil and evil will come to you if you request them anything. Reminds us of the giftcycle and the offering to the dead who roam the nights during winter.

The dead armies

The dead army legends probably are true to the original nature of the Wild Hunt. In our area it would have been known as Wuodan’s Heir.  The dead warriors of Wodan who are traveling across the landscape. Albeit they don’t bring death, this is the Christian demonization at work. They bring fertility, luck, a good year. They demonstrate the eternal honorable position of the dead and they hold the divine task of making sure their offspring is acting according to frith. 

In some cases we hear of offerings made to the passing of the hunt.

Poem by Heinrich der Löwe (Hendrik the Lion) Duke of Saxony and Bavaria 1139-1181)

„da quam er under daz wöden her, da die bösen geiste ir wonung han” 

(Grimm, 766); “he perceived the wild army as angry spectres“

The hunt shows up numerous times across Europe as a procession of a dead army. It appears as much on foot walking the earth as it does in the air traveling on horseback. Many a time the witness would die soon after his experience. It was also said that when crossing the path of the dead army, one must not speak to it lest they would be cursed and die soon after. On occasions the members of the dead army are known nobles and warriors recognized by the witness. 

Quote from the Bishop of Paris William of Auvergne (1180-1249);

“On the point that these knights appear in the shape of men, I say: of dead men, and those most often slain by iron, we can undoubtedly, based on the advice of Plato, consider that the souls of men thus slain continue to be active the number of days or the entire time it was given them to live in their bodies, if they had not been expelled by force.

You should know, however, that the souls of those that had been killed in this way – in other words, by violent death – roam according to Plato, around the mounds and do not indulge themselves in excursions like those we have discussed. According to this same author, when the requisite number of days have passed, they return to the stars of same value and, inasmuch as these have souls sometimes appear singly or either, especially, those who’s lives have been cut short by arms, in the form of these armies – it is believed they perform penance with arms, because they were the instruments of their sins. This is why they sometimes make demands on those that were dear to them – so these might aid them by their prayers or other favors, and they also inform of the way the can be freed of the punishments they are suffering, on condition the help they are given is effective.”

Herla Cyning (King Herla) and The Troop of Herlethingus 

A long time ago in Great Brittain, lived a king named Herla. One day before him appeared a dwarf. He was dressed and behaved like a true man of royalty and leadership despite his small stature. The dwarf introduced himself as a king and also as a relation of Herla. He said that they were connected through common ground and blood. The dwarf king spoke to Herla with wise words and Herla was intrigued. The dwarf explained that very soon the Franks would propose him a marriage and King Herla would agree upon this marriage. The dwarf king proposed a pact, that he must be invited to this wedding and in return Herla would invited to his own wedding too exactly a year later.

Come the day of the wedding, King Herla’s hall had been well prepared. The servants had made ready lots of tables for the honored guests and many bowls and dishes filled with the best food and drink the country had on offer. Then arrived the dwarf king with his company, a great many of them they were, so much that the hall would not suffice to accommodate all the guests. But the dwarf king did not come empty handed. His servants set up tents and tables so quickly that the land around the hall turned into a large party in a matter of minutes. They presented everyone with golden bowls and dishes of the most delightful foods in endless quantities. So great was the food of the dwarfs that no one even looked at the preparations made by the men of Herla. 

The dwarf king asked King Herla if he was pleased with the party and the honoring of the agreement by the dwarf king and he also said that if Herla wanted anything else to be added to the party, that the dwarfs would see to it immediately. No matter what it was, they would provide it. Herla was pleased, all the guests were having fun, the food was delicious and albeit the dwarfs look far more glamorously dressed and their bowls and tools were made of more gold that Herla had ever seen, no one took any offense and the dwarfs demeanor was discrete and they did not once vex anyone present at the party. The dwarf king concluded by telling Herla he had honored their agreement and he counted on Herla to do the same in a year time from this day. And then as the cock crowed and signaled the night was ending, the dwarfs  cleaned up the party and disappeared as smoothly as they had come.

Exactly a year later, the dwarf king came to Herla’s hall. He said it was time to honor his part of the pact and come with him. And so Herla made sure he brought all the possible supplies to match up to the expectations of the dwarf king. 

They traveled through the forrest to a great hill, and entered a cave like entrance. At first it was dark but soon a shimmering light seem to shine from the ceilings, yet it was not the work of the sun. The light and air was different and within the hill, King Herla discovered a great world where the dwarf king had a magnificent dwelling. He honored the agreement and provided the wedding of the dwarf king with the best food and service. When the party ended, the dwarf king gave Herla a great many of gifts, all tools and animals for hunting such as horses, dogs and hawks. As they returned to the exit of the hill, the dwarf king also gave him a small bloodhound. But the dwarf king stated, that under no circumstance must any of his company dismount their horse before the bloodhound had jumped out of the arms of his bearer. And so they parted ways.

Emerging out of the dark corridor of the hill, Herla and his household travel the land riding their horses and brandishing their new hunting instruments. On the pathway they meet a farmer and Herla asks him of news of his bride and kingdom.

The farmer responded that he had difficulty understanding the language for he was Saxon and Herla spoke a celtic dialect. He said never to have heard of the queen he mentioned but he did know that once, hundreds of years a ago, a king had followed a dwarf into a mound and was never seen again. After this, Saxons had taken the empty land of the kingdom of Herla.

The king was surprised because he believed his stay at the dwarfs wedding had taken only 3 days. Some of the company of Herla, hearing this, in their discomfort decided to step down from the horse. As soon as they were touching the earth, their bodies evaporated into dust. Seeing this Herla remembered the warning, the dog had not jumped from his bearer and issued the order for all not to dismount. And so the household of Herla has begun to travel the forests of the old Kingdom in anticipation of the bloodhound to alight and signal it is safe to dismount. 

And thus can a lone traveler at night come face to face with the eternal hunting party of Herla.

Notes: 

Very typically in celtic lore, the mystical journey undertaken by Herla is surrounded by strange phenomenon. The cave he enters in the hill, is ofcourse not just a hollow in a hill. It is the burial mound, the otherworld. The dark corridor is a transition and the world within carries a strange light. Herla entering the mound would literally mean he died. Once he came back, ages have past yet Herla believes it was only 3 days. Time operates differently in other realms and we see this too in other celtic tales.

It appears as if the bloodhound and other tools for hunting are a present, but essentially they are not part of Middle Earth and carry a certain set of rules with them that surround the company with a burden. The bloodhound appears almost as a spirit guide, protecting the men by informing them when it would be safe to dismount and not coincidentally the dog usually holds the function of gatekeeper to the realm of death. The horses act once again as psychopomp, they provide travel between realms.

Essential in the entire tale, is the function of the king dwarf. He appears to be an ancestor or at least a local spirit that engages in a gift cycle with Herla. The power and the luck of Kings and of heroes was always seen as directly connected with the spirit world. Many times they claim to be descended from gods. To have their might and authority confirmed by the divine would consolidate their position in society. 

Another interesting aspect is that the members of his household turn to dust if they dismount before the appropriate time. This may be connected to the idea that for a spirit to act in both the living world as the spirit world it would require to still have a body in the living world. If that body disappears, the spirit is held in the realm of the dead and can not longer be a revenant or reincarnate.

The name Herla is probably the source for the tales of the Harlequin and its wild hunt in France. It appears also cognate to the Erle King from Germany another king related with the hunt. 

Gelderland Saga of the Cursed Huntsman

The Gelderland area of the Netherlands is the home of the Veluwe heath, a large area where nature still gets its ways. A long time ago, there was a farming family living on the edge of the forest. The elder couple had a son, but he never helped out on the farm. He was rarely at home, always on adventures in the forest, hunting and camping. If he came home it was to have a warm bed and a good meal and to feed his dogs and repair his bow or clothes, but never to work on the farm. No matter how much they pleaded with him to stay home and contribute in the farming life, he never listened.

One day he came home and found his mother in a desperate state. His father was dying, spending his last days in bed. That night, the father’s condition deteriorated very fast and mother asked her son to come. He had been out of bed early to prepare for his next hunt. He refused to enter the room where his father was waiting for death to take him to the burial mound and kept busy preparing his gear. So his father called out with his last breaths. “Son, if not for me, at least for your mother, come live and work the farm after I entered the mound, it would please the tribe and the gods.” But the son pretended not to have heard his father and continued his preparations. Early that morning he had collected his dogs and was about to leave when his mother come pleading with him one last time, her eyes in tears. But the son did not answer, whistled his dogs, turned round went on his way with camping gear and bow and arrow and spear at hand.

The old man sighed and spoke his last words “And so my son, you shall forever be bound to hunt this forest”, he turned his head and died. After they had placed the old man in the family mound, his widow took her belongings and moved in with her sister’s family. That night when the farmstead was empty for the first time since it had been built, it disappeared into the ground without a trace and was never seen again, no living human could lay eyes upon the house, it was now part of the hidden realm. 

Since that day, even far long after any natural death would have ended the life of farmer’s son, he is seen hunting the forest with a pack of black hounds, and in his wake a procession of specters holding spears and axes. They move across the heath, haunt its paths and when dark clouds cover the forest he is heard as if his hunting party rides the clouds. Never again will he retire to his parents farmstead.

Source: Veluwsche Sagen, G. van de Wall, 1921 (some poetic liberty was applied)

Erlkönig, the Elf King 

On the fringes of the wild hunt we find local hauntings that are strangely familiar. 

In the Black Forrest, Germany, there is an old legend of the Elfking. The entity has been said to be the King of Elves sometimes been said to be a bearded kobold, other times described as dark forest spirit. He haunts the pathways of the forest and stalks travellers there. His interest seems to be children mostly, whom he kidnaps. Its also said that all who see him may die in the near future, a very typical occurrence regarding the Hunt.

The Black Forrest, locally known as Swarzwald, is a large area in southern Germany cloaked in a shroud of legendes and fairytales.

It became cemented in German history thanks to 18th century poets and later was discussed by Grimm

Presently, the Elf King often partakes on the annual Krampuslauf events. 

It is very likely that Elves are actually spirits of the dead who have entered a phase in death where they dwell in our midst as the hidden people. In Flemish known as Alven. The ones who inhabit the burial mound, and in most legends they live inside a hill. In Flanders we have quit a few placenames ending with -berg (mountain). Alfsberg, Rodeberg, Zwarteberg, Kemmelberg, Elzeleberg, Koppenberg, etc…. But none of them are actual mountains. So there is a theory by language specialists that -berg in this case had nothing to do with a landscape feature. This is supported by the simple fact that in the time the placenames were given, our elder versions of present day Flemish-Dutch had only one meaning for bergen: 

Onl. bergin salun sig ‘ze zullen zich bergen’ [10^e eeuw; W.Ps.], ic burge mi (conjunctief pret.) ‘(dat) ik me borg’ [10^e eeuw; W.Ps.]; mnl. bergen ‘redden, in een ruimte opnemen’ [1240; Bern.].

Os. bergan, ohd. bergan ‘bergen, verbergen’; nfri. bergje; oe. beorgan; on. bjarga; got. bairgan; < pgm. *bergan- ‘(ver)bergen’. Zie ook de afleiding verbergen en het ablautende zn. borg. Ook burcht is wellicht verwant. (etymologie.nl)

So the hill is where something is securely stored and concealed. The hidden people, the Alves, have their realm under the earth. 

“Bommel” a tradition of the dead? 

Eastern Flanders region of Oudenaarde and Ronse, Belgium

Bommel is Flemish-Dutch medieval word such that represents a demon or devil or otherwise harmful entity of the spiritworld. Much like the term Nekker, it ended up being used in many placenames where lore of such a spirit was heavily present. Of course such spirits were only turned into demons by the church. Another theory relates the word to “Bonmoss”, a medieval dialect spoken in the area used Bonmoss to describe a joly group of friends, which is not very far from the image of a band of warriors entering the village making much noise and feasting and may have colluded with the Bommel meaning of a spirit at one point to change the narrative of the original tradition.

Bommel Lopen literally means: Bommel Running, or Running As A Spirit or As Joly Friends.  Mentions of the tradition are older then some of the medieval villages in the area of Eastern Flanders. Its date is set in the first weekend of Januari, which coincide with historical Yule more or less, since that took place around the first full moon of January. The end of winter would also be marked by similar practice that is more popular and widespread and known as Carnaval. 

For 3 days (important number in the germanic culture, Yule was celebrated for 3 days in many places) the “keys” of the city or village are given to the a few chosen ones who will be King during the time of Bommel (just like Carnaval tradition). It typically represents that during this time, all normality is ignored and regular life is now in the hands of the Bommel King. The people surrender themselves and the land to the Bommel (devil, read pagan deity) and they prefer the traditions to be held by the people of their community, no outsiders. It fits the concept of the dead visiting the land and the people receiving them and offering to them. 

There is of course a big feast in the community, during which the King trows sweets into the crowd, just like Sinterklaas and his helpers do. All people wear masks during the festivities. On one particular evening, people will Bommel-Run, they will dress up and mask themselves and even use a different voice and go out in small groups. They will then proceed to make a lot of noise and commit minor mischief along the way while making housevisits in the village. Anyone answering the door who is confronted with a masked company must invite them into their home and receive them according to customs: offer them sufficient food and drink and make sure they are well entertained. The traveling companies challenge themselves to visit known addresses without being recognized by the house owners. As long as the owners can not geuss the masked visitors they will have to keep offering them anything they desire during their presence. Encountering such a company on the street when you are not yourself taking part, can lead to interesting encounters…

Interesting, around the same time of january 6, is the Christian practice of celebrating Driekoningen (Three Kings). Originally the concept was a unknown number of wise men who brought gifts in relation to the birth of Jezus. But it was turend into the sacred number 3 and the wise men became kings. And in the germanic area’s like Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, the three kings tradition is again a dress up party: children dress like a king or queen of the old days and go door by door to sing the Driekoningen song and receive gifts in the form of candy. In medieval time this practice was probably used to gather gifts for the poor of the community. 

We see the tell tale signs of a pre Christian tradition that survived through the veil of time. No doubt it has changed over time, but some of the core elements can not be misunderstood. It resembles a practice found in many other European countries and as shown by K Kershaw in her praised work: The One Eyed God, these practices are more then likely tied to our pre Christian ways.

The Wild Hunt and Hallow’s Eve 

On Samhain, the Army of the Sidhe would leave the underworld to ride across the land. All the nobles would engage in a wild race across Ireland, following Cú Chulainn and the passing of his furious troop. 

The date of Samhain, the last night of October, also turns up as the date that the dead are allowed to roam Middengaard, the date that the Wild Hunt rides out for the dark months. In Celtic culture it was also the feast of harvest and its timing falls on the liminal period where summer makes place for winter, the sun weakens, makes room for cold and darkness. Liminal times were always supposed to be times when the spiritworld could more easily mingle into the living world.

In Celtic lands, beetroot would be hollowed out and candles put in them, believing the carved faces would ward off the harmful spirits that could roam the land during the time of the dead. A stunning link to the masquerades that again are traced to indo European times. 

The family’s ancestors were honored and invited home whilst harmful spirits were warded off. People wore costumes and masks to disguise themselves as harmful spirits and thus avoid harm. Bonfires and food played a large part in the festivities. The bones of slaughtered livestock were cast into a communal fire, household fires were extinguished and started again from the bonfire. Food was prepared for the living and the dead, food for the ancestors who were in no position it eat it, was ritually shared with the less well off. And what to make of the ransacking of the house for not participating in the Halloween practice? Was this an incorporation from the Germanic tradition of the warrior band? Not surprisingly, the Celts had a similar tradition of warrior bands and coming of age practices much like the Germanic tribes. After all these practices preceded the both cultures. 

There is also an interesting connection between halloween and Halewijn. Halewijn, also Hallewijn or Haelewyn is the name a mysterious figure that is depicted in a song that is traced as far back as the 13th century but has definite Celtic origins. The song is found in the Netherlands and Flanders in Old Flemish and Dutch. The character of Halewijn is said to magically sing so that he enchants a person and commands the person to follow him. He targets women who he then murders in a forest. Sometimes on or in a hill. (There are dozens of known versions of the song). But one day the princess he sings to, breaks the spell and manages to outsmart Halewijn and decapitates him. His head is then brought back to the castle, but the head asks the princess to blow a horn so that his friends know of his death and he also asks to balsam his neck. The princess refuses the requests. The severed speaking head, the hill or forest (grove, mound) where he lures the women into, are typical mythical celtic aspects. Halewijn is considered to be a harmful elf who leaves the mound to terrorize the people. The name is also cognate to Hellekin, Herlethingus, Herlewinus, Harlequin, who is after all, one of the known leaders of the Wild Hunt, of the Mesnie Harlequin. 

My personal conclusion?

Here in Belgium, the end of summer and start of fall is marked by the arrival of North Sea storms. Every year there is a particular moment when the sky is overtaken with wild cloud formations, dark and eerie, covering the land like a blanket just before the storm erupts. The clouds have amazing formations, and move often fast paced. Its is a liminal moment. Not just a shift in the weather, but a shift in the season. All know that after they passed, the weather is turning towards the dark and cold of winter. Liminal moments and places is where the magical and divine becomes more clear. Just like Ginnungagap where ice and fire meet, a turmoil of elements that create something new. There and then is when we can meet the divine. It has become hard for many people in our present time to still be impressed by nature. But in such moments of the liminal space, we are in awe. We suddenly realize how little we are, we find our respect for nature and are humbled.

As the dark and cold and turmoil take over control of our land and woods, raging over the chimney’s, rattling the fences and whistling through the roof beams we are reminded of our ancestors and gods, we are reminded of the needs we have for them.

A photo I took during a walk in my village one October evening as this massive cloud cover approached and that evening a massive North Sea storm took us all to that humble liminal space of our mind where we realize the greatness of the cosmos. Usually Belgium and Netherlands are covered with low dark clouds most of winter and autumn after the storms have hit.