Herne is a British god of the forests, much venerated by modern pagans who grew up watching ITV's Robin of Sherwood in the 1980s. In the series, which is set in the late Middle Ages, Robin (played by Michael Praed) meets a figure in the woods who is clad in a stag's pelt. He claims to be the god Herne the Hunter and makes Robin promise to protect the poor and downtrodden against the Normans.
To my young and impressionable eyes Michael Praed was quite godlike, so any deity he worshipped was more than good enough for me. I wonder how many other witches of my generation were led along their path by the same attraction?
Herne is sometimes associated with the Celtic god Cernunnus. The website www.godchecker.com/ states:
"CERNUNNUS: A very Deer God. He has antlers and runs around a lot with wild animals. He is probably also the entity known as Herne The Hunter, worshipped in Great Britain and very popular with Morris Dancers."
Herne is only one of the deities said to lead the Wild Hunt, others include Woden or even Diana. The Wild Hunt consists of ghosts, fairies, spirits of wild animals and even humans who unwittingly hear the call of its huntsman's horn. This furious pack is said to be abroad on the night of Halloween and anyone in its way either joins the hunt or becomes its prey.
It is, of course, meant to be scary. But that little part of my mind that is still stuck on Michael Praed can't help thinking "Herne can come and hunt me any night he likes..."
Links:
http://wicca.timerift.net/horned.shtml
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wild Hunt
http://paganwiccan.about.com/od/godsandgoddesses/p/Herne Hunter.htm
http://www.geocities.com/pagantheology/myth/wildhunt.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herne the Hunter
The Concise Mythological Dictionary
http://www.pantheon.org/mythica.html
http://www.godchecker.com/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A952184
